Editing Channel Tunnel (section)

== Illegal immigration ==
{{see also|Migrants around Calais|Calais Jungle}}
{{Main article|Illegal immigration to the United Kingdom}}
[[Illegal immigration|Illegal immigrants]] and would-be [[asylum seeker]]s have used the tunnel to attempt to enter Britain. By 1997, the problem had attracted international press attention, and by 1999, the [[French Red Cross]] opened the first migrant centre at [[Sangatte]], using a [[warehouse]] once used for tunnel construction; by 2002, it housed up to 1,500&nbsp;people at a time, most of them trying to get to the UK.<ref name="Red Cross">{{cite news | url=http://www.redcross.int/EN/mag/magazine2002_2/sangatte.html | title=Sangatte: A place of hope and despair | first=Pierre | last=Kremer | work=The Magazine of the [[International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement]] | date=February 2002 | access-date=4 August 2006 | archive-date=27 February 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210227031621/http://www.redcross.int/EN/mag/magazine2002_2/sangatte.html | url-status=dead }}</ref> In 2001, most came from [[Afghanistan]], [[Iraq]], and [[Iran]], but African countries were also represented.<ref name="Strangers">{{cite news | url = https://www.theguardian.com/saturday_review/story/0,3605,595996,00.html | title = Strangers in a strange land | first=Caryl | last=Phillips |work=The Guardian |location=UK | date = 17 November 2001 | access-date =4 August 2006 }}</ref>

Eurotunnel, the company that operates the crossing, said that more than 37,000 migrants were intercepted between January and July 2015.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/07/30/world/europe/britain-and-france-scramble-as-channel-crossing-attempts-by-migrants-continue.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220101/https://www.nytimes.com/2015/07/30/world/europe/britain-and-france-scramble-as-channel-crossing-attempts-by-migrants-continue.html |archive-date=1 January 2022 |url-access=limited|title=Britain and France Scramble as Channel Becomes Choke Point in Migration Crisis|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=29 July 2015|access-date=31 July 2015}}{{cbignore}}</ref> Approximately 3,000 migrants, mainly from [[Ethiopia]], [[Eritrea]], [[Sudan]] and [[Afghanistan]], were living in the temporary camps erected in Calais at the time of an official count in July 2015.<ref name="x168">{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2015/jul/29/calais-one-dead-1500-migrants-storm-eurotunnel-terminal|title=Calais: man killed as migrants make 1,500 attempts to enter Eurotunnel site|last=Singapore|first=Jessica Elgot Patrick Wintour in|date=29 July 2015|work=The Guardian|access-date=7 September 2017|issn=0261-3077}}</ref> An estimated 3,000 to 5,000 migrants were waiting in Calais for a chance to get to England.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dw.com/en/more-refugees-attempt-to-reach-britain-through-channel-tunnel/a-18617292|title=More refugees attempt to reach Britain through Channel Tunnel {{!}} News {{!}} DW {{!}} 30 July 2015|last=(www.dw.com)|first=Deutsche Welle|website=DW.COM|access-date=7 September 2017}}</ref>

Britain and France operate a system of [[juxtaposed controls]] on immigration and customs, where investigations happen before travel. France is part of the [[Schengen Agreement|Schengen immigration zone]], removing border checks in normal times between most EU member states; Britain and Ireland form their own separate [[Common Travel Area]] immigration zone.

Most illegal immigrants and would-be asylum seekers who got into Britain found some way to ride a freight train. Trucks are loaded onto freight trains. In a few instances, migrants [[stowaway|stowed away]] in a liquid chocolate tanker and managed to survive, spread across several attempts.<ref>{{cite web
 | url = https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-32119449
 | title = I nearly drowned in chocolate
 | date = 31 March 2015
| first1 = Daniel Silas | last1 = Adamson
 | first2 = Mamdouh | last2 = Akbiek
 | publisher = BBC World Service
}}</ref> Although the facilities were fenced, total security was deemed impossible; migrants would even jump from bridges onto moving trains. In several incidents people were injured during the crossing; others tampered with railway equipment, causing delays and requiring repairs.<ref>{{cite news | url = http://archives.cnn.com/2001/WORLD/europe/07/31/immigration.daring/index.html | title = Desperate journeys fraught with danger | first = Avril | last = Stephens | publisher = CNN| date = 31 July 2007 | access-date = 4 August 2006 | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070624230120/http://archives.cnn.com/2001/WORLD/europe/07/31/immigration.daring/index.html | archive-date = 24 June 2007 }}</ref> Eurotunnel said it was losing £5m per month because of the problem.<ref name="Notorious">{{cite news | url = http://212.58.226.40/1/hi/uk/2003977.stm | title = Europe's most notorious refugee camp |work=BBC News   | date = 12 July 2002 | access-date =5 August 2006 }} {{dead link|date=April 2015}}</ref>

In 2001 and 2002, several riots broke out at Sangatte, and groups of migrants (as many as 550 in a December 2001 incident) stormed the fences and attempted to enter ''en masse''.<ref>{{cite news | url = https://www.theguardian.com/world/2001/dec/27/immigration.uk | title = Police braced for new tunnel raid | first=Paul | last=Webster |work=The Guardian |location=UK | date = 27 December 2007 | access-date =4 August 2006 }}</ref>

Other migrants seeking permanent UK settlement use the [[Eurostar]] passenger train. They may purport to be visitors (whether to be issued with a required visit visa, or deny and falsify their true intentions to obtain a maximum of 6-months-in-a-year at-port stamp); purport to be someone else whose documents they hold, or used forged or counterfeit passports.<ref>{{cite news | url = http://migration.ucdavis.edu/MN/more.php?id=1529_0_4_0 | title = UK/Ireland: Asylum (news digest) | publisher=Migration News | date = May 1998 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120515081520/http://migration.ucdavis.edu/MN/more.php?id=1529_0_4_0 | archive-date = 15 May 2012 | access-date =3 March 2015 }}</ref> Such breaches result in refusal of permission to enter the UK, effected by [[Border Force]] after such a person's identity is fully established, assuming they persist in their application to enter the UK.<ref>[https://www.gov.uk/guidance/immigration-rules UK Immigration Rules] www.gov.uk (UK Government website)</ref>

Increased security measures around the tunnel have resulted in much of the migration moving to [[English Channel migrant crossings (2018–present)|small boats]] instead.

=== Diplomatic efforts ===
Local authorities in both France and the UK called for the closure of the Sangatte migrant camp, and [[Getlink|Eurotunnel]] twice sought an injunction against it.<ref name="Red Cross"/> As of 2006 the United Kingdom blamed France for allowing Sangatte to open, and France blamed both the UK for its then lax asylum rules/law, and the EU for not having a uniform immigration policy.<ref name="Notorious"/> The problem's ''[[cause célèbre]]'' nature even resulted in journalists being detained as they followed migrants onto railway property.<ref>{{cite web  | url = http://www.freemedia.at/cms/ipi/freedom_detail.html?country=/KW0001/KW0003/KW0060/&year=2001  | title = 2001 World Press Freedom Review: France  | publisher = International Press Institute  | access-date = 4 August 2006 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20071024205028/http://www.freemedia.at/cms/ipi/freedom_detail.html?country=%2FKW0001%2FKW0003%2FKW0060%2F&year=2001  | archive-date = 24 October 2007 | url-status = dead  }}</ref>

In 2002, the [[European Commission]] told France that it was in breach of [[European Union]] rules on the free transfer of goods because of the delays and closures as a result of its poor security. The French government built a double fence, at a cost of £5&nbsp;million, reducing the numbers of migrants detected each week reaching Britain on goods trains from 250 to almost none.<ref>{{cite news | url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/2282306.stm | title = Sangatte asylum talks due |work=BBC News | date = 26 September 2002 | access-date =4 August 2006 }}</ref> Other measures included [[Closed-circuit television|CCTV]] cameras and increased police patrols.<ref>{{cite news | url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/2017789.stm | title = Tunnel security to be tightened |work=BBC News | date = 31 May 2002 | access-date =4 August 2006 }}</ref> At the end of 2002, the Sangatte centre was closed after the UK agreed to absorb some migrants.<ref>{{cite news | url = https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/france/1408494/Blunkett-reaches-deal-to-shut-Sangatte-camp.html | title = Blunkett reaches deal to shut Sangatte camp |first1=Philip Delves |last1=Broughton |first2=Andrew |last2=Sparrow |work=The Daily Telegraph |location=UK | date = 27 September 2002 | access-date =25 February 2009 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Calais mayor threatens to block port if UK fails to help deal with migrants  |url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2014/sep/03/calais-mayor-threatens-block-port-uk-fails-help-migrants |work=The Guardian |agency=[[Agence France-Presse]] |date=2 September 2014 |access-date=3 March 2015}}</ref>

On 23 and 30 June 2015,<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-33249546 |title=Cross-Channel transport improving after Calais migrant chaos |work=BBC News |date=24 June 2014 |access-date=3 July 2015}}</ref> striking workers associated with [[MyFerryLink]] damaged sections of track by burning car tires, cancelling all trains and creating a backlog of vehicles. Hundreds seeking to reach Britain attempted to stow away inside and underneath transport trucks destined for the UK. Extra security measures included a £2{{nbsp}}million upgrade of detection technology, £1{{nbsp}}million extra for dog searches, and £12{{nbsp}}million (over three years) towards a joint fund with France for security surrounding the Port of Calais.

=== Illegal attempts to cross and deaths ===
In 2002, a dozen migrants died in crossing attempts.<ref name="Red Cross"/> In the two months from June to July 2015, ten migrants died near the French tunnel terminal, during a period when 1,500 attempts to evade security precautions were being made each day.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.spiegel.de/politik/ausland/eurotunnel-in-calais-cameron-beruft-sicherheitskabinett-ein-a-1046116.html|title=Calais: Polizei kesselt Hunderte Flüchtlinge am Eurotunnel ein|work=Der Spiegel|date=31 July 2015|language=de|access-date=31 July 2015}}</ref><ref name="x168"/>

On 6 July 2015, a migrant died while attempting to climb onto a freight train while trying to reach Britain from the French side of the Channel.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/jul/07/migrant-dies-uk-bound-freight-shuttle-near-calais-france |title=Migrant dies on UK-bound freight train near Calais |work=The Guardian |date=7 July 2015 |access-date=7 July 2015}}</ref> The previous month an Eritrean man was killed under similar circumstances.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/jun/26/calais-migrant-reportedly-dies-channel-tunnel-freight-train |title=Migrant reportedly dies trying to board Channel tunnel freight train |work=The Guardian |date=26 June 2015 |access-date=7 July 2015}}</ref>

During the night of 28 July 2015, one person, aged 25–30, was found dead after a night in which 1,500–2,000 migrants had attempted to enter the Eurotunnel terminal.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.spiegel.de/politik/ausland/fluechtlinge-wollten-durch-eurotunnel-nach-grossbritannien-a-1045745.html|title=Calais in Frankreich: 2000 Flüchtlinge in einer Nacht am Eurotunnel |work=Der Spiegel|date=29 July 2015|access-date=31 July 2015}}</ref> The body of a [[Sudan]]ese migrant was subsequently found inside the tunnel.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2015/07/channel-tunnel-migrants-sudanese-man-killed-as-thousands-storm-tunnel-from-france-to-britain.html|title=Britain, France Point Fingers Over Deadly Migrant Crisis in Channel Tunnel|work=Slate|date=30 July 2015|access-date=25 June 2022}}.</ref> On 4 August 2015, another Sudanese migrant walked nearly the entire length of one of the tunnels. He was arrested close to the British side, after having walked about {{convert|30|mi}} through the tunnel.<ref name="nyt">{{cite news |first=Dan |last=Bilefsky |title=Sudanese Migrant Tries to Reach England by Walking Length of Channel Tunnel |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/08/world/europe/channel-tunnel-sudanese-migrant.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220101/https://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/08/world/europe/channel-tunnel-sudanese-migrant.html |archive-date=1 January 2022 |url-access=limited |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=7 August 2015 |access-date=7 August 2015}}{{cbignore}}</ref>