Immigrants make 100 bids to enter Britain illegally EVERY DAY, new figures reveal
AROUND 100 bids to enter Britain illegally are made EVERY DAY, according to shocking new figures.
Almost 12,000 attempts were made to sneak into the country between April and July this year, according to the Home Office.
Border Force staff and other officials including the French authorities recorded 11,920 attempts by immigrants to enter Britain unlawfully.
When compared to 10,916 attempts over the financial year in 2010, when the coalition came to power, this represents a sharp increase.
Lord Green of Deddington, chairman of Migrationwatch, warned that the rise was likely be caused by increased pressure on Britain's borders.
He told The Daily Telegraph: "The sharp rise in the number of clandestines might reflect more effective detection, but an increase on this scale is more likely to be due to increased pressure on our borders.
"Part of that may be due to deteriorating conditions in the Middle East and Africa, but there is little doubt that the freedom of our society, the existence of a black market in labour and the presence of relatives and friends add up to making the UK a very attractive destination.
"The Government is seeking to make it more difficult to live in Britain illegally but it will take some time for recent measures to take effect."
Protest against proposed wall of shame in Calais
We continue to strengthen the security of our borders to stop those who have no right to enter the UK
The Government has warned lorry drivers and tourists passing through Calais to take precautions to stop any of the 2,500 would-be migrants camped there from stowing away on their vehicles.
Immigration and security minister James Brokenshire said that £12million has been earmarked to bolster security at the French port.
He said: "We continue to strengthen the security of our borders to stop those who have no right to enter the UK. We have made significant investment in ports in Northern France to improve security and infrastructure.
"Using some of the best technology in the world, our officers prevented more than 18,000 attempts to cross the Channel illegally in the year to April 2014 - a rise of more than 60% on the previous year.
"We have also committed £12 million to further bolstering security at Calais and driven down the cost of back-office functions, allowing us to invest more in front-line operations."
