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Home Office

Answer

Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps have been taken to improve the detection of clandestine immigrants coming to the UK via (a) St. Malo, (b) Caen, (c) Le Havre and (d) Cherbourg; and if he will make a statement. [75443] Beverley Hughes: The government is determined to reduce the flow of clandestine entry to the United Kingdom from Continental Channel ports in freight vehicles and, as a first step in a project, is procuring new detection technology equipment for the use of port/ferry operators in Calais to supplement the vehicle checks already conducted there. This is the first of a number of initiatives, which will provide a significant deterrent to clandestine entry to the United Kingdom and to strengthen our controls at the Channel ports. It is recognised, however, that these positive measures in Calais may initially result in displacement of clandestine traffic to other Continental ports. As a precaution extra freight searching operations have been conducted in Poole and Portsmouth by UK Immigration Service (UKIS) in respect of vessels arriving from France. Results of these extra searches revealed no indication of significant displacement of clandestine traffic into these ports. Consideration is also being given to the deployment of mobile detection units in order to respond more quickly to changing threats in respect of cross-channel illegal migration. Funding has also been made available for the procurement of additional equipment for deployment in those ports and considerable progress has already been made. In taking the project forward, Immigration Service officials have visited a number of ports to assess the risk of displacement, current security measures and the extent of their equipment needs. In all cases, port and other officials have welcomed the initiative and have voiced their willingness to participate. Cherbourg is amongst those ports already visited and further visits are planned to others, including St. Malo, Caen and Le Havre.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

75443; 391 c332W

Session

2001-02

Subjects

Immigration controls Undocumented migrants France Ports

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk