The UK has "got a grip" on the
migrant crisis in Calais, Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond has said, as
he confirmed 100 more guards would be deployed in its Eurotunnel
terminal.
Mr Hammond was speaking after chairing a meeting of the government's emergency Cobra committee.
And he said the measures employed so far were "already having an effect".
A French police union said there were 1,700 migrant "intrusions" at a Channel Tunnel freight terminal overnight.
The updated strategy for Calais announced by the foreign secretary includes:
A "much improved level of cooperation
and collaboration with Eurotunnel over the past 48 hours" which has seen
some trains cancelled and others reversed into Coquelles, where there
is a danger of illegal migrants being on board
UK Border Force and French police having a presence in the Eurotunnel control room at Coquelles from Monday evening
Up to 100 additional guards to be deployed into the terminal area
The procuring of additional facilities to support Operation Stack
lorry-holding operations in Kent, ahead of it beginning again later
this week - this sees the M20 closed, to house lorries bound for Dover,
while other traffic is diverted on other roads to get around Kent
Media captionWATCH: The Deputy Mayor of Calais says migrants choose the UK because it is easy to get black market jobs
Mr Hammond also said the previously arranged fencing work at Calais is "proceeding on schedule"
He
said: "I think we have got a grip on the crisis. We saw a peak last
week, since when the number of illegal migrants has tailed off.
"We
have taken a number of measures in collaboration with the French
authorities and Eurotunnel which are already having an effect, and over
the next day or two I would expect to have an even greater effect."
He
also said the UK government was working with the French authorities on a
joint plan to support returns to country of origin by illegal migrants
seeking to enter the UK and those who are in the Calais area. The
Road Haulage Association has urged David Cameron, who is on holiday, to
visit Calais, but Mr Hammond would not be drawn on whether the prime
minister's trip should be cut short.
On Monday, it was also
announced that landlords in England would be expected to evict tenants
who lost the right to remain in the UK, under new measures to clamp down on illegal immigration.
The new measures come as French police figures suggested 70% of migrants processed in Calais leave within four months.
"They cannot ascertain whether these migrants leave to go elsewhere in France, or whether they enter the UK," Kent Police Chief Constable Alan Pughsley told the UK Parliament's Home Affairs Select Committee. At the scene: BBC News correspondent Gavin Lee
The
word amongst the migrants in the so-called "Jungle" camp is that Monday
night will be the biggest attempt so far to break into the Channel
Tunnel freight terminal.
Whether it's rumour or reality, French
riot police are already preparing for another big test of their security
operation, with officers stationed at potentially vulnerable spots
along the terminal's 10-mile perimeter.
Meanwhile, the dynamic has changed at the Jungle, six miles away from the terminal.
Some
of the estimated 3,000 migrants who've been living rough in makeshift
tents have abandoned the camp and are now sleeping in fields closer to
the train terminal in Coquelles, presenting a new problem for police
trying to monitor increasingly separate groups. The
prime minister's official spokeswoman stressed there was "no evidence"
all of those leaving Calais were reaching the UK, adding that there is
"anecdotal evidence" suggesting some seek opportunities elsewhere in
France or in Europe.
It is estimated there are 3,000 migrants in
the Calais area, and many are continuing their attempts to reach the UK
by crossing the Channel.
There have been thousands of attempts to
access the Eurotunnel terminal in recent weeks. Nine people have died
trying to access the tunnel since the start of June.
Some attempt
to stow away on lorries headed for the Eurotunnel, or climb or cut
security fences to try to hide on Eurotunnel shuttles.
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