Isylum seekers drive muliers from Chunnel
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3tly Sheppard
I Dominic Perry
rrns of asylum seekers perently trying to enter Britain ;ally night after night are ing inconvenienced hauliers think twice about using the mei Tunnel.
In the past week a 44-strong up of refugees caused major ays when they walked six as into the tunnel before rig rounded up, while in a sep.te incident 150 refugees rmed the Coquelles terminal. The action has worried internal operators, who are icerned about the illegal asybids and the major hold-ups y have been causing to train rneys through the tunnel. Kent-based Laser Transport miational has diverted sevil trips from the tunnel to ter; over the past month ;use of delays triggered by would-be immigrants. Managing Director John Smith says: "I feel desperately for Eurotunnel but if we have got to leave the UK at nine o'clock to be in Paris early next morning, you are in real trouble with a four-hour delay.
"It is even more critical for southern German services. A four-hour delay is an absolute killer because It impacts on the turnaround of vehicles and round trips."
Eurotunnel insists that security is a priority, and points out that 5.,3m has been spent on improving the Coeuelles terminal this year. But the firm adds that between 100 and 200 people a night are trying to get into the terminal.
A spokesman says that CO2 and visual checks on homes are catching about 20 people a night. But the major problem now seems to be illegal immigrants attempting to breach the
terminal securityfencing.
Eurotunnel is reported to have expressed alarm at the prospect of a second refugee centre in Dunkirk, having already pressed to have a refugee centre near its terminal closed down.
Mike Freeman, the Road Haulage Association's head of international affairs, says drivers have an excellent defence against fines for carrying stowaways if they use Eurotunnel's security checks at Goquelles.
But he adds: 'What illegals seem to be doing more is getting on the trains and then getting inside the vehicles."
Geoff Dossetter, head of external affairs at the Freight Transport Association, says that the transport Industry is the 'front-line victim" of the government's failure to control economic migration. The association is still pushing for a meeting with Home Secretary David Blunkett over this issue.
• A German truck driver has been charged after 40 suspected illegal immigrants were discovered hidden among a load of furniture in a vehicle at Dover.
Andreas Mentzel will appear before Dover magistrates charged with facilitating illegal immigration.