MOSCOW (Sputnik) – The operator of the Channel Tunnel between England and France, Eurotunnel, has intentionally flooded the area close to its terminal to prevent refugees from crossing into the United Kingdom, Eurotunnel spokesman John Keefe said Wednesday.
"We have let the water level rise and used this to form a network of barriers to stop people from getting to the fences — a way of using the natural environment as a layer of protection," Keefe said in an interview with The Local news outlet.
In December 2015, around 1,000 asylum seekers tried to storm the Channel Tunnel near the French port city of Calais in an attempt to reach the United Kingdom.
Europe is struggling to find a solution to the large refugee crisis, with hundreds of thousands of refugees fleeing conflict-torn countries in the Middle East and North Africa in search of safety and refuge in Europe. The EU border agency Frontex detected over 1.55 million illegal border crossings in 2015.
