UK IMMIGRATION NEWS

UK and France agree on stronger border measures

Friday, 10 July 2009

In a ground-breaking meeting prior to this week's G8 summit, the UK Prime Minster, Gordon Brown and French President, Nicolas Sarkozy agreed on tough new measures to combat the wave of illegal migration from continental Europe to the UK, in particular the migrant squatter camps springing up around the French port of Calais.

There are currently approximately 1600 illegal migrants sleeping in makeshift camps along the Calais coastline, hoping to reach the UK by stowing away under cars or lorries.

The deal has been hailed as a breakthrough by UK Borders & Immigration Minister, Mr Phil Woolas, and will involve the UK allocating an additional £15m for strengthening UK border controls and France commencing both voluntary and forced repatriations. Mr Woolas said:

"We've agreed to spend an extra £15m over the next two years on equipment to make the border impervious, and the French have agreed to introduce voluntary and then forced returns to source countries. We have been saying to them, 'What's the point of us pulling off all these measures to stop people getting through if you arrest and let them through further down the road?'".

Outlining the agreement in further detail, Mr Woolas advised that the UK will invest in more scanning equipment, dog controls and lorry searches as well as a facility to process people. France would in turn increase repatriations and raze squatter camps by the end of 2009. The next task will then be to "challenge people traffickers and routes overseas, setting up a joint office on intelligence."

Pierre Henry from the French NGO, France Terre d'Asile, who is currently working with the UN to advise migrants on their rights however warned that the measures must "strike a balance between border control, dealing with criminality but also the humanitarian element of protection for people who need it."

The gravity of the situation was further highlighted by the opening of a UN refugee agency office in Calais for the first time since 2002 when the notorious Sangatte Red Cross Centre was shut under an Anglo-French agreement. The Sangatte Centre had previously acted as a magnet for thousands of illegal migrants bound for the UK. The UN is currently trying to persuade or illegal migrants (undocumented aliens) that they will be removed if found on either side of the English Channel.

The government's announcement was however met with scepticism by members of the Conservative opposition with Shadow Immigration Minister, Mr Damian Green stating:

"We are apparently paying £15m so that the French agree to enforce their own laws. Surely they should be deporting illegal immigrants anyway? Every few months the Government makes a tough announcement about the border at Calais. Sadly this has never been followed by tough action. The long-term solution is the introduction of a proper border police force, using specialist skills to keep our borders safe."

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