By PETER ALLEN IN PARIS and JAMES SLACK A welcome centre for British-bound illegal migrants is to open in Calais before the end of this year, it emerged last night. Closely-guarded plans have been approved by French administrative judges for a structure to be built close to the town's ferry port. It is already being dubbed Sangatte II after the former Red Cross centre which attracted thousands of illegal foreigners before it demolished in 2002. Notorious: An asylum seekers being moved from the previous Sangatte camp Tory immigration spokesman Damian Green said: 'This is another gesture of contempt from France to Britain. The only result of this will be to encourage more potential illegal immigrants to try to break our laws. 'The most humane reaction would be for the French authorities to deal with the asylum applications themselves.' News of the latest building comes just seven months after France's immigration minister Eric Besson said he would make the town 'watertight' to those trying to get to Britain. But officials say the situation has deteriorated to such an extent that both the French government and Calais council feel they have no option to build the centre on waste ground next to an industrial estate. Yesterday local officials insisted it would only be a 'day centre' for foreigners who are in a particularly bad way - including the sick, pregnant women and minors under the age of 18. But the plans agreed by the administrative court of Lille include central heating, hot showers, and a kitchen. The facilities will be made available to those trying to board ferries and trains to England. Officials defended the plan as a humanitarian response. One said: 'There are more than 1,000 migrants sleeping rough in the town, and with temperatures dropping their living conditions are getting worse.' He said September's destruction of The Jungle, an illegal shanty town full of mainly Afghan young men, had not had the desired effect. 'It did not persuade them to leave, so we have to offer them a basic level of support,' the official added. Queue here: The previous Sangatte centre was blamed as being a springboard for up to 60,000 to sneak into Britain before it was closed Calais mayor Natacha Bouchart, a member of President Nicolas Sarkozy's ruling UMP Party, said the council had been forced to accept the new building as part of a compromise deal with refugee charity Secours Catholique (Catholic Help). The charity, which will run the centre, had wanted to build one in another part of town, but agreed to remove their planning application in return for the smaller structure. Mrs Bouchard, who blames Britain's lax asylum policies for the influx of migrants, confirmed that the centre would be open 'by the end of the year'. She said negotiations had been 'incredibly tense' and that the government in Paris would be contributing financially to the project. Since the closure of The Jungle further migrant camps have sprung up in nearby Steenvoorde, Bailleul and St Omer, with all providing beds, food, clothing shops, medical care and advice on how to claim asylum. But the Calais centre is likely to cause particular outrage, as Mr Besson has insisted there would no official welcome centre in the town. Tory South East MEP Richard Ashworth said: 'It is clear that the closure of the Calais "jungle" in September was conducted without an adequate strategy in place to deal with the situation.' French to open another Sangatte
as Calais prepares new centre for illegal migrants
Last updated at 1:28 AM on 08th December 2009
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Tuesday, 8 December 2009
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