Can I ask about Calais?

[WhoWants2Know]

I've read on a couple of threads that France maintain the "jungle" at Calais as part of an agreement under EU regs. And that in the wake of Brexit, they won't be obliged to stop people leaving there to come to England. Is that correct, or is it a theory or flat out wrong?

Can anyone link to some clear info?

[WhatsGoingOnEh]

Google the Touquet Treaty.

(On Friday, the Calais mayor immediately wanted to tear up this treaty, but the French government said, Non.)

[OhYouBadBadKitten]

it's an agreement called the Touquet agreement, that France allow us to keep border controls on their side. The mayor and I think the prefect (may be wrong) have asked that this now be rescinded. At present Paris has said no.

I don't think we would end up with migrant camps, but they would end up in detention centres should the agreement be broken.

[gunting]

From what I can understand of it, we have an agreement with France called Le Touquet Treaty so it's with France and not the EU.

Some French politicians aren't happy with the brexit result and don't see why they should continue spending their time and money stopping people attempting to come through the tunnel.

[OhYouBadBadKitten]

I think also, they are looking for any chance to get rid of them!

[hubris]

What the French government will be keeping in mind is that the Channel Tunnel is not just a fence, it's a massive engineering project and presumably a high profile terrorist target.

Nobody wants to be the politician who relaxed security around the tunnel just before a terrorist incident that is just as likely to kill French citizens as UK ones.

The tunnel is also managed and operated by a company based in Paris. I'm sure they are quite keen for security to be kept very tight. There will doubtless also be a lot of other French transport-related companies with a vested interest in things running smoothly and securely at both the docks and the tunnel. Having Calais migrants wandering about unhindered, causing profit-sapping stoppages, won't be in their interests.

[WhoWants2Know]

That's definitely a lot of variables to consider. I hadn't thought about it from a terrorist security standpoint, but it certainly makes sense. One of my worst fears is that someone will use the referendum result as a trigger for terrorist action, since it's brought so many racial tensions to the surface.

[WhatsGoingOnEh]

I read an article earlier, which was written before the ref, in which Hollande said that they'd never ditch the Le Touquet agreement, because it would lead to more migrants flooding into Calais on their way to the UK.

It's British border controls in Calais, manned by British staff. Plus, recently we gave the French government an extra £20m (on top of our annual £60m contribution towards border security) to help with the increased risks.