Eurotunnel urges action on immigrants

Many illegal immigrants target lorries crossing the Channel

LONDON, England -- Eurotunnel has called on British and French governments to crack down on the increasing numbers of illegal immigrants using the Channel Tunnel.

The company, which operates the under-sea tunnel link between France and Britain, said services had been disrupted by illegal immigrants attempting to walk through the tunnel.

The appeal to governments came on Monday as the company reported losses of $158.5 million.

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"We very much hope that the British and French authorities will themselves take the necessary measures to curtail this phenomenon as a matter of urgency," Chairman Patrick Ponsolle said in a statement accompanying the company's financial results.

French authorities are currently considering the fate of 900 Kurdish refugees found grounded in a decaying tanker in southern France.

Those with legal documents will be allowed to apply for political asylum, while those without will probably face expulsion.

Ponsolle, who announced his resignation on Monday, said Eurotunnel had made "multiple and repeated efforts" to prevent or limit the problem, adding that the company hoped Britain and France would now take urgent measures to control the movement of illegal immigrants.

Thousands of refugees from around the world try to cross illegally into Britain from France every year, climbing barbed wire fences and dodging guard dogs, before travelling as stowaways in trains or lorries.

Chirac and Blair target immigration

Earlier this month an illegal Iraqi immigrant was found dead in the Channel Tunnel after being hit by a freight train.

French President Jacques Chirac and British Prime Minister Tony Blair met two weeks ago to discuss the surge in illegal cross-Channel immigration.

Officials said French Prime Minister Lionel Jospin had promised Blair that France would ratify an accord by June which would allow immigration officers from both countries to check passengers boarding cross-channel trains in Paris.

Officials say up to 400 illegal immigrants a month leave Paris with tickets for the French port of Calais, but stay on the train until it reaches London where they claim asylum.

Britain had the highest number of asylum seekers in Europe last year, many entering from France, and Blair is keen to be seen acting to stem the tide in the run-up to an expected May general election.

Asylum applications reached a record 76,000 in Britain last year -- up from just 4,000 at the end of the Cold War a decade ago. Another 100,000 applications are waiting to be assessed.

Ponsolle, who has headed Eurotunnel for seven years, will step down at the end of April and be succeeded by his current deputy Charles Mackay and Philippe Lazare as Chief Executive Officer.

Reuters contributed to this report.

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Immigration Policy in the European Community
European Union
British Refugee Council
Eurotunnel
United Nations High Commisioner for Refugees
International Organisation for Migration

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