Tourists shocked by Calais migrants scramble
Oliver Gee - [email protected]
Published: 15 Jun, 2015 CET.
Updated: Mon 15 Jun 2015 10:40 CET
A video showing migrants trying to smuggle themselves onto a UK-bound truck in northern France in front of shocked tourists has been posted online and has since gone viral.
"Don't panic guys, we've locked all the doors."
These are the words of the guide or driver on a tourist coach trying to reassure audibly concerned passengers on the outskirts of the northern French port town of Calais.
A one-minute video of the scene, showing dozens of migrants flocking to a truck in an attempt to smuggle themselves across the border and into the UK, was uploaded to YouTube earlier this month.
The video has had over 500,000 views on YouTube.
Shocked tourist passengers in the background can be heard discussing the scene.
One woman is heard saying "oh my God" and "we've seen this stuff on TV."
As one male passenger moves to sit next to the coach door, apparently in case anyone tries to board another is heard saying "Don't they police this stuff?"
The guide, clearly stunned himself, struggles to explain what is happening over the microphone and why, simply saying: "They are not allowed into the country".
The comments of the driver and the date of upload suggest that the video was filmed last Sunday when access to the port of Calais was closed as de-mining teams defused several World War II bombs discovered during construction work.
Migrants in Calais have proved a headache for authorities and truck drivers of late, with the latest flare-ups due to the wars in Libya and the Horn of Africa.
Thousands of migrants are crossing the Mediterranean Sea by overcrowded boats, only to disperse across Europe, with many heading to the UK hoping for a better life in what many consider to be an El Dorado.
The EU, meanwhile, has been frantically searching for a solution, with its latest measure to introduce migrant quotas for each country.
France was told to take in 9,000 migrants over the next two years, but has since demanded a revision to the figures, claiming there is an imbalance that needs to be addressed.
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"Don't panic guys, we've locked all the doors."
These are the words of the guide or driver on a tourist coach trying to reassure audibly concerned passengers on the outskirts of the northern French port town of Calais.
A one-minute video of the scene, showing dozens of migrants flocking to a truck in an attempt to smuggle themselves across the border and into the UK, was uploaded to YouTube earlier this month.
The video has had over 500,000 views on YouTube.
Shocked tourist passengers in the background can be heard discussing the scene.
One woman is heard saying "oh my God" and "we've seen this stuff on TV."
As one male passenger moves to sit next to the coach door, apparently in case anyone tries to board another is heard saying "Don't they police this stuff?"
The guide, clearly stunned himself, struggles to explain what is happening over the microphone and why, simply saying: "They are not allowed into the country".
The comments of the driver and the date of upload suggest that the video was filmed last Sunday when access to the port of Calais was closed as de-mining teams defused several World War II bombs discovered during construction work.
Migrants in Calais have proved a headache for authorities and truck drivers of late, with the latest flare-ups due to the wars in Libya and the Horn of Africa.
Thousands of migrants are crossing the Mediterranean Sea by overcrowded boats, only to disperse across Europe, with many heading to the UK hoping for a better life in what many consider to be an El Dorado.
The EU, meanwhile, has been frantically searching for a solution, with its latest measure to introduce migrant quotas for each country.
France was told to take in 9,000 migrants over the next two years, but has since demanded a revision to the figures, claiming there is an imbalance that needs to be addressed.
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