The UK supply chain is “in danger of collapsing” as the migrant problem continues to worsen in Calais, the FTA has warned.
Reacting to the intensification of migrant activity in and around the French port in the last few weeks, Don Armour, FTA international affairs manager, told Motortransport.co.uk: “The whole thing is just escalating out there. The UK government really must insist on greater proactive involvement by the responsible French authorities. If they don’t act soon, the UK supply chain could be in serious danger of being very badly disrupted.”
Armour admitted there was little chance of any UK factories ceasing to function or any retailers being left with empty shelves as a result of the problem, but said there would “certainly be an amount of direct disruption and consequential disruption” from the delivery delays being caused.
With some reports suggesting the migrant population in Calais has grown to 3,000, firms and drivers are taking every security check the ferry companies and Eurotunnel are offering, leading to routine delays of two to four hours and queues of trucks on approaches to the area, he said.
The RHA has also called on the UK government to do more. RHA head of international affairs Peter Cullum recently told Motortransport.co.uk the Home Office must bring more pressure to bear on the French authorities to provide “more boots on the ground” to address the peak in would-be stowaways.
“What we are hoping for is that as the numbers of clandestines increases, so too will the action to control them,” said Cullum. “Otherwise, the snowball is getting bigger.”
Both associations have also voiced concerns about the safety of truck drivers passing through Calais on their way to the UK, after reports of increased aggression by migrants targeting trucks.
Shipper body the British International Freight Association (BIFA) has also commented on this recently, suggesting some logistics firms might soon refuse some international work as a result.
“Without action now from the authorities in France and the UK, I believe there is a good chance that if the situation continues, international transport subcontractors will start to refuse to operate on the Continent-UK cross-channel market, due to the personal and financial risks they and their staff are taking,” said BIFA director general, Robert Keen.
For now, however, the popularity of the cross-Channel routes appears unaffected. Recent figures from the Dft show over 89% of all trucks travelling to mainland Europe in the year to the end of March did so via the Dover Straits.
