Britain will send the fences used at the Nato summit to Calais in an effort to stop illegal immigrants getting into Britain from the French port.

The immigration minister said the move is part of a bid to send a message that the UK is "no soft touch" for those attempting to enter without going through the proper process.

Writing in the Sunday Telegraph, James Brokenshire addressed the problem at the port as increasing numbers of migrants flock to the town in an attempt to reach the shores of Britain.

In recent months, as numbers have risen, clashes have erupted at detention centres, prompting the mayor of Calais to issue a direct appeal to the UK to help deal with the trouble.

Brokenshire said it is up to the French to maintain security and order on their own land, but added that the UK would do what it could to help – recalling a £3m boost to the port earlier this year to improve security.

The minister said the new fencing would replace the "inadequate" measures currently in place, and added that a hope would be to create secure parking for legal travellers to wait without the threat of any disruption.

In a stark warning to would-be illegal immigrants, Brokenshire said they "should be under no illusion about what awaits them if they arrive here illegally".

He said the Immigration Act ensures those who should not be in Britain will not get benefits, housing, bank accounts or driving licences, and added that criminal gangs who traffic people to the port on the promise of a better life will be investigated and broken up.

He said: "Effective solutions must involve co-operation, not confrontation. But in working with our international partners, I am, of course ever mindful of our responsibilities on this side of the channel, chief of which is the need for an immigration system that is fair to British citizens and legitimate migrants and tough on those who flout the law."

On Saturday, former home secretary Lord Howard said France needed to deal with the growing numbers of asylum seekers in Calais rather than blaming Britain. He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme normal protocol is that asylum seekers apply to stay in the first safe country they reach.

"France used to take this very seriously. When I was home secretary, which was quite a long time ago now, we had an agreement with France under which if people came to the UK from France and claimed asylum we returned them to France and France dealt with their claim," he said. "That is what really ought to happen."