# Calais today, sat 3/10/15. Not nice.



## robbosps (Mar 10, 2014)

I travelled back home today after a 2 week jaunt over to eastern France. Had a lovely 2 weeks and a few days in Paris. 

I wasn't prepared for getting into the Ferry Port. 

At 0930 I travelled down the main autoroute towards the port with a constant flow of others. My motorhome was loaded with two kids ( 11 weeks and 3.5 yrs old) and my wife. Kayak on the roof, bikes locked on the rear rack. 

The traffic started to slow between the last two junctions , just after the old Eastenders Wine and Beer company building. 

To my horror I saw my TV SCREEN, Playing the daily news out through my windscreen. A hord of men walking slowly down the ever slowing motorway. 

Doors locked. Windows up. 

The group at first started trying to get into the horse box in front of me, really viciously trying to break the locks. Some of the group walked past me and centered their attention on an Irish artic, even standing in his way to make him stop. The driver just kept moving slowly in his crawler gear, so the mob decided to pull anything and everything from behind his cab, under his trailer and get his refer doors open.
At this point, my back door gets pinged, the wife screams, and I have intruders! 

I just out my seat, to the back of the van to see a man trying to steal my bottle of coolant (leaking engine! ) .
I recover my coolant and get back in the van locking the door, at which point I see people running to the rear of my van.....

We try to keep moving but I realise I'm now carrying some extra passengers ( the wife's screams as she looks at them through the heki bubble). 

My drivers windows are now being bashed into to get my bottle of drink in the cup holder, and every single person past me is trying the doors, windows, locker hatches. 

Slowly work out to drive really slowly but closely to the Irish truck my right hand drive to his left hand drive, until we reach the road block. An orange truck strap was being used to stop everyone on the road and backed up with cones. The group,were allowing cars past, and taking a few seconds to get it ratcheted back up taught. I decided that I was off, so floored it, aimed at the man in the road and his cones and sent them flying. 

By now I was LIVID. 

At the start of the new fencing stood a group of police officers and a van. 

I stopped and told them I had people on the roof. Drive on Monsieur ! 

So I did, for a hundred metres or so, stopped and now incensed, climbed my roof to remove my stow aways. The first decided my angry rankings were sufficient to jump, the second decided he was still going to try and hide in my kayak! 

A slight scuffle and a few punches later, my last visitor was removed, by which point the Police man had arrived and told me to stop hitting him! 

A check of the roof box found no more visitors, but they had broken one of the box locks and stolen some securing straps. 

The crows near my van where very pleasant chanting " **** you, **** you **** you" repeatedly. 

I drive on up the road to where another police was parked and I get waved on, past a few more hundred immigrants walking inside the secure area! 

A few people ask in the queue if we are ok, and my 3 year old, still shaken from the experience continues to ask about the bad men. 

Get to the port and there is a big queue. Border checks reveal that there are numerous intruders in the port area, that the Chunnel is closed after a late night invasion, and the in coming vessels are UN able to un-load due to the immigrants on the quayside. 

It took my the majority of the crossing and a large coffee to calm me down. 

I'm 38 and a decent sized lad, enough to think twice about when angry. What would happen to others not as aggressive / impulsive ? 

When waiting in the port we queued up behind a German registered caravan. They were sticking their rear wind shut after it had been ripped open curtain torn and 6 people got in. They were panic stricken. 

I hear stories about poor this and poor that. The people I encountered were not weak, starving people. They were fit and strong young aggressive men forcing their hands, mob rule style to get into the UK. There were no women or children, just young men, dressed for action. 

I work long and hard hours to pay for my family holidays and these actions are not right. There isn't too much damage to my van, but the reputation of Calais had gone to the dogs. I've written to both the ferry company and town council for Calais, and replied to comments on a BBC WEB story about the Eurotunnel, but they don't want to know. 

I wanted to share my interesting experience with you guys and remind you to lock up, close up and don't have anything valuable on offer. 

My dash cam recorded it, but I left it running and after 10 minutes it wipes itself.


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## GEMMY (Jun 19, 2006)

Yet another reason to use the chunnel


tony


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## robbosps (Mar 10, 2014)

I forgot to say, after seeing the stress put upon our truck drivers, they all deserve a pat on the back. These people are attacking the trucks with serious vigor.


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## zoro (May 1, 2005)

Wow what an experience. Thanks for the heads up.
Its our turn in 3 weeks better get prepared.
Steve


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## Chrisv (Jun 10, 2007)

Good grief! What an experience. We came through the tunnel yesterday with a two hour delay. Looks like we got off lightly.


Chris


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## nicholsong (May 26, 2009)

Terrible experience.

Good for you for protecting your family!

Your description of the attitude of the French Police beggars belief.

Dunkirk for me, but that could see the same if the new fence deters them at Calais.

Geoff


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## nicholsong (May 26, 2009)

I have posted a link to the OP post over on Fruitcakes, as I think it should have as wide an audience as possible.

Maybe other Members who are on MH Forums where I am not a member would like to do similar there.

With thanks.

Geoff


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## veevee (Nov 6, 2011)

We travel regularly with Eurotunnel, last trip UK to France had a 12 hour delay. As we arrived at the Coquelles platform they wouldn't open the train doors for about 25 minutes as there was _"Migrant activity on the platform". _

Whilst in the Folkestone terminal the message was a technical problem causing delays, the same on the train. We were just irritated as we had 2 appointments further east in France and were being delayed. On arriving late at our first appointment we were told by our French contact that the reason for our delay was a young man had been killed by a train and the Calais terminal had an invasion of immigrants which put our own situation into perspective.

We travel about every 6 - 8 weeks with Eurotunnel, but this last trip about 10 days ago shocked us as to the extent that on exiting the train into the terminal it suddenly looked as though we had driven into a high security prison camp where they we having trouble. Barbed wire, razor wire, huge fences, many police and many 'security' people plus a number of Alsatian dogs. 
I travelled a number of times through Checkpoint Charlie in Berlin in the old days at the height of the Cold War, that looked like just a mere curiosity compared to this.

Feel very sorry for you and your family robbosps, that must have made you very upset and angry and it's not right that it should happen at all. If any European did what the migrants in Calais were doing we would be arrested immediately. But there are as always other sides to the same story.

I don't have an answer for this massive problem and don't pretend to, but we do speak with French people and 15 years ago met from time to time with young men in north Africa similar to some of the ones you see trying to get into Europe.

Basically as we hear it the French are pretty fed up with these migrants for a different reason to ourselves. They have a group of migrants that openly declare that France is a rubbish place to want to be and live, and these 5 - 10,000 mostly young men live and operate in a small area in northern France trying to get to another country that wont let them in. It is costing France a fortune to try to protect their own country from the obvious needs of having such a large group camped in their town and surroundings, the immigrants will want to eat and do some of the things we all need to do to stay alive.
So France thinks why are we stopping mainly at our own expense these people who patently do not want to be in France, why not let them go to where they want to be. We don't want them camped in Calais it has completely wrecked the town and created all sorts of problems if you live there, and to top it all the migrants don't even want to be there. They also think that no one is stopping these people getting into France in the first place, why should we stop them getting out?

This may or may not be a logical or neighbourly way to think of this problem, but there are politics and finance involved in this too. plus the feelings and interests of people living in Calais and surrounding areas.

What would happen if 10,000 migrants camped at a Welsh port trying to get to Ireland, and when asked why they are there they reply that Ireland is the land of milk and honey and the UK is s..t, would we happily fund protecting Ireland from these hoards and try hard to keep them in that Welsh port? I'm not sure how that would pan out.

Anyway, we will continue to use the Tunnel and build in 'delay' times for our journeys, and hope that we don't have to experience what robbosps family had to go through. We have been lucky in all the trips we have made and although do see immigrants on the road etc they have always been very peaceful and if anything looked very lost and sad.

Maybe it's about time the EU did what it was set up to do and work out a solution that is fair and acceptable to all in Europe, and why do we elect politicians to their elevated jobs if not to get to work and start to sort out this problem rather than pose for sound bites.


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## spykal (May 9, 2005)

Glad you survived the encounter it must have been frightening.

Coming home via the Tunnel a week ago on Saturday morning we were concerned that we may encounter problems but fortunately we did not see any immigrants on the road or roadside...we did arrive at the tunnel two hours early and only just made it through the delays caused I think by increased security to catch our scheduled train.

There is a report and more interestingly a video of the problems you encountered on the Daily mail website ...the video ( you do have to watch a short advertisement first !!) shows the immigrants stretching an orange strap across the road ..just as you described ...here is the link ( sorry it is from the Mail :grin2

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...orm-Channel-Tunnel.html#v-6811899546905391893


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## Landyman (Apr 3, 2010)

Why is Europe pussyfooting about with these thugs?

It would appear that they are using violence to try to get their own way so should be rounded up and chucked in the slammer. Once there are enough of them, which wouldn't take very long it seems, they should all be put aboard a ship and taken back to where they originally came from.

The word would soon get round that the effort is not worth it.

Now ducking and waiting for the incoming from the liberal lefties. :surprise:>>>


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## coppo (May 27, 2009)

Good heavens, what do you do in those circumstances when people are destroying your property and frightening your family.


Its ridiculous, more people are going to be injured and possibly killed here.


Paul.


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## cabby (May 14, 2005)

Nothing a couple of shotguns could not cure.>>

cabby


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## Zebedee (Oct 3, 2007)

Any sympathy for them will quickly evaporate if they continue to use violence as a means of getting into another country . . . in order to escape the violence in their own!!!


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## vicdicdoc (May 14, 2005)

Makes me wonder if instead of being labelled refugees they should be known as 5th columnist infiltrators & potential trouble makers


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## coppo (May 27, 2009)

There are suggestions on fun that the post is either a gross exaggeration or not true, I just looked although I am no longer a member on there


Paul.


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## mistycat (Jan 28, 2014)

Maybe they should be rounded up put on a herc, then flown back to where they came from,
I am sure they will soon give up, having to find more money to get back to calais,
They have lost all sympathy claiming they are refugees, they are Thugs,
We were in deippe a couple of weeks ago watching them taunt the security by coming around the fence at the end of the jetty by the sand piles, as they were busy with them others were climbing on trucks further along, 
All they were doing was chasing them off with the muzlled dogs,
Felt sorry for the drivers who couldnt rest, having to keep an eye on them, and chasing the away from there trucks,
Misty


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## 747 (Oct 2, 2009)

coppo said:


> There are suggestions on fun that the post is either a gross exaggeration or not true, I just looked although I am no longer a member on there
> 
> Paul.


Only the stupid ones who did not have the ability to read. They picked holes in the story but a sensible long standing member has educated them. Although you cannot educate pork, so some will still not understand him anyway. >


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## raynipper (Aug 4, 2008)

I feel an urge to pipe the truck exhaust through the trailer. 
The poor drivers are fined if any migrants get across. 

Ray.


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## 747 (Oct 2, 2009)

mistycat said:


> Maybe they should be rounded up put on a herc, then flown back to where they came from,
> I am sure they will soon give up, having to find more money to get back to calais,
> They have lost all sympathy claiming they are refugees, they are Thugs,
> We were in deippe a couple of weeks ago watching them taunt the security by coming around the fence at the end of the jetty by the sand piles, as they were busy with them others were climbing on trucks further along,
> ...


It would not be safe to use a C130 as the rear doors can sometimes mysteriously open while the aircraft is climbing at a steep angle. Although, now that I think about it .......... >


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## mistycat (Jan 28, 2014)

Thinking of it, they wouldn't need to land,
Just do a tactical air drop,


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## zack (Jun 16, 2007)

Have to say that anyone using violence or force to achieve there aims shoul be arrested fingerprinted and deported as quickly as possible. No second chances as now.


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## StephandJohn (Sep 3, 2007)

We went via Roscoff years ago. It takes longer and is more expensive but I imagine it might be safer now.
Does anyone know?


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## cjcogan (Oct 4, 2015)

well said......put em on a ferry in the *to dover * lane then send the ferry to santander ...if the walk back , do it again..


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## HermanHymer (Dec 5, 2008)

Came back via StMalo on 25th last. All fine there then.


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## emjaiuk (Jun 3, 2005)

I first went to France in the 60's during the student riots. Then the CRS were a force to be reckoned with. What happened?

Malcolm


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## BrianJP (Sep 17, 2010)

CRS were used a few weeks back to sort troubles at Coquelles . Perhaps they should now be brought back or better still the Army either French or English .
These people have now forfeited any sympathy from us .As I and others know from past experience in the main they are not refugees but young men just looking for a better life but illegally.


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## robbosps (Mar 10, 2014)

Thanks for the supporting comments. I don't use any other forum so can't speak about why people suggest I have exaggerated. I have no reason for exaggerating. I have sent a copy of my post ( with spelling and grammar checked) to my local MP. 

If you watch the daily mail linked video, please explain to me how you would reason with these people. As has been said, if I or you did this, we would be locked up.


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## gaspode (May 9, 2005)

We traveled back on the tunnel last Friday morning without incident other than a one hour delay caused by an earlier incident.

We spent most of Thursday in and around Calais and found it much quieter than usual with almost no sign of "undesirables". We then spent Thursday night on the beach aire which was less than half full but quite peaceful. Never seen it so quiet in Calais in the last ten years so clearly the antics of these people are driving folk away.

The ones we've seen at Calais in the past have nothing to do with refugees, they're not escaping persecution nor do they have any other humanitarian reason for trying to leave France, they're simply young men who fancy their chances of entering the UK illegally for economic gain. They're now committing acts of criminal damage and common assault. The French police have always preferred to shrug their shoulders and turn the other way if possible but until they start treating these people like criminals there is no way forward. They need to arrest and punish (and/or deport) any of them who break the law, just the same as they would with any other criminal - full stop.


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## pippin (Nov 15, 2007)

I liked the post comparing the situation in Calais (et al) with a similar occurrence at a Welsh port.

Thousands of police would be mobilised to the area and force would be met by sufficient force to arrest lawbreakers.

You have only to watch the police programmes on TV to realise that "necessary" force making legitimate arrests can be very frightening indeed.

There must be a higher political agenda in France with orders coming from the very top that these criminals should be given the kid-glove treatment.

In UK there would be baton charges, tasers & etc. 

Les Gendarmes, la Police National et les autres forces d'Etat have all the resources they need but are simply not using them.

I for one would instantly drop any aggressive behaviour (not that I ever have any!) and leg it at the sight of someone close by being tasered. 

As everybody seems to agree (with the exception of the lunatic - but dangerous fringe) just how can this situation be allowed to continue?

As for the "do-gooders" aka said lunatic fringe (mainly British) who provide tents, food, drinks and other comforts - get real - they are simply making the situation worse.

Should we all be praying for the wettest autumn and the coldest snowiest winter for northern France? 

Where is that blasted jet-stream when we need it? 

Perhaps El Niño might help out too!


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## raynipper (Aug 4, 2008)

Trouble is guys all these repatriation ideas are all well and good but we are constrained by all the laws and rules we make on ourselves. 
When we as now have up to 5,000 itinerant law breakers, first arrest them and charge with what? Even if there is overwhelming evidence this will have to then be presented in a court. If proven what then? A small fine, community service? Slap on wrist and freed? 
We can't even deport dozens of serious law breakers and violent criminals from the UK let alone suggest France does the same.

Ray.


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## robbosps (Mar 10, 2014)

I sent the copy to my MP, WHO REPLIED THIS MORNING ;

Dear Mr Robertson,

Thank you for your email, I certainly remember discussing bits with you during the General Election
What an appalling thing to happen to your family. I am grateful to you for providing me with this level of detail.

In my view, you have done exactly the right thing in submitting a formal complaint to the ferry company and the town council. I would certainly be interested to have sight of any reply.

I would also like the Home Office to be aware of your experience. I have therefore passed a copy of your email to the Minister and have asked him to come back to me with an official response.

I will revert back to you once I have received a reply.

I hope this helps.

Yours sincerely

George

George Hollingbery MP
Member of Parliament for Meon Valley
Government Whip
House of Commons
London
SW1A 0AA
01962 734076
www.georgehollingbery.com


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## flyinghigh (Dec 10, 2012)

some pictures of FB that I think shows OP Motorhome being attacked,


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## flyinghigh (Dec 10, 2012)

another picture


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## flyinghigh (Dec 10, 2012)

another one from Saturday


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## nicholsong (May 26, 2009)

Robbo

Well your MP seems to have taken your letter seriously and acted upon it.

Well done to you and him.

Geoff


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## aldra (Jul 2, 2009)

One of the greatest reasons for tackling the lawless actions of the illegal migrants

Is the harm they are doing to the genuine refugees seeking asylum 

Those who are in real and desperate need of asylum

Somehow the law must take control over the lawless

Although it seems to me that it's got to a state beyond that

It's mob rule now and without mob control measures it can only get much worse

Aldra


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## robbosps (Mar 10, 2014)

flyinghigh said:


> another picture


That's me!


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## icer (Dec 11, 2006)

Just managed to get internet 1st time since going away, over 3 weeks ago.

When we left calais we headed toward oye and as we took the tuning off the motorway the truck in front braked heavily.My wife said that a couple of guys were on the truck banging on the cab roof. It was a polish truck and they seemed a bit pissdoff that he was going the wrong way.

Ian


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## newleaf (Jan 11, 2007)

Might I suggest that every time we get an email advert from one of the ferry companies handling a Dover/Calais route that we respond telling them that no way would we undertake a Calais to Dover crossing as it is too dangerous and too intimidating therefore we are looking at other routes for 2016 and to please remove me from your email list.
Money talks, all the ferry companies would be a bit put out and even the Mayor of Calais would be upset, not to mention the immigrants!!!
What do you think?


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## nicholsong (May 26, 2009)

newleaf said:


> Might I suggest that every time we get an email advert from one of the ferry companies handling a Dover/Calais route that we respond telling them that no way would we undertake a Calais to Dover crossing as it is too dangerous and too intimidating therefore we are looking at other routes for 2016 and to please remove me from your email list.
> Money talks, all the ferry companies would be a bit put out and even the Mayor of Calais would be upset, not to mention the immigrants!!!
> What do you think?


I am surprised anybody is still using Calais - Dunkirk for us everytime, even before the Calais problems - much easier all round.


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## flyinghigh (Dec 10, 2012)

and you think that the migrants won't wander up the coast 10 miles? after travelling from North Africa to them that's a walk in the park!


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## rayc (Jun 3, 2008)

Two immigrants walked through the tunnel on Saturday. They have been charged with the offence of "obstructing an engine or carriage using the railway".
If that is the best the authorities have got to offer then God help us.

When I came back on the tunnel two weeks ago there were three young men hiding behind the drinks machine in the final departure area. They were openly checking all high vehicles to see if they could get inside and any trailers. no security in sight.


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## nicholsong (May 26, 2009)

flyinghigh said:


> and you think that the migrants won't wander up the coast 10 miles? after travelling from North Africa to them that's a walk in the park!


I do not think the distance is a deterrent.

I reason I believe that Dunkirk does not have the migrants attempting to get to the UK is that DFDS, as the only ferry company operating there, only run a two-hourly schedule. Therefore there is almost no queuing/slow traffic to get to the check-in, so little opportunity for migrants to get onto vehicles.

When we crossed Dunkirk to Dover in July Calais was closed, so Dunkirk was a bit busier and there was a queue for check-in that day, but even then there were no migrants to be seen.

Dunkirk is just not an attractive venue for attempting to board vehicles which are travelling at 30mph so they do not congregate near there.

Geoff


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## gaspode (May 9, 2005)

I might consider using Dunkirk when Eurotunnel open a terminal there - but I doubt it.:grin2:

Better still, wouldn't it be be great if Eurotunnel were to run a linked service right down to the south coast? Imaging driving the van onto a train at Folkestone, going to bed as usual and waking up next day in Nice - still in the van? :wink2:


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## cabby (May 14, 2005)

No.

cabby


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## aldra (Jul 2, 2009)

We continue to use the tunnel

It suits the hound

Doubt we will have problems other than delays

They would need to be mad to approach our van

This is one hound in killer mode

Maybe for once this would be an advantage

There needs to be an advantage somewhere along the line

Aldra


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## leseduts (Jun 3, 2008)

Like Aldra we use the tunnel because of the dog, as you can see from his picture he is not quite a hound from hell, but he looks the part.

If we had problems with the would be immigrants , how would we stand re insurance, if the Motorhome was damaged. Would it be classed a civil disobedience.


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## aldra (Jul 2, 2009)

How would we stand

If an illegal immigrant was damaged ?

They would need to enter

Other than that we would be deafened by a hound intent on attack

Sadly we have

He just goes berserk

Until we lock him inthe garage

Out and about he greets and enjoys people

I'm really worried he won't greet and meet refugees banging on our doors
But I'm hoping they are not fools either 

Because he will have them if they enter the MH

Or even come near it

I wish he wouldn't 

Because he applies the same to all who approach the MH

But we ensure he is contained around it

Aldra


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## Emma Wright (Oct 10, 2015)

We went out on the Euro Tunnel on 24th October, 6.30am train and had no problems at all - no delays, didn't see anyone at all. We thought it would be safer travelling with children to come back a different route so decided on Dieppe. Last night we spent the evening driving around and around trying to get into one of the aires - no luck, all full, so drove down to the port to see if we could stay there - BINGO - immigrants about 20+ on the roundabout. We decided to try and get on the ferry that night but it was full - because there were only 2 security guards who were getting abuse from the immigrants we decided it was safer to stay out of town so went to an aires 20 miles out which was busy but we squeezed in. We left the site at 3.30am in the dark and fog, 10 miles from the port there was a flashing light in the distance - we thought it might me a mad jogger or someone broken down, but as we got closer we realised there were some people at the side of the road (D926) hidden behind the barrier shining a light to make you slow down - we realised what was happening so didn't and they threw something at the motor home (possible rotten fruit or a stone). Im sure we werent the only ones targeted last night in that area. We put our foot down and didn't slow down for anything and reported the incident at the port. Be aware on the roads - its not just close to the ports or Calais any more - keep your eyes open. Once at the port they then pulled a 10 year old boy out from a Luton van from the gap between the lifted tailgate and the van! We will certainly be thinking about our times of travel in future.


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## GEMMY (Jun 19, 2006)

Emma Wright said:


> We went out on the Euro Tunnel on 24th October, 6.30am train and had no problems at all - no delays, didn't see anyone at all. We thought it would be safer travelling with children to come back a different route so decided on Dieppe. Last night we spent the evening driving around and around trying to get into one of the aires - no luck, all full, so drove down to the port to see if we could stay there - BINGO - immigrants about 20+ on the roundabout. We decided to try and get on the ferry that night but it was full - because there were only 2 security guards who were getting abuse from the immigrants we decided it was safer to stay out of town so went to an aires 20 miles out which was busy but we squeezed in. We left the site at 3.30am in the dark and fog, 10 miles from the port there was a flashing light in the distance - we thought it might me a mad jogger or someone broken down, but as we got closer we realised there were some people at the side of the road (D926) hidden behind the barrier shining a light to make you slow down - we realised what was happening so didn't and they threw something at the motor home (possible rotten fruit or a stone). Im sure we werent the only ones targeted last night in that area. We put our foot down and didn't slow down for anything and reported the incident at the port. Be aware on the roads - its not just close to the ports or Calais any more - keep your eyes open. Once at the port they then pulled a 10 year old boy out from a Luton van from the gap between the lifted tailgate and the van! We will certainly be thinking about our times of travel in future.


Just remember, the migrants are like vampires, only active in the dark .

tony


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