Calais threatens to shut down port over British immigration policy

http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2014/sep/03/calais-threatens-shutdown-port-immigration

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Calais could shut down its port if Britain does not take tougher action to stop illegal immigration, the town's mayor has warned.

Natacha Bouchart acknowledged that the move would be illegal, but said she wanted to send a message across the Channel after around 100 people tried to force their way on to a ferry bound for Britain on Wednesday.

"I could take the decision to block the port ... I could bring pressure to bear. It would be illegal but today I want to make a strong gesture towards the British," Bouchart told reporters in Paris after meeting the French interior minister Bernard Cazeneuve.

She said she did not discuss her proposal with Cazeneuve, "but I told him that I hoped he would have some strong negotiations with the British", she said.

Cazeneuve met Theresa May, the home secretary, on 29 August. They discussed the issue and, in a joint statement, promised further cooperation between the two countries in dealing with it.

"The increase in migrant numbers seen in Calais and its regions since the spring of 2014 has brought very difficult economic, social and public order problems. We have a duty to strengthen our efforts and find new solutions to alleviate the impact of these migrant numbers on the Calais population and its economy, and to prevent illegal immigration," they said.

The statement added: "We have already bolstered security in Calais, upgraded technology and equipment, and are investing further together in strengthening port infrastructure. We agreed that this work will continue. We also agreed to explore ways to ensure that those genuinely in need of protection or who are victims of trafficking are given the necessary support."

Ramps to the ferries had to be raised on Wednesday to stop the would-be immigrants who were seeking to make their way to Britain. It was reported that 85 people forced a gate and climbed over fences, overwhelming security staff.

A second attempt to force another entry into the port failed, as 150 migrants gathered around the entrances to the dock, Agence France-Presse reported.

"Around 100 migrants succeeded in entering the port," officials confirmed, who said the ramps were closed for between 10 and 15 minutes while police rounded the migrants up.

Ferry companies confirmed the "huge intrusion". P&O, who had a ferry at the quayside at the time, told AFP that it closed all its ship's doors, and that this sort of situation was "not usual" at the port, which has been a flashpoint for illegal immigration for more than a decade.

Bouchart criticised British immigration policy as creating an "Eldorado" that immigrants wanted to reach via France. French police said they are now between 1,200 and 1,300 migrants in Calais, mostly from east Africa, and there have been a number of confrontations around the port in August.

Bouchart reproached London for demanding security be boosted at Calais without paying enough towards the €10m (£8m) annual cost.