PARIS: The migrant influx to UK emanating from French border town Calais is affecting exporters and haulers on both sides of the English Channel. They are worried that the crisis is hitting their revenue badly and have urged both French and U.K. governments to alleviate the situation.
Unlike the past, there is a big surge in migrants, mainly from Sudan, Syria and Eritrea, who are hoping to reach the U.K. from their camps in the French port of Calais, seeking a better life and work. The situation has turned alarming with some 3,000 migrants, staying in makeshift camps, started trying to cross into the U.K, reports Wall Street Journal.
This time, the migrants, numbering thousands have disrupted freight and passenger traffic in the summer holiday season. Thousands of migrants have already tried to breach the train terminal operated by Groupe Eurotunnel, which runs the tunnel under the Channel. A few migrants were also killed. As a result, the tunnel is getting closed down frequently, leading to blocked traffic and vehicles struck midway. According to French police union official Gilles Debove, some 1,700 attempts have been made to enter the tunnel overnight and many French riot policeman were injured in stone-throwing.
