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Calais crisis: David Cameron chairs Cobra meeting as MoD role discussed Calais migrant crisis: Cameron chairs Cobra meeting as MoD role discussed
(about 2 hours later)
Related: Kent social services struggling to cope with children seeking asylumRelated: Kent social services struggling to cope with children seeking asylum
David Cameron is to chair a meeting of Britain’s emergency Cobra committee on the migrant crisis at Calais after another night on which police in northern France blocked waves of people from reaching the Channel tunnel. David Cameron is to chair a meeting of Britain’s emergency Cobra committee on the migrant crisis at Calais after another night during which police in France blocked people from reaching the Channel tunnel.
Around 3,000 people from countries including Syria and Eritrea are camping out in the northern French port of Calais and trying to cross into Britain illegally by clambering on board lorries and trains. France has bolstered its police presence. About 3,000 people from countries including Syria and Eritrea are camping out in the northern French port of Calais and trying to cross into Britain illegally by climbing on board lorries and trains. France has bolstered its police presence.
On Thursday night at least 200 people tried to reach the tunnel but were turned back by police. Agence France-Presse reported that waves of people descended on to the railways on foot close to the Eurotunnel site around 9pm but were blocked. French police attempted to form a ring of steel around the Eurotunnel on Thursday night, prompting an evening of scuffles and standoffs with migrants attempting to breach the terminal in Calais.
At least a dozen more made it past the cordon but ran straight into a second line of officers waiting a hundred metres further down the line, the agency said. Overall there were fewer attempts than on previous nights Up to a hundred migrants attempted to overrun police lines at a petrol station near the Eurostar terminal but were held back by baton-wielding gendarmes and riot vans.
Cameron, returning to the UK after a four-day tour of south-east Asia, will head to Westminster to chair the high-level meeting on Thursday morning. Eurotunnel closed its French platform for “security reasons” following the incident, causing disruption to trains to and from the UK, but the addition of 150 police officers appeared to prevent any major rail disruption.
It is understood he will ask ministers and officials to see whether more can be done to address the situation at the port and the Channel tunnel railhead at Coquelles. Cameron, returning to the UK after a four-day tour of south-east Asia, will head to Westminster to chair the high-level meeting on Thursday morning. It is understood he will ask ministers and officials to see whether more can be done to address the situation at the port and the Channel tunnel railhead at Coquelles.
The meeting comes after the prime minister blamed the chaos at Calais on a “swarm” of migrants crossing the Mediterranean and travelling through Europe. Cameron’s comments earned him criticism from the acting Labour leader, Harriet Harman, who said he should “remember he is talking about people, not insects”.The meeting comes after the prime minister blamed the chaos at Calais on a “swarm” of migrants crossing the Mediterranean and travelling through Europe. Cameron’s comments earned him criticism from the acting Labour leader, Harriet Harman, who said he should “remember he is talking about people, not insects”.
The Refugee Council, a leading British charity which works with asylum seekers, said it was “awful, dehumanising language from a world leader”. The Refugee Council, a British charity that works with asylum seekers, said it was “awful, dehumanising language from a world leader”.
Britain’s defence ministry is understood to be in the early stages of developing plans to help ease traffic congestion in the Kent area as the crisis shows no sign of abating. An MoD source said the measures could involve using land owned by the department to free up space on the M20. Britain’s defence ministry is understood to be in the early stages of developing plans to help ease traffic congestion in Kent as the crisis shows no sign of abating. An MoD source said the measures could involve using land owned by the department to free up space on the M20 motorway.
The Daily Telegraph said MoD land around Folkestone could be used as a temporary lorry park. The source said a decision on the plans would be “taken in due course”, adding they were led by the civilian authorities rather than military.The Daily Telegraph said MoD land around Folkestone could be used as a temporary lorry park. The source said a decision on the plans would be “taken in due course”, adding they were led by the civilian authorities rather than military.
The government has resisted mounting calls for the army to be deployed to help deal directly with the migrant crisis.The government has resisted mounting calls for the army to be deployed to help deal directly with the migrant crisis.
The situation in Calais has disrupted the cross-Channel haulage industry, with long queues at border control points in England and France.The situation in Calais has disrupted the cross-Channel haulage industry, with long queues at border control points in England and France.
As the situation rumbled into a fourth night of disorder, up to a hundred migrants roared as they steamed through police lines at a petrol station near the terminal to gain access to the tunnel. A second standoff began later on Thursday evening when police stopped and searched a Syrian man on suspicion of carrying a sharp object to cut fences. A crowd of about 50 migrants, mostly from east African countries, swelled in front of a line of around 20 police officers wearing high-visibility jackets as the man was separated from the group and questioned.
French gendarmes and riot police at first were overwhelmed by the numbers coming at them but were able to gain control of the situation. During the standoff, the man’s friend, Adam, 27, from Syria, told the officers: “We are just trying to cross for a safe place. Why all this police? We have a war in our countries and we need a safe place.”
Officers, some with their batons drawn, formed a cordon backed up by riot vans. But they could not prevent the men, women and children, mainly from East African and Arab countries, from bringing the road out of the tunnel in Coquelles to a standstill. Later, Adam said he was one of about 50 migrants in Calais who had fled Syria since Islamic State militants overran large swaths of the country. “The English government has to accept the people who has a war in his country ... but if he doesn’t have a war then leave him here. We [Syrians] have a big war,” he said, sitting with his hood up and his back to the police line.
They watched as three or four teenage migrants climbed over a fence but later came back when they realised they had hit a dead end. When the standoff ended after 30 minutes, a French police officer told the migrants: “Here is your friend. All is ok. Go home, get sleep. See you tomorrow.”
Afterwards Eurotunnel said its French platform was unavailable due to “security reasons”. One of the older men in the Syrian group, Ibrahim Hussein, 45, was taken to a local hospital suffering from impaired vision after falling into a hole while fleeing police on Wednesday night. Hussein could not speak English but his friend, a Syrian man who gave his name as William Ali, demanded to know why Britain no longer accepted migrants fleeing war.
A spokesman said: “Due to overnight activity around our French Terminal, timetables are disrupted from both directions.” “You can send this message to David Cameron,” he said. “There is just 40 person who want to go – not a thousand, not 2,000, not a million. In Jordan, there is 1 million Syrians. In Kurdistan there is 1 million Syrians. How can Britain deny 40 people?”
The night of simmering tension was in contrast to the scenes on Tuesday night when a Sudanese man died as hundreds of migrants made 1,500 attempts to storm the Channel tunnel, prompting crisis meetings of the French and British governments.
The deputy mayor of Calais, Philippe Mignonet, reacted angrily to Cameron’s remarks that there was “a swarm of people coming across the Mediterranean, seeking a better life, wanting to come to Britain”.
Describing the prime minister’s comment as the “typical words of ignorance”, Mignonet said it was time for Cameron to attend a meeting in the French port town to see the situation and speak to migrants himself. “It is proof that David Cameron doesn’t know anything about the situation – the only wish he has is to protect his border,” he told 5News.
Related: Is the Calais crisis costing the UK £250m a day in lost trade?Related: Is the Calais crisis costing the UK £250m a day in lost trade?
Another night of drama in Calais increased fears the UK’s already under-pressure social services will be pushed to breaking point as the number of asylum seekers increases. Paul Carter, leader of Kent county council, has met officials from the Home Office to highlight the impact of hundreds of minors arriving unaccompanied at the port of Dover. There are fears that the UK’s already under-pressure social services will be pushed to breaking point as the number of asylum seekers increases. Paul Carter, leader of Kent county council, has met officials from the Home Office to highlight the impact of hundreds of minors arriving unaccompanied at the port of Dover.
Nine people have been killed attempting to cross the Channel in the last month, according to Eurotunnel.Nine people have been killed attempting to cross the Channel in the last month, according to Eurotunnel.
The Associated Press and Agence France-Presse contributed to this report