Question to the Home Office:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the current situation in Calais with regard to the number of people, from a number of countries, illegally seeking to enter the United Kingdom by secreting themselves in vehicles travelling to ports in Kent; and whether the situation has improved, or deteriorated, in recent months.

There has been a sharp rise in numbers of illegal immigrants in Calais and the surrounding area, since 2013. This stems from the fact that France, unlike the UK, is part of the border free Schengen Area. We are clear that it is for the French to maintain law and order on their soil, but it is in the UK's interest to work with France to secure the border at Calais and other key ports.

On 20 September 2014, the Home Secretary and French Interior Minister, Bernard Cazeneuve, signed a joint declaration outlining a number of joint initiatives to tackle increasing migratory flows in Europe. That includes a range of improvements to security and infrastructure in Calais, to strengthen the port and provide greater protection to hauliers and tourists.

Her Majesty’s Government has long been alive to the challenges posed in Calais. Millions of pounds have already been invested in improving security and upgrading technology in Calais. The Government has increased staffing levels in the port and extended security patrols. In addition to physical searches, Border Force officers use detection dogs, heartbeat detectors and carbon dioxide probes to find those hiding clandestinely in vehicles and freight.