France promises to clear 'Jungle' camp near Calais... but demands UK open its doors to migrants



The French government yesterday vowed to clear Calais of the shanty town of illegal immigrants waiting to cross to the UK.



Immigration minister Eric Besson told the town's business leaders he would order the removal of a squatter camp that grew up after the closure of the reception centre at nearby Sangatte.



He wants the shanty town - known as the Jungle - replaced by a series of 'mini' welcome centres set up along the French coast, offering food, showers, and information about how to claim asylum.

Radical measures: An armed riot police officer faces immigrants in Calais after a police raid on Tuesday that rounded up nearly 200 migrants

Mr Besson even urged Britain to remove passport controls with France so illegal immigrants do not congregate in Calais but instead are allowed to cross to the UK - although he knows this will cause outrage in Britain.



The French believe Britain's generous welfare benefits encourages foreigners from all over the world to use their country as a base to get to the UK, where they will claim asylum or else disappear into the black economy.



At present around 800 immigrants are in Calais waiting to board Dover-bound trains and lorries illegally. Most are sleeping rough.



Earlier this year, Mr Besson visited Calais and vowed to find a solution to the immigrant problem by May 1.

He was back there yesterday to try to reassure shopkeepers and residents, and challenge the UK to cooperate in stepping up security in Calais, where joint customs and passport checks already exist.

Mr Besson, who favours the use of military force to tear down the squatter camp, said he was determined to return the town to normal. 'Soon the Jungle will no longer exist,' he added.



He also wants a British contribution to the cost of clearing up the problem in Calais.



Mr Besson denied that the proposed 'mini' welcome centres will be like the Red Cross Centre at Sangatte, which acted as a magnet to thousands of migrants to the UK before being shut down as part of an Anglo-French agreement in 2002.



Calais mayor Natacha Bouchard wants Britain to sign up to the Schengen Agreement, which allows anybody to travel between designated EU states - including France - without passports or visas.



She outlined the idea to Mr Besson yesterday and he also urged the UK to sign up to the agreement.



But British Immigration Minister Phil Woolas said: 'The UK policy is to not sign up to the Schengen Agreement. Free movement is only rightly available to legal entrants.



'Weakening our controls will only play into the hands of the traffickers who profit from human misery.'



Richard Ashworth, Conservative MEP for South East England, said: 'It's all well and good closing 'the Jungle' camp but unless the roots of this problem are solved we will just see it spring up elsewhere.



'The British government is not doing nearly enough to prevent and dissuade people from making the often dangerous journey to Europe.'



Earlier this week, French police raided the Jungle and arrested nearly 200 men, in an attempt to break up people smuggling gangs who charge up to £1,000-a-time for illegal passages to England.

