British PM calls emergency meeting over migrant crisis

The political pressure is on, with Labour accusing Dave of being slow to react to the disruption in Calais, and urging him to demand compensation from France for hauliers, businesses and holidaymakers affected by the crisis.

The Dover to Calais routes have seen long delays following strikes from workers, farmers, and hundreds of migrants attempting to cross over to Dover. “That is why we are pushing other member states – and the whole of the EU – to address this problem at root”, they wrote.

Nightly attempts by large groups of the estimated 5,000 migrants in Calais to force their way through the rail tunnel linking France and Britain have provoked public anger and severely disrupted the flow of goods between the two countries.

The Government’s plans to toughen the penalties for landlords who rent accommodation to illegal immigrants have been condemned as discriminatory as they could result in tenants with “a funny-sounding foreign name” being turned away.

Eurotunnel have previously said they cannot handle the burden alone, calling on more support from the French and British governments.

BEARDSLEY: As Britain, France and the tunnel management trade accusations about whose responsibility it is to keep the migrants from blocking access to the tunnel and creating problems for truckers and tourists, the migrants in Calais are living in squalid conditions and fighting for a better future.

“We heard that one guy died and we know it’s very unsafe, but there is not another way to go the UK”, he said.

The mayor of Calais Natacha Bouchar, from the opposition Republicans party, accused the British of “imposing their laws on our border and it is becoming unacceptable”.

Heightened security has curbed the number of attempts by migrants in the port city of Calais trying to make it through an undersea tunnel to Britain, with only 400 bids Saturday night, a police source said, compared to 2,000 earlier in the week.

A Eurotunnel spokeswoman said: “Service managed to run well last night, but there is something in the tunnel which we need to inspect, which is now taking place”.

In a joint editorial for this week’s Sunday Telegraph, the French and British interior ministers warned that “our streets are not paved with gold” as Cameron’s government seeks to dispel any perception that migrants have a soft landing in Britain.

Mr Burnett, who is visiting Calais this week, said he would be “pleased to show any Cabinet minister or the PM how bad the situation is for British truck drivers just trying to do a honest day’s work”.

Former French employment minister Xavier Bertrand told Sky News that Britain must change its employment laws if it hopes to reduce migrant figures.

The EC’s Migration and Home Affairs Commissioner Dimitris Avramopoulos said the first instalment of a special grant would now be sent to help Paris deal with its side of the crisis. It said a crowd of people near fencing shouting: “Open the border” before being pepper-sprayed.