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A British truck driver claims his colleagues have been attacked and stabbed amid daily threats from desperate migrants in Calais.

Aid workers are warning of 'catastrophic' scenes at the French port, where 2,000 migrants have arrived since April.

Charities claim it would be easy for European nations to absorb refugees, including from war-torn Syria and Afghanistan, even as numbers reach a record high.

But as immigrants fight strict border controls the situation is deteriorating - and lorry drivers are even taking long detours to cross the Channel from other ports.

It comes after an armed mob brought a motorway near the port to a standstill yesterday by spreading debris into the road and attacking trucks.

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British trucker Tommy Harrison said he's stuck between a rock and a hard place - either he challenges migrants in his truck, or faces a £2,900 fine for each person police eject.

"Drivers are being stabbed," he added.

"I had a friend who suffered a cracked rib and broken eye socket as a result of being attacked.

"The problem is, if migrants are in the back, you can't really do anything.

"You've got two choices - get them out on your own, and there could be 30 of them, or take them to the border and let the police deal with them.

"But then drivers could face a fine of about £2,900 per person for having migrants in their vehicles. You can't win. You either face violence or face losing your home."

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He added: "Before, they would be timid. You'd say, 'Get out' and they would.

"But now they are trying to board trucks during the day and are kicking off.

"It's quite intimidating, particularly when you're faced with 10 to 15 of them.

"On Monday, they created their own roadblock, so truckers had to stop, then suddenly they found themselves surrounded by 150 migrants."

The Freight Transport Association (FTA) has written to Calais mayor Natacha Bouchart calling for her to support in lobbying the French and British governments and the EU Commission.

The Fresh Produce Consortium estimates that some £10 million of fresh fruit and vegetables have been thrown away since the start of the year as a result of the problems.

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And Port of Dover officials have called for hauliers to be protected, with chief executive Tim Waggott saying they were "vital to keeping the UK and Europe moving".

Trade on the routes from Dover to French ports has grown by 20% in the past two years, and Mr Waggott said this sign of economic recovery must not be risked.

Save The Children has urged the British government to ease the crisis by taking in a "fair share" of youngsters who make the crossing to Europe, and take more Syrian refugees.

The charity says more than 5,000 children, many of them travelling without their parents, were among the 54,000 people who have landed in Italy so far this year.

Aid workers say the number of migrants in Calais has swelled from 1,000 in April to more than 3,000, with another 2,000 expected over the summer.

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Volunteer Maya Konforti, 60, of l'Auberge des Migrants, said: "The situation is catastrophic.

"They don't have enough tents, blankets or food and with Ramadan it's more difficult.

"We distribute what food we have but it's never enough.

"It's escalated.

"It started about six weeks ago and has been more and more hectic.

"We have between 30 and 50 new arrivals every day."

But despite government promises to limit illegal immigration, she claimed opening the borders was the only solution.

"People need freedom to choose where they want to settle," she said. "Not everybody wants to go to England.

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"Every country in Europe needs to take some of these people and things will be fine.

"200,000 arrivals in Europe is actually a small number when you consider Europe has 500 million people.

"It's not something to freak out about.

"It's not an invasion."

Most of the migrants are living on a dusty site dubbed The Jungle II or the New Jungle, named after the first camp which was broken up by French authorities.

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One, 25-year-old Eritrean Yohannes Woldesillasie, travelled to Europe through dangerous territory in Sudan and Libya.

He said: "There were plenty of times when I almost lost my life.

"I saw it happen many times in front of me.

"I want to go to the UK for education.

"I need education.

"If I were to go to Germany or France it's going to be difficult but in England I think I can do it."

Syed, 26, from Afghanistan, added: "Getting to the UK is my dream.

"My life would be better there. I don't want to go anywhere else.

"I have always loved England.

"I love the history and the football.

"I would be so happy there."