Home Secretary Theresa May has told MPs that she is developing a new secure zone in the French port of Calais to protect HGVs heading to the UK.
I can announce the creation of a new secure zone at the port of Calais for UK-bound lorries. This will provide a secure waiting area for 230 vehicles, the equivalent of moving a two-and-a-half mile queue from the approaching road. This should transform protection for lorries and their drivers, removing them from the open road, where they can become targets for migrants attempting to board their vehicles. The problems in Calais are clearly symptomatic of a wider issue that needs to be tackled at source and in transit countries, May said.
The move comes after authorities in Calais caught more than 8,000 migrants attempting to enter the UK illegally in the last three weeks alone, May said.
The number of migrants seeking protection in the European Union soared by 68% in the first five months of 2015 compared to the same period last year.
