After the authorities bulldozed a vast section of the "Jungle" earlier this week, it is believed that more migrants could head to the port of Cherbourg, trying to sneak into ferry and cargo ships destined for Southampton or Bournemouth, evading Britain’s Border Force presence at Dover.
Police have stepped up security at checkpoints in Cherbourg and vehicles are being X-rayed and tested with a device that is able to detect heartbeats and passports.
However, when the port is busy, it is proving difficult to process the vehicles fast enough. Nine migrants were found in the back of a lorry that arrived in Rosslare, Ireland, after the 17-hour crossing from Cherbourg. Verona Murphy, president of the Irish Road Haulage Association, said in a press conference that French authorities fail to protect British and Irish truck drivers, who can be fined if their lorries are found with migrants on board.
The UK has put a lot of pressure on France over recent weeks to reduce the number of migrants getting across the Channel, and has funded a huge increase in security measures at key checkpoints in France.