This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2015/jul/30/calais-migrants-make-further-attempts-to-cross-channel-into-britain

The article has changed 6 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 2 Version 3
Calais crisis: Cameron pledges to deport more people to end 'swarm' of migrants Calais crisis: Cameron pledges to deport more people to end 'swarm' of migrants
(about 1 hour later)
David Cameron has vowed to throw more illegal migrants out of Britain as a deterrent, blaming the Calais crisis on “a swarm of people” trying to escape north Africa in an attempt to come to the UK.
The prime minister’s phrasing has been criticised by the Refugee Council as more migrants continued their attempts to reach Britain from Calais via the Channel tunnel over Wednesday night and into the early hours of Thursday morning, a day after a man was crushed to death under a truck.
Speaking to broadcasters in Vietnam, Cameron vowed to do more to protect Britain’s borders. He said: “We have to deal with the problem at source and that is stopping so many people from travelling across the Mediterranean in search of a better life. That means trying to stabilise the countries from which they come, it also means breaking the link between travelling and getting the right to stay in Europe.
Related: Calais migrant crisis: chaos will continue until weekend at least, police warnRelated: Calais migrant crisis: chaos will continue until weekend at least, police warn
David Cameron has vowed to throw more illegal migrants out of Britain as a deterrent, blaming the Calais crisis on “a swarm of people” trying to escape north Africa in a bid to come to the UK. “This is very testing, I accept that, because you have got a swarm of people coming across the Mediterranean seeking a better life, wanting to come to Britain because Britain has got jobs, it’s got a growing economy, it’s an incredible place to live. But we need to protect our borders by working hand in glove with our neighbours, the French, and that is exactly what we are doing.”
Migrants continued their attempts to reach Britain from Calais via the Channel tunnel over Wednesday night and into the early hours of Thursday morning – one day after a man was crushed to death under a truck. The Refugee Council said the phrasing was “awful, dehumanising language from a world leader”, while the Labour leadership candidate Andy Burnham called it “nothing short of disgraceful”.
The man, believed to be a Sudanese national, was killed on Tuesday night amid a worsening of the migrant crisis in northern France. Nine people have been killed attempting to cross the Channel in the last month, according to Eurotunnel. Cameron calling Calais migrants a "swarm" is nothing short of disgraceful. Confirms there's no dog-whistle these Bullingdon Boys won't blow.
Speaking to broadcasters in Vietnam, Cameron vowed to do more to protect Britain’s borders. “We have to deal with the problem at source and that is stopping so many people from travelling across the Mediterranean in search of a better life. That means trying to stabilise the countries from which they come, it also means breaking the link between travelling and getting the right to stay in Europe,” he said. There have been calls from MPs and tabloid newspapers for the British army to be deployed to tackle the crisis, but the home secretary, Theresa May, has said the priority is to install security fencing.
On Monday, about 2,000 attempts were made to get to the tunnel, then 1,500 more on Tuesday night and Wednesday morning, Eurotunnel said.
No one succeeded on Tuesday, but it is believed almost 150 people made it through to the UK on Monday.
One man, believed to be a Sudanese national, was killed on Tuesday night. Nine people have died attempting to cross the Channel in the past month, according to Eurotunnel.
On Wednesday night and into the early hours of Thursday, the number of people making an attempt to enter Britain appears to have reduced significantly amid increased police numbers and media presence. French police sent 120 more officers on Wednesday.
Despite the risks, hundreds of migrants – some looking as young as 13 or 14 – gathered for a third night along the fence to the freight terminal in Coquelles, lingering into the early hours of Thursday morning as they sought a way through.Despite the risks, hundreds of migrants – some looking as young as 13 or 14 – gathered for a third night along the fence to the freight terminal in Coquelles, lingering into the early hours of Thursday morning as they sought a way through.
Television crews filmed as some 15 climbed through a hole in the wire and used clothes to help them jump over the first of two fences. When French police arrived in riot vans some of the migrants were rounded up while three or four made a dash towards parked lorries. Scores of migrants engaged in a potentially deadly game of cat and mouse along the several kilometres of fencing that surrounds the terminal. Groups of up to 30 or 40 people gathered looking for an unguarded section or potential weak point.
On Monday about 2,000 attempts were made to get to the tunnel, then 1,500 more on Tuesday night and Wednesday morning, the Eurotunnel operator said. Television crews filmed as about 15 people climbed through a hole in the wire and used clothes to help them jump over the first of two fences. When French police arrived in riot vans, some of the migrants were rounded up while three or four made a dash towards parked lorries.
On Wednesday night and into the early hours of Thursday, numbers making a bid to enter Britain appeared to have reduced significantly amid increased police numbers and media presence. French police sent 120 more officers on Wednesday. Ali, 18, from Sudan, who has been in Calais for two months, said: “There are too many police and too many journalists tonight. Last night many people got in, but it is getting more and more difficult.”
In the early hours of Thursday, as a line of police move up to clear a section of the security fence surrounding the Eurotunnel terminal, one migrant, Abdul, watched from the grass verge. As a line of police moved up to clear a section of the security fence surrounding the Eurotunnel terminal, one migrant, Abdul, watched from the grass verge. The 17-year-old from Eritrea said he had spent most nights for the past six weeks trying to find a way into the terminal and on to a train or lorry bound for the UK.
The 17-year-old from Eritrea said he had spent most nights for the past six weeks trying to find a way into the terminal and on to a train or lorry bound for the UK.
But on Thursday morning his heart was not in it. “A friend of mine, Omar, died there last week,” he said, pointing through the fence. “He climbed on to a train and then it began to move and he fell off and he died.”But on Thursday morning his heart was not in it. “A friend of mine, Omar, died there last week,” he said, pointing through the fence. “He climbed on to a train and then it began to move and he fell off and he died.”
The death is one of nine reported in the past two months as thousands of people who have fled war and poverty beyond’s Europe’s borders take ever greater risks to get to the UK. On Wednesday French police confirmed a Sudanese man in his 20s had died, with two more people badly injured, but migrants say many more fatalities go unpublicised. Migrants say many fatalities go unpublicised. The situation is part of the wider crisis that has seen more than 185,000 people crossing the Mediterranean into southern Europe since January. Most will try to claim asylum in other EU countries – Germany and Sweden top the list, with the UK further than halfway down. But some will end up among the 3,000 people at Calais risking their lives to get to the UK.
On Thursday morning scores of migrants engaged in a potentially deadly game of cat and mouse along the several kilometres of fencing that surrounds the terminal. Groups of up to 30 or 40 people gathered looking for an unguarded section or potential weak point. Moments later the police would arrive with flashing sirens and a tense stand-off would ensue. Eurotunnel said the situation at the terminal outside Calais has become unmanageable as migrants make repeated attempts to break into the compound and on to lorries and trains bound for the UK. British politicians have reacted by promising increased funding to secure the terminal with more surveillance and extra fencing.
“There are too many police and too many journalists tonight,” said Ali, 18, from Sudan, who has been in Calais for two months. “Last night many people got in but it is getting more and more difficult.”
Calais increasingly resembles a fortress. Hundreds of metres of high fences topped with razor wire are being erected along the motorways, while more fences and a new secure parking zone have been promised.Calais increasingly resembles a fortress. Hundreds of metres of high fences topped with razor wire are being erected along the motorways, while more fences and a new secure parking zone have been promised.
The situation is part of the wider crisis that has seen more than 185,000 people crossing the Mediterranean into southern Europe since January. Most will try to claim asylum in other EU countries – Germany and Sweden top the list, with the UK further than halfway down. But some will end up among the 3,000 people at Calais risking their lives to get to the UK. The latest breaches of the tunnel caused delays of up to three hours for passengers travelling from Eurotunnel’s UK terminal in the early hours, the operator said, adding that it had suspended ticket sales for those who had not made a reservation.
Cameron said he sympathised with British holidaymakers, promising they would get through. “Obviously it’s important for people to check all the websites for details of the current situation. Of course people really look forward to their annual holidays and I have friends and family that are using this route, I know how important it is and we will do everything we can to help make sure that people can have a safe and secure holiday”. Kent Police said Operation Stack – where freight traffic is parked on the M20 when Channel crossings are disrupted – is expected to last into the weekend.
Cameron ruled out providing work permits to the migrants, declaring he was committed to “making sure that it is less easy for illegal migrants to stay in Britain. That is why we are passing legislation, we have done this very recently, to make sure you can’t get a driving licence, you can’t rent a house, you can’t take out a bank account, and we will remove more illegal migrants from our country so people know it’s not a safe haven once you’re there. Echoing calls made on Wednesday by the Ukip leader Nigel Farage, the Road Haulage Association called for the French army to help handle the crisis, which it said was putting the lives of British lorry drivers at risk.
“This is very testing, I accept that, because you have got a swarm of people coming across the Mediterranean seeking a better life, wanting to come to Britain because Britain has got jobs, it’s got a growing economy, it’s an incredible place to live. But we need to protect our borders by working hand in glove with our neighbours the French and that is exactly what we are doing.” Related: The Calais migrant problem: a continual drip of poison in Anglo-French relations
Eurotunnel says the situation at the terminal outside Calais has become unmanageable as migrants make repeated attempts to break into the compound and on to lorries and trains bound for the UK. UK politicians have reacted by promising increased funding to secure the terminal with more surveillance and extra fencing. Kevin Hurley, the police and crime commissioner for Surrey, said Gurkha soldiers based at Shorncliffe barracks in Folkestone should be deployed.
But at dusk on Wednesday, as a steady stream of people – including women and young children – set out on the two-hour walk from the “jungle” to the Eurotunnel terminal, it appeared they were still some way from delivering on that promise. Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, Farage was asked if he himself would use the word “swarm” to describe the migrants in Calais.
A few kilometres from the terminal dozens of people could be seen squeezing through a hole in the fence lining the railway tracks leading towards the terminal. A police car drove past but did not stop. He said: “No. No, I’m not seeking to use language like that. The prime minister is trying to sound tough. Whether he actually means it or not is quite a separate question.”
Others were walking up the tracks towards the terminal apparently unhindered by police or security officials. Cameron said he sympathised with British holidaymakers and promised they would get through. “Obviously it’s important for people to check all the websites for details of the current situation. Of course people really look forward to their annual holidays and I have friends and family that are using this route, I know how important it is and we will do everything we can to help make sure that people can have a safe and secure holiday.”
Nearer the Eurotunnel, where the fence is higher and topped with barbed wire, crowds of migrants – many of whom said they were fleeing persecution in Eritrea or Sudan – gathered in groups along the perimeter. Others made campfires to keep warm. The prime minister ruled out providing work permits to the migrants, declaring he was committed to “making sure that it is less easy for illegal migrants to stay in Britain. That is why we are passing legislation, we have done this very recently, to make sure you can’t get a driving licence, you can’t rent a house, you can’t take out a bank account, and we will remove more illegal migrants from our country so people know it’s not a safe haven once you’re there”.
Some did make it over the first fence but were stopped before they could clamber over a channel full of barbed wire and a second fence beyond that. Many more shouted encouragement from the side. Others were surrounded by officers with dogs and batons and forcibly moved on.
For Abdul, who was with a large group of Eritrea teenagers, there was more to think about. “Many people have died here, you hear about it all the time in the jungle. But we have a lot of death and war in our country so it will not stop us.”
He paused before adding: “I will come back tomorrow and try again. There is no life for me here.”
The Press Association contributed to this report