Suspected Migrants Detained At Ashford Lorry Park

4 March 2019, 08:24 | Updated: 4 March 2019, 08:29

The Port of Calais

Eleven suspected migrants have been detained at a Kent lorry park on the same day as 100 people were reported to have stormed the port of Calais.

 

Kent Police responded to reports of the nine men and two women at the lorry park in Waterbrook Avenue, Ashford, on Saturday morning.

A Home Office spokesman said that the group, who were handed over to immigration officials, said they were Eritrean and their cases would be progressed in line with UK immigration rules.

The incident at Calais on Saturday evening caused delays to ferries arriving from Dover and departing from France with the port being closed for about an hour.

One traveller, Matt Perry, wrote on Twitter: "Currently sat on a P&O ferry outside Calais as captain say its closed due to over 100 immigrants storming the port."

French media reported that 100 migrants broke into the dock area with many managing to get on board the Danish-operated DFDS Calais Seaways ferry with 63 people being arrested.

President of the Hauts-de-France region Xavier Bertrand posted on social media: "We need to strengthen our security forces on the eve of #Brexit that the smugglers use to promote their traffic."

Charlie Elphicke, Conservative MP for Dover, posted on Twitter: "How were migrants able to storm a DFDS ferry at Calais? Thoughts with the crew who must have had a frightening experience. Seems a very worrying security lapse at the Port of Calais. Important to know how on earth this could happen."