France promised Britain today that it will not open a second refugee centre near the English Channel following concerns that this could encourage illegal immigration.
The decision followed a meeting between British Home Secretary Mr David Blunkett and French Interior Minister Mr Daniel Vaillant at which both countries agreed new measures to deal with a spate of migrants attempting to cross the Channel.
In addition to abandoning plans to supplement the controversial camp at Sangatte, near the entrance to the Channel tunnel, with another reception centre 26 miles away, the ministers agreed on other ways to "combat human trafficking and misuse of asylum procedures".
Britain will send officials to Sangatte to work with the International Office of Migrations and French bodies to explain asylum procedures to arriving migrants and try to dissuade economic immigration.
Both countries will help Eurotunnel improve the security of its terminal, which is broken into almost every night by asylum seekers housed in Sangatte seeking to climb aboard trains bound for Britain.
AFP