Migrants desperate to get into the UK could start jumping into tourists’ cars in Calais as they wait to board trains to the UK, a senior Eurotunnel executive has warned MPs.
John Keefe, Eurotunnel’s public affairs director, said there was increasing concern about the large numbers of migrants camping near ferry terminals, waiting to smuggle themselves onto lorries.
"The crisis could potentially get even worse. As we approach winter, it could start to overlap on to the passenger market," he told the Commons home affairs select committee.
He said the Christmas traffic would result in longer queues of stationary traffic as cars wait to board shuttle trains. "The slower the flows of traffic through the border, the more opportunity there is for migrants to jump on to vehicles," he said.
The run-up to Christmas is a popular time for day-trippers to drive to Calais to stock up on cheap wine and French delicacies.
Representatives of the Road Haulage Association and the UK Chamber of Shipping said they regarded Calais of being "in crisis".
Immigration minister James Brokenshire said the Government was spending £12 million to toughen security at Calais and increase traffic flows.
