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Calais migrant crisis: UK-French centre to fight people smugglers Calais migrant crisis: Theresa May in Calais to sign UK-French deal
(about 1 hour later)
British police are to work with French officers and the UK Border Force at a new "command and control centre" in Calais, the UK government says. Home Secretary Theresa May has arrived in Calais where she is to sign a deal with the French government to tackle the migrant crisis.
The centre will target the criminals who try to smuggle migrants into northern France and across the Channel, the Home Office said. A "command and control centre" jointly run by British and French police and the UK Border Force is among planned measures, the UK government said.
It will be led by two senior officers, one English and one French, who will each report to their own government. The centre will target criminals who smuggle migrants into France and across the Channel, the Home Office said.
The Home Office said the arrangement would enable greater collaboration. It will be led by two senior officers, one English and one French.
The Home Office said officers would each report to their own government, and the arrangement would enable greater collaboration.
It is yet to comment on how many British police officers will be posted to Calais.
Ms May has begun her visit with a tour of the Eurotunnel site in Coquelles to inspect security measures installed to deal with the migrant crisis.
The new centre is part of a deal between the UK and France to co-operate over the ongoing problem of illegal migration.The new centre is part of a deal between the UK and France to co-operate over the ongoing problem of illegal migration.
The deal will be signed by Home Secretary Theresa May and French Interior Minister Bernard Cazenueve in Calais later. Other measures expected to be included in the new agreement are:
The two countries will work together to dismantle smuggling networks and prosecute those responsible, the Home Office said.The two countries will work together to dismantle smuggling networks and prosecute those responsible, the Home Office said.
Other measures in the deal include extra French policing units, improved fencing around the Eurotunnel entrance and stronger security in the tunnel itself.
The UK government has already spent £7m on new fencing in and around Calais, but details of the latest deal have not yet been released.The UK government has already spent £7m on new fencing in and around Calais, but details of the latest deal have not yet been released.
Former director general of the UK Border Force, Tony Smith, said a joint British-French command structure would allow authorities to gather much more intelligence on people smuggling networks.
However, former Home Office minister and Ashford MP Damian Green said the causes of migration needed to be tackled, as well practical measures to "keep the roads running".
"Particularly countries that aren't torn by civil war but just have desperate economic conditions, you can help them, that's the root cause of the problem."
Asylum applications up
The situation in Calais is part of a much larger migration issue in Europe.The situation in Calais is part of a much larger migration issue in Europe.
More than 240,000 migrants have crossed the Mediterranean already this year, arriving on the shores of Greece and Italy.More than 240,000 migrants have crossed the Mediterranean already this year, arriving on the shores of Greece and Italy.
Madeleine Sumption, director of the Migration Observatory at Oxford University, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that Germany and Sweden had seen a sharp rise in the number of asylum applications - with several hundred thousand applications to Germany so far this year. Germany and Sweden have seen a sharp rise in asylum applications, with the German government saying it expects 800,000 applications by the end of this year.
Germany received more than 200,000 asylum applications last year, while the UK had just over 30,000, she said. Madeleine Sumption, director of the Migration Observatory at Oxford University, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that compared to 200,000 asylum applications in Germany last year, the UK had just over 30,000.
The government faced challenges from a policy perspective in trying to distinguish between illegal immigrants and asylum seekers, and "there won't be a 100% success rate", she said. The UK government faced challenges from a policy perspective in trying to distinguish between illegal immigrants and asylum seekers, and "there won't be a 100% success rate", she said.
Migrant crisisMigrant crisis
Read more: Why is there a crisis in Calais?Read more: Why is there a crisis in Calais?