Protecting Britain's borders?

Last Modified: 16 Jan 2008
By: Katie Brown

More4 News witnesses one ordinary night for Britain's immigration service - grappling with an extraordinary global problem.

Immigration - it remains Britain's biggest political battlefield, and one of the public's most pressing concerns.

This week Immigration Minister Liam Byrne launched a 10 point plan to secure Britain's borders - so is the government finally turning the corner on a global crisis that's bedevilled it for years ?

Crucial to the success of the Immigration Service strategy is the area around Calais. It's Britain's closest foreign sea port and it was here that the Sangatte camp - which provided shelter for aspiring migrants - was a thorn in the flesh of British governments for years.

Sangatte timeline

September 1999: Camp established
1999-2002: 60,000 residents
November 2002: Camp closed

The Red Cross set up the camp outside Calais, in September 1999. A cause of Anglo-French tension, Sangatte was eventually closed down by the French government in November 2002.

During those three years, the Red Cross estimates that 60,000 people passed through the camp.

Illegal entrants:
2002 - 10,000
2007 - 1,500

The Home Office says the numbers entering Britain illegally from Calais each year have fallen from 10,000 to 1,500 since then.

But thousands of would-be migrants are still there, camped out in fields, woods and derelict buildings around the EuroTunnel terminal. Charities say the number trying to get into Britain from that area is at its highest level ever. For More 4 News, Katie Brown visited the area.