News Digest

Britain wants to beef up Calais border control after migrant melee

British Prime Minister David Cameron said on Wednesday his government was looking at reinforcing its border controls around the French port of Calais after what he said were unacceptable scenes involving illegal migrants trying to reach his country. Television footage on Tuesday showed crowds of migrants trying to board and hide in queuing lorries after traffic was halted through the Channel Tunnel linking Britain and France due to disruption by striking French ferry workers. Home Secretary (interior minister) Theresa May said “a significant number” of migrants had been intercepted by the UK border force and French authorities over the last 24 hours.

We have been looking at whether we can put more personnel and indeed sniffer dog teams on that side of the channel to make a difference.

British Prime Minister David Cameron

Cameron said European Union member states needed to work together to tackle the migrant problem at its source in order to “break the link” between getting in a boat to cross the Mediterranean and getting settlement in Europe. The British government said it was establishing a 90-strong taskforce, including representatives from the National Crime Agency, Border Force and immigration enforcement, to help gather intelligence on the trafficking gangs and their routes. Cameron’s spokeswoman said about 10 members of the team would be split between Europol in The Hague and an intelligence cell in Sicily, while the rest would be on standby to be sent out to Africa and other countries around the Mediterranean.