BRITAIN FACES MIGRANT CHAOS
New ‘ summer of discontent’ as thousands plot to storm border
THOUSANDS of migrants desperate to reach the UK will bring chaos to Channel ports again this summer, holidaymakers were warned last night.
Lorry drivers have also been placed on red alert for a repeat of the powder keg atmosphere that engulfed Calais last year.
Fears of a fresh wave of lawlessness came as pro- migrant No Borders activists prepared to demonstrate in the town tomorrow.
The Freight Transport Association thinks this could be the catalyst for a “summer of discontent” that causes widespread disruption to tourists and truckers.
Chris Yarsley, the group’s EU affairs manager, said: “The economic importance of the port of Calais must not be overlooked. Disruption
caused by demonstrations and thousands of migrants camped out near the port cannot be allowed to happen again.
“The FTA envisages another summer of unrest in the Calais area and is planning to support the freight and logistics industry should there be a repeat performance of scenes we saw last year in and around the port.”
Hauliers say armed gangs have turned the French town into the “Wild West”, giving chilling accounts of how migrants wielding scaffolding poles pelt trucks with bricks as they try to sneak into Britain as stowaways. Last year’s violence had a devastating impact on the delivery of fresh food with “intensive migrant activity” forcing the suspension of Eurotunnel services and closure of the ferry terminal.
Strikes, delays and disruption to Channel crossings cost the industry an estimated £ 21million.
Around £ 89billion worth of UK trade travels through Calais each year. But the danger facing those bringing goods into Britain is so grave some haulage companies avoid the port at all costs.
There are still thousands of migrants camped out in Calais but the partial clearance of the notorious Jungle camp has spread the problem to Dunkirk, Zeebrugge and Rotterdam.
Kevin Hopper, managing director of Pontefract- based Brian Yeardley Continental, said: “The nuisance is still there and our drivers have to be on full alert because these migrants want to get to the promised land. They see trucks that slow down but don’t stop and they get frustrated, which turns to anger and aggressive action.
“They have thrown pieces of timber, metal bars, rocks, bricks and scaffolding. It’s endangering drivers. We are seeing more instances of migrants trying to get on board. It’s like the Wild West.
“This summer is going to be equally bad and it’s going to have a catastrophic impact on the international transport community.”
Critics said the Government’s decision to accept an unspecified number of children fleeing the con- flict in Syria would act as a magnet for more migrants to flock to Calais.
Home Office figures show 40,000 stowaways were seized trying to slip into Britain in the first eight months of last year, the equivalent of 164 a day or almost seven an hour.
The number of “clandestine entrants” – those who successfully made it here – rose from 1,432 in 2013 to 2,935 last year. Experts say this summer has the potential to be even worse with British families returning from holiday caught up in the chaos.
Ukip MEP Steven Woolfe said: “The realities of Calais are still very real for the hauliers who travel through the port regularly. It is the UK’s gateway to the European continent and any continued disruption causes a great deal of uncertainty for hauliers and harms their economic activity.
“While officials have committed additional funding to increase the security of the port, including more fencing, this is simply a knee- jerk reaction and a short- term fix.
“As the summer moves closer and the weather gets better, a new influx of migrants into Calais should be expected, which will only exacerbate the problems we see today.”
Drivers can be fined up to £ 2,000 for every illegal immigrant found in their truck.
Tackle
In 2013/ 14 1,625 penalties worth a total of £ 4.2million were issued and in 2014/ 15 3,321 fines worth £ 6.6million were handed out. The FTA, which represents more than 15,000 members, has called for urgent action to tackle the problems, saying more needs to be done by the French and UK governments to protect people.
Around 9,000 lorries a day – threequarters of all road freight in and out of Britain – passes through Calais. Truckers have told how women and children deliberately wander along the motorway while others set up makeshift road blocks in a deliberate bid to force lorries to slow down.
Ukip MEP Mike Hookem said: “Many of the drivers I have spoken to are often in fear of their lives as they barricade themselves in their cabs to avoid injury or worse.
“The simple fact is drivers and hauliers are vital to the British economy and are often small or self- employed business people simply trying to earn a living.
“It is high time the EU and the British government got a grip of the migrant problem and stopped passing the buck.”
Immigration Minister James Brokenshire said: “The haulage industry is hugely important to UK trade and prosperity. While law and order in Calais is the responsibility of the French authorities, we continue to work closely with our French counterparts to bolster the security of ports in northern France. Last year extra funding saw Border Force double its contracted freight searching and sniffer dog capacity at our juxtaposed controls. The French are maintaining police numbers at Calais to uphold law and order in the area.
“I am aware of the FTA’s concerns and recently met members to discuss improvements at the port.
“These include a new secure zone for UK- bound lorries which will be completed shortly.”
EXPERTS have warned that the migrant situation in Calais is going to lead to a summer of chaos in the French port town. The disastrous effect on traffic is expected to be exacerbated by the actions of striking workers who have routinely helped to make life a misery for hauliers and holidaymakers.
Last year miles of the M20 had to be used as an emergency lorry park as hauliers waited for an opportunity to cross the Channel. Ministers promised action to control the situation. The British pledge to provide more money, fencing and police officers did help to alleviate the immediate crisis.
However the French government failed to take the decisive action necessary to rid the town of its troublesome migrant population. This is despite chilling accounts from drivers, which demonstrate that travelling through Calais is fraught with danger.
Migrants have been known to attack lorries with scaffolding or to set up makeshift road blocks to stop vehicles so they can break in. Some drivers have even taken to barricading themselves in their cabs to stay safe.
The half- hearted efforts that have been made to clear the notorious Jungle camp have only helped to make the situation elsewhere worse as migrants move to other ports such as Dunkirk, Zeebrugge or Rotterdam.
Only a concerted and long- lasting effort to deal with those who have no right to be in France will be enough to keep the port functioning properly.