France, Britain seek help with refugee crisis

“They both expressed concern about the immediate security challenges and reiterated their commitment to continue working closely together to tackle the problems posed by illegal migration”, a Downing Street spokesperson said.

He had earlier drawn criticism by calling the migrants ‘swarms.’.

The French police said on Saturday that some 300 migrants in Calais attempted to reach Britain via the Channel Tunnel overnight, a significant drop from previous nights as the security presence is beefed up.

Britain and France said Sunday it was a “top priority” for them to block the onslaught of thousands of migrants seeking passage to England via the Eurotunnel.

On Monday, Britain’s government promised new measures to crack down on illegal immigrants by making landlords evict them.

Mr Hammond was speaking after chairing a meeting of the government’s emergency Cobra committee. The statement said the risky attempts by desperate migrants had resulted in “serious injuries and, tragically, deaths”.

Prime Minister David Cameron was urged by the Road Haulage Association (RHA) to travel to Calais to witness the impact of the migrant crisis “first hand”.

He said structures also needed to be put in place in Italy to enable authorities to distinguish between asylum seekers and illegal immigrants, and to negotiate processes with the countries of origin for the immediate return of the latter.

It is estimated there are 3,000 migrants in the Calais area, and many are continuing their attempts to reach the UK by crossing the Channel.

“We will also require them to meet their basic responsibilities as landlords, cracking down on those who rent out risky, dirty and overcrowded properties”.

Indeed one leading conservative Gaullist, Xavier Bertrand, suggested at the weekend that if Britain did not agree to start processing the asylum seekers, France should simply let them loose to try to breach the border.

But the government’s approach has angered some.

He added: “We’ve become an increasingly harsh world, and when we become harsh with each other and forget our humanity then we end up in these stand-off positions”.

The Conservatives must tread a fine line.

Henri Guaino, a lawmaker from the opposition right-wing party Les Republicains, called on leaders in London to “do their share”.

The scheme has already been piloted in several British councils since August 2014 and officials said around 36,000 “immigration offenders” have been removed in the a year ago.

“Nothing more vividly exposes Britain’s abject surrender to EU control”.

The UK is offering to replace green mesh fencing at the Eurotunnel entrance perimeter in Coquelles with solid fencing of the type normally seen at North Atlantic Treaty Organisation summits, in addition to more Border Force search and dog teams. “It is all talk”.