Railway firm blames French for asylum-seeker chaos

Date: 23/05/02

By Martin Banks

FRANCE is breaching its obligation to allow free trade movements in the EU, the European Parliament was told yesterday (22 May).

The rail freight company, English, Welsh and Scottish Railway (EWS), says it has been forced to slash the number of trains using the Channel Tunnel because of attempts by asylum-seekers to board them and enter the UK illegally.

EWS has lodged a petition with the Parliament claiming that France is in breach of the Treaty of Rome for failing to take action to prevent asylum-seekers from getting onto the trains.

'We have been given repeated promises by the French government.

'They promised fences would be improved, services would be fully restored and security provided.

'All the promises have been broken,' stated the company in its complaint to the petitions committee.

EWS spokesman Graham Mickeljohn said: 'The fact that a rail operator in Britain has taken this step against another member of the EU shows the desperate need for a solution to a crisis which has gone on for six months.'

France is breaching its obligation to allow free trade movements in the EU, according to rail freight company English, Welsh and Scottish Railway (EWS).