European Migration Commissioner Dimitris Avramopoulos said during a debate at the European Parliament on Tuesday 4 October that the European Commission was taking the situation in Calais very seriously, where migrants are trying to cross the Channel. During the debate, MEPs talked about the deplorable living conditions of the migrants at the Jungle camp in Calais, and the problems faced by lorry drivers making the Channel crossing.
The commissioner said he was aware of the real challenges of migration flows and he and Transport Commissioner Violeta Bulc were working to find sustainable solutions to allow borders to be crossed.
The Commission is expected to unveil proposals in this connection at the end of spring 2017 – in the form of recommendations for freight transport by road to ensure better security from unauthorised intrusion for vehicles of all types, said Avramopoulos, as reported by French press agency AFP. He added that the aim was for border crossings by people and goods to operate normally, and said the attempts by thousands of migrants to reach the United Kingdom were clearly having a negative effect on the transport industry. He welcomed the French government’s announcement that it will clear the Jungle by the end of 2016, which currently houses between 7,000 and 10,000 migrants. (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)