Oral question asked in the House of Lords, by Baroness Smith of Basildon (Labour). It was answered on Thursday, 27 November 2014.

Calais: Illegal Immigrants

Question: My Lords, the noble Lord is talking about lorries but is he aware that desperate migrants will get access to any vehicle in order to seek a better life? Many people travelling to France in their cars for the weekend to do some shopping are being advised in Calais not to leave their cars empty, even to go into a shop or to have lunch. What advice has the Minister given to domestic travellers to Calais, and does he think that we have enough border staff, given the cuts imposed by the Government?

Answer: The Border Force has been reformed. We now have a stronger border agency and the toughest border regime in the world. We have 200 million people crossing into the country. The reality is that domestic tourists and other travellers there should be aware that this is a major problem and that it is only going to get worse. They have to use the same level of security to protect their vehicles.

Secondary information

Type: Oral question
Reference: 757 c993
Session: 2014-15
Oral question type: Supplementary
Chamber / Committee: House of Lords chamber
Subjects: Immigration controls Undocumented migrants Large goods vehicles France Security
Link: View this Oral question on www.publications.parliament.uk