Calais jungle at 'crisis point' as riot police fire tear gas at migrants
Calais 'Jungle' at 'crisis point': Riot police fire tear gas at migrants as heavy rain turns the camp into a muddy bog, forcing ever-more desperate attempts to sneak into Britain
Riot police clashed with migrants in Calais who were trying to enter Britain
Some 800 of them threw stones at passing lorries and blocked Eurotunnel
Officers fired tear gas to and pushed migrants back to the 'Jungle' camp
Camp is at crisis point as recent heavy rain turns ground into muddy bog
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Riot police have fired tear gas at migrants in Calais as the wet weather is forcing them to into ever-more desperate attempts to sneak into Britain.
Following weeks of heavy rain, the camp, known as the Jungle, has turned into a muddy bog with charities warning conditions have reached crisis point.
An increasing number of migrants are now attempting to stowaway in lorries and sneak into the Eurotunnel, forcing security at the tunnel to be tightened.
It has been reported that some 800 migrants threw stones at passing trucks in a bid to get them to slow down in order for them to try and clamber into the back.
It is thought that several vehicles were left with broken windscreens and had their cargo holds forcibly opened.
The group had occupied a road leading to the port of Calais forcing French riot police to use tear gas to try and disperse the crowds.
They then pushed the migrants back into the Jungle camp but had to contend with some inhabitants throwing rocks and responded by throwing smoke bombs.
During this time access to the port, which also serves as the entrance to the Eurotunnel was closed.
The continuing unrest in Calais has prompted the mayor of the town to call for the Army to be deployed there to keep calm.
In a series of posts on Twitter Natacha Bouchart wrote: 'While police forces found themselves in serious trouble last night, I reiterate my call to the intervention of the army in #Calais.
'This is to ensure the safety of migrants and Calais. Delinquent migrants must be able to be identified and expelled.'
Meanwhile the migration crisis which engulfed Europe over the summer has led to a sharp rise in asylum-seekers in the UK.
The number seeking sanctuary in Britain in the three months to September hit 10,156 – up 64 per cent from 6,203 between April and June, said Home Office figures. It was the highest figure recorded for 12 years.
This increase coincided with the height of the chaos at Calais when some 5,000 immigrants camped in the city made desperate attempts to stowaway on lorries, trains and ferries to sneak over the English Channel.
Blaming the UK for the situation, French politicians said the migrants saw the country as a soft touch with lavish benefits and the prospect of illegal work and accommodation.
Problems were worsened by the arrival of more than 850,000 migrants in Europe, many making the treacherous journey across the Mediterranean to flee humanitarian disasters in Africa and the Middle East.
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