CALAIS CONCERNS


DRIVER DIES AFTER MIGRANTS BLOCK ROADS NEAR CALAIS AS TRANSPORT ASSOCIATIONS CALL FOR ACTION AND WARN ‘WE CANNOT SEE A REPEAT OF THE PAST TWO SUMMERS’


In March this year, the FTA called on the French authorities to provide more secure parking for HGVs after motorway operator Sanef announced that one rest area on the A16 and three on the A26 would stay shut until the end of June.


Local estimates say around 700 migrants have returned to the Calais area since the camp was dismantled, the FTA said. It is encouraging its members to sign up to the Border Force civil penalty accreditation scheme which offers information and advice about preventing migrant incursions.


A van driver was killed earlier this month in the latest escalation of attacks on commercial vehicles by migrants near the port of Calais.


The incident occurred after the van hit stationary trucks that had been forced to stop on the A16 near Calais by a roadblock of trees and rubble, bursting into flames and killing the driver instantly. Transport industry representatives immediately called on the French authorities to ‘take urgent action and ensure the safety of drivers travelling to and from the port’.


Media reports in recent weeks have highlighted the growing number of migrants returning to the Calais area following the destruction of the infamous ‘Jungle’ camp at the end of last year. There is now a growing fear that there will be a repeat of the chaos and threats to trucks and drivers that have blighted the transport industry in the area for the last two years as migrants tried to board and stow away on trucks bound for the UK.


Commenting on the latest incident that cost the life of a driver, the UK Freight Transport Association’s (FTA) EU Affairs Manager, Chris Yarsley, said the association has been warning of such a tragedy for years and called on the French authorities to do more to keep drivers safe. “This has brought the issue of migrants


targeting drivers in Calais to the fore once again. FTA warned two years ago that their actions would lead to a death. Major roads around Calais must be effectively policed to prevent migrants creating these dangerous road blocks. Authorities must do more to detain migrants and move them away from the area.


‘Last year we heard of many drivers that were refusing to make the Dover/Calais crossing because of the risks involved and let’s face it, who can blame them?’


The situation for our members improved after the ‘Jungle’ camp was cleared at the end of last year but we have had reports that problems are returning to the area. Indeed, several rest stops have been closed to truck drivers because of issues with migrants,” he said.


Richard Burnett, Chief Executive of the Road Haulage Association, stated his fears following a fact-finding trip to Calais at the end of March. He reported: “We went out with journalists from a national newspaper to show them the seriousness of the situation for UK-bound hauliers. Within an hour of arriving at the Port we were witnessing horrifying attacks on drivers – their only crime being to park up for a quick comfort stop on the last leg towards the Port. We watched one driver leave his cab and within seconds, a gang of migrants attempted to enter his truck. They succeeded and it was only because one of our team alerted the driver upon his return that they were removed. Despite this, many more migrants appeared, all intent on trying their luck.


“This particular attack happened in broad daylight just over 40 miles from the Port and it’s obvious that it was not an isolated incident. Last October we warned that dismantling the ‘Jungle’ would not make the problem disappear. It’s very clear that our worries are already becoming a reality and as the weather improves migrants are returning in ever increasing numbers; all with a single goal – to reach the UK by whatever means possible. We cannot see a repeat of the past two summers.”


Richard Burnett concluded: “Last year we heard of many drivers that were refusing to make the Dover/Calais crossing because of the risks involved and let’s face it, who can blame them? But there’s now a real danger that it won’t just be the lives of innocent hauliers that are being put at risk, the effect on the UK haulage industry in particular and the economy on both sides of the Channel will become untenable.”


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