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Dover Police “arresting or detaining more illegal immigrants” (8 July 2015)

Date: 08/07/2015
Duncan Lewis, Immigration Solicitors, Dover Police “arresting or detaining more illegal immigrants”

Figures obtained by BBC Radio Kent under the Freedom of Information Act show a large increase in the number of illegal immigrants detained or arrested by police at the Port of Dover last year.

The port is one of the UK’s main gateways and in 2014, Dover Police held or arrested a total of 563 illegal immigrants – an increase from 148 migrants in 2013.

In 2012, Dover Police arrested 105 illegal immigrants.

Between January and April 2015, a total of 46 illegal immigrants were detained or arrested by police at the Port of Dover.

Many migrants have been spurred on to try and reach the UK by strikes at the Port of Calais, leaving lorries parked on approach roads to the ferry terminal.

Lorry drivers have complained of the increasingly daring tactics desperate migrants are using to hide in lorries – and even inside caravans of holidaymakers or underneath coaches using the Port of Calais.

Chief executive of the Road Haulage Association, Richard Burnett, said migrants were “going to great lengths” to reach Britain – with some even climbing into tankers.

“They think it's a great place to be – and their target.They will do anything they possibly can to get into the UK,” Mr Burnett said.

The UK government says that policing Calais is the responsibility of the French authorities – however, the UK is working with France to strengthen border security.

Migrants have also attempted to reach the UK via the Channel tunnel, bringing Eurostar services to halt for safety reasons when they wandered about the tracks at the terminus in France.

A Home Office spokesman said:

“Last year, we foiled nearly 40,000 attempts to cross the Channel illegally – more than double the number prevented the previous year.

“We are providing funding to bolster the security of ports in northern France and Belgium – including a £2 million upgrade of detection technology, a £1m extension of dog searching capacity and £12m to reinforce security at Calais and other ports.

“During the current period of disruption to cross-Channel services, Border Force has put its contingency plans into operation to ensure security is maintained.

“We have deployed additional Border Force staff and sniffer dogs in northern France – as well as bolstering screening checks at Dover for both tourist and freight vehicles.

“This is on top of our already rigorous border controls, which include 100% freight screening at Coquelles and Calais.”

Following large numbers of migrants arriving in Italy and Greece over the last few months as the weather improved – making crossing the Mediterranean Sea less hazardous – French aid workers have reported a “catastrophic” situation at Calais. Numbers have risen from an average of 2,000 migrants living rough and waiting to cross to the UK, to a record 3,000 migrants living in makeshift camps – with predictions that 2,000 more migrants could arrive over the summer.

It is reported that an average of 50 migrants arrive at the camps in Calais daily.

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For expert legal advice on immigration in the UK call Duncan Lewis immigration solicitors on 020 7923 4020.

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