On July 29th the British government announced that they would be investing 7 million pounds (9.8 million Euro) in security for the Channel Tunnel. This decision was made the night after the terminal was stormed by migrants. The operator was then forced to close the terminal. This caused more than an hour delay for the freight. Yesterday EVO estimated the damage to Dutch entrepreneurs to be at 500,000 Euro. According to the spokesman, this number was created after looking at the cost incurred when a truck has to stand still. The costs for the Fresh Produce sector are not yet known.
The EU steps in
Last week the EU announced that it would be sending France 20 million Euro. The United Kingdom received approximately 27 million Euro. These amounts are part of Europe's contribution to finding a solution to the refugee problem. Until 2020 the U.K. and France will get 370 million Euro and 266 million Euro respectively to tackle the migrant problem. According to the commissioner of immigration neither country asked for further support, "I have complete confidence in their ability to solve the problems."
Leftist activists
The other activists are the MyFerryLink employees, which is part of SCOP SeaFrance. Their last protest was on Friday July 31st when they briefly blocked the routes to the ferries in Calais. Later that day, the French court declared that SCOP SeaFrance was bankrupt. This was reported by the French news agency AFP.
Leftist activists
It seems as though the migrants are becoming increasingly assertive. Starting Monday, August 5th the protests have become really violent. A French policeman was wounded when his head was hit with a stone. According to the French police, the assaults and sit-ins are not the work of smugglers, which was often thought, but actually from leftist activists. They emphasize the rights of the immigrants and organize actions to address this injustice. The immigrants are also often incited to carry out actions that lead to direct confrontation with the police. Bruno Noel believes they could do their job better with some help from the British: "We only have 15 permanent members of the Border Police. Can you imagine how the situation is? Why aren't the British sending in troops to help?"
The other activists are the MyFerryLink employees, which is part of SCOP SeaFrance. Their last protest was on Friday July 31st when they briefly blocked the routes to the ferries in Calais. Later that day, the French court declared that SCOP SeaFrance was bankrupt. This was reported by the French news agency AFP.
Fines tripled
Last week the British government announced that the fines for stowaways have tripled over the last three years. In 2012/2013, 998 fines were issued, in 2014/2015 3,319 fines were issued. According to a spokesman from the Interior Ministry, only 7% of the cases involved a British driver, "Most carriers take their responsibility seriously when it comes to the security of their vehicle. But despite this, it appears that one-third of the trucks have insufficient security." The British government provides a Dutch checklist on their website and a code of conduct to keep stowaways out. In addition, the British have also published a 10-step plan for avoiding fines.
Ferries taking advantage of the crisis
Ferries taking advantage of the crisis
On Monday, P&O Ferries announced that the problems with the Channel Tunnel are creating fuller ferries. In July, 176% more trucks were transported on ships between Teesport, Britain and Zeebrugge, Belgium, and on the route from Hull and Tilbury and Zeebrugge the number of trucks increased by three-quarters. StenaLine is also benefiting from the problems. Earlier this month the shipowner indicated that they were transporting 10% more cargo between the Hook of Holland and Harwich, Britain.