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New 'Sangatte' camps to be built in Calais
Peter Allen in Paris12 Mar 2009
France is to perform a U-turn by building "mini-Sangatte" welcome centres for British-bound illegal migrants massing in Calais.
Immigration minister Eric Besson today confirmed that the "light buildings" would provide food and showers and information about how to claim asylum in Britain.
But many fear the centres will attract thousands more migrants, as the Red Cross refugee centre in Sangatte did before it closed in 2002. Mr Besson had promised to make Calais "watertight" during a recent visit.
A journalist asked him: "So you're constructing mini-Sangattes?" The minister replied: "They won't be permanent sleeping centres."
The French government is blaming the 2012 Olympics for a large increase in the number of illegal migrants flooding through the country to Britain.
■Immigration minister Phil Woolas admitted to MPs it was "too easy" for foreigners to stay in Britain.
He also conceded he did not know how many eastern European EU nationals were working in the UK.
Reader views (8)
The days of these people crossing many safe nations and claiming asylum in the UK must cease and common sense must prevail.
- Brandon Thomas, London, 13/03/2009 11:59
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"You stupid, stupid English"
- David Smith, Cannes, France
You mean; you stupid, stupid socialist government. Labour have caused this, they have bankrupted this country and absolutely destroyed this society.
We have paid France millions to sort this problem out.
- Frank, Home Counties, England., 13/03/2009 11:29
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Dear Mr Sarkozy ,
There are too many migrants making their way to Britain from France please do not encourage them ome little bit.
- Tom, london, 13/03/2009 09:48
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I don't see why this government does not advertise for more migrants from everywhere around the world, after all, they will be given everything when they eventually get here anyway.
Whatever happened to our immigration and border control?
- Mike, ebbw vale, 13/03/2009 09:34
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Utter madness - just like flies round a honey-pot - more immigrants will arive in Calais to come to the UK illegally - for what - to be given UK taxpayers money, housing and cars. You stupid, stupid
English...........................D.Smith, Cannes
- David Smith, Cannes, France, 12/03/2009 21:49
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Please tell the French that there are no more migrants making their way to Britain.
Go on, I dare you !!!
No Guts.
- David., Chertsey.UK., 12/03/2009 16:37
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They wonder why the BNP is fast becoming a political force from no where.
- Joe, Swanley Kent, 12/03/2009 15:22
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And this my freinds is why we must pull out of the EU, and repeal the Geneva convention. Just look around you and you will see why.
- Sylvia, Epping Essex, 12/03/2009 15:01
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