Theresa May last night insisted Britain would not accept thousands of migrants fleeing the turmoil in North Africa.
The Home Secretary said the Government would not share the burden if European countries open their borders to asylum seekers.
In Calais to inspect joint immigration controls in the French port, Mrs May said: ‘I have made absolutely clear to my counterparts in Europe that we will not agree to so-called “burden sharing”.
Home Secretary Theresa May claims the number of people trying to enter the UK illegally from Calais has fallen dramatically
Home Secretary Theresa May claims the number of people trying to enter the UK illegally from Calais has fallen dramatically
‘Britain will not be accepting large numbers of North African migrants. Instead we will be working with other European countries to get these people safely back to their home countries.
‘We have not, and will not, opt into any proposal that would weaken our borders,’ she added.
Tens of thousands of people have fled the political instability in Libya, Egypt and Tunisia in recent months. Their arrival in southern Europe has put huge strain on the continent’s system of open borders, leading to proposals that it be scaled back.
Caught: The stowaway found in a lorry yesterday
Caught: The stowaway found in a lorry yesterday
France temporarily shut its border with Italy after the Italian government issued 25,000 temporary travel permits to Tunisian nationals.
Commentators have suggested the crisis could lead to the end of the Schengen Agreement, which allows passport-free travel.
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In a further worrying move, European Commission officials are also drawing up plans for a common asylum policy. But Mrs May said that Britain would not sign up to any agreement that would undermine border security.
Yesterday she met her French counterpart Claude Gueant, who warned illegal immigrants would try to exploit the influx of tourists for the Olympic Games to try to get into the UK.
Entente cordiale: Mrs May believes co-operation is needed between Britain and France to solve the problem of illegal immigrants
Entente cordiale: Mrs May believes co-operation is needed between Britain and France to solve the problem of illegal immigrants
He said: ‘Of the eight million spectators expected in London, 800,000 will come from Europe and a third of those will be cross-Channel passengers.
‘We must therefore put into place [plans] on the French side to safeguard border security whilst also ensuring the free-flow of traffic.’
Around 3,500 immigrants have been found trying to cross the Channel hidden in the back of lorries so far this year. That compares with a total of nearly ten thousand discovered last year.
When Mrs May was at the port, a stowaway was found hidden in the back of a lorry after a search by a sniffer dog.
The Iranian man, who was believed to have boarded the lorry in Belgium, was hidden among boxes of furniture.
Destination Britain: Asylum seekers gather for lunchtime food handouts in Calais, France
Destination Britain: Asylum seekers gather for lunchtime food handouts in Calais, France
Mrs May said action at the border had led to a fall of 70 per cent in the numbers trying to get into Britain.
‘We are committed to continuing to ensure the border is impenetrable,’ Mrs May added.
‘The fight against illegal immigration is one of this government’s highest priorities.’
Last week a report by the Home Affairs Select Committee said tens of thousands of failed asylum seekers had been allowed to stay in the UK in an immigration amnesty.
Chaos in the UK Border Agency more than five years ago meant around 450,000 cases were left lying in boxes, and these are only now being cleared.
Of the total, around 160,000 have been allowed to stay. Fewer than one in ten has been kicked out.
Labour’s home office spokesman Gerry Sutcliffe said yesterday: ‘Practical international co-operation is undoubtedly crucial for the effective policing of our borders.
‘But it will take more than a visit to Calais to get the fair enforcement of immigration controls right.’