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Instant detention centre to deter Calais migrants
Martin Bentham, Home Affairs Editor17 Mar 2009
MINISTERS are planning to set up a detention centre in France to hold hundreds of migrants who are gathering in Calais in a bid to come to Britain.
Immigration minister Phil Woolas said the joint Anglo-French camp would be set up "pretty damn quick" to send a blunt message to illegal immigrants that they would not be allowed into the UK.
Charter flights would also be arranged by the French and British governments to take detainees back to Afghanistan and Iraq as a further measure to protect Britain's borders. Mr Woolas declined to give further detail about how the camp would work and who might be detained, but said the large numbers gathering on the French border showed the difficulty they had entering Britain.
He said: "We have got to get the message back to Afghanistan and Iraq that it's not worth trying."
Reader views (9)
How much longer for this government to give in as they did last time and let these people into the county.
In a few years we will rank as a third world country.
- Bernard Parke, GUILDFORD, 18/03/2009 09:27
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These initiatives never work. We need to go to the heart of the problem and repeal the Race Relations Acts so that priority can again be given to the English in jobs, housing and health-care. Then these people would realise that they're definitely not welcome here and lose interest.
- Richard, Welling, Kent, 18/03/2009 07:14
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If the migrants at Calais are asylum seekers, I always thought that people should seek asylum in the first country they landed after leaving their country of origin. Why are the French not processing their asylum claims. If they are not asylum seekers, but economic migrants, why are the French not repatriating them to their country of origin.
- Patricia, LONDON, 17/03/2009 21:50
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Why a building to house these people ?
A field, barbed wire and tents are enough.
The same goes for the palatial prisons in the UK.
To make prison sentences more effective and available for the courts, extra prison places should be done in the same minimal way.
If it's good enough for our troops in the field........!
- Cap, London, 17/03/2009 16:27
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Absolute rubbish. This is Labour talking out of their rear ends again because an election is coming up. Labour talking tough and running around in circles is a circus act we have seen time and time again.
Anglo-French? Anglo money, french indifference.
- Frank, Home Counties, England., 17/03/2009 16:08
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Blah, Blah, Blah whatever.
Mr Wollas we have heard it all before, this is far to little and much too late. We are aware that there is going to be an election next year, so you are statrting to dangle the carrots in front of the donkeys, well donkeys kick. And boy oh boy are you going to feel the full force of the donkey kick at the next election.
Tories need to take note too, there is only one party that will put English people first and it is none of the current 3 that are on offer!
- Mrs, London UK, 17/03/2009 15:28
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Sounds good to me ...
- Tom, london, 17/03/2009 15:19
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'He said: "We have got to get the message back to Afghanistan and Iraq that it's not worth trying."' - We need to get the message to France as well.
- Jd, London, 17/03/2009 15:16
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Can't they just reopen the Sangatte building?
- Marianne, SW France, 17/03/2009 14:48
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