Following a concerning rise in the number of migrants trying to enter the UK through Calais over the past couple of months, British Home Secretary Theresa May announced that the government will build a special holding area next to the ferry terminal and Channel Tunnel entrance in France.
The "secure zone" will be able to hold up to 230 trucks and absorb up to two and a half miles worth of queues to protect drivers from recent scenes where migrants tried to break into the back of vehicles.
"This should transform protection for lorries and their drivers – removing them from the open road where they can become targets for migrants attempting to board their vehicles," Ms May said.
It comes after the chief constable of Kent, in south east England, noted a huge surge in the number of illegal immigrants who entered the UK.
Officers found just 26 immigrants in the first five months of 2015, but then located 405 in between the start of June and first week of July.
Questions Raised Over 'Secure Zone' Effectiveness
Despite the agreement that something needed to be done to stop the large number of illegal immigrants trying to reach the UK through Calais, many questioned whether the secure zone approach would be effective.
Steven Woolfe, UKIP’s migration spokesperson praised the government for taking action over the matter, but said it was not enough to properly secure Britain’s borders.
He said that what the government really needed to do was to increase the number of UK border security officers working in Calais to assist French authorities. Woolfe also called for the UK to negotiate a deal with France where they could return any illegal immigrants to France, therefore reducing the appeal to try and come across the channel.
"The people of the UK want timely action not mere words. The Home Secretary has taken far too long to recognize this worsening crisis in one of the most important entry points to the UK and is now offering so-called solutions which will make little difference to attempts to enter our country illegally."
Keith Vaz, Labour MP and chairman of the Home Affairs Committee, also placed doubt over the plans, questioning whether the proposals would be adequate enough to tackle the broader crisis.
"The home secretary, of course, is right — our security and immigration policy should not rest in the hands of a few French strikers, but I am not convinced that putting 250 lorries in a secure zone will be the answer, even part of the answer."
Action Needed Now, Not in November
Among other criticisms of the government’s plans was the announcement that the secure zone wouldn’t be in operation until later this year. Those involved in the freight industry say the problem is urgent and immediate action is needed.
Richard Burnett, the chief executive of the Road Haulage Association said:
"We've got a problem right now. This is unprecedented and it's escalating and I think to wait until November for something like this to be applied and put in place is simply too late. We need action now and we need our drivers to be given a safe passage."
Meanwhile adding to the skepticism was Eurotunnel’s director of public affairs John Keefe, who said that merely closing one option for migrants crossing the channel would not solve the problem, and only spread issues to elsewhere.
"As soon as you remove one opportunity, the organized criminals managing the migrant attacks are moving to the next weak spot."
The plans to increase border controls by the UK also coincide with broader efforts from other European officials to tighten their border as Europe’s migrants crisis continues.
