New channel chaos as migrants try to storm Calais terminal

A Eurotunnel spokesman said: “Up to 150 migrants stormed the tunnel, which caused disruption to services leading to delays and cancellations for customers”.

Eurotunnel said its service was suffering delays overnight due to what was described as an “incident on the terminal” at Calais.

Ferry services are reported to be operating as normal at the Port of Dover.

A company in charge of operating Channel Tunnel linking United Kingdom to France has called for immediate action from authorities to find a solution to the migrant crisis.

Traffic was halted with queues of lorries and cars stretching for miles from the port, but the situations was resolved a few hours later. But the M20 coastbound between junctions 8 and 9 was closed once again in the early hours of Saturday morning.

The crisis has been escalating in recent weeks, with around 3,000 people displaced from countries including Eritrea, Syria and Afghanistan setting up camp near the Calais port.

Eurostar, which also runs passenger trains through the tunnel, though not at night, said its services had not been affected.

Migrants take advantage of slow-moving traffic by trying to board UK-bound vehicles.

France and Britain signed an agreement last September, creating a fund of €5m per year to help Calais cope with the influx of migrants by reinforcing security around the port and the Channel Tunnel entrance.

“Non-freight traffic now being allowed into Channel Tunnel terminal”.

Volunteers from the charity L’Auberge des Migrants say up to 50 new migrants were arriving every day at the camp, and there were not enough tents, blankets or food.