EU 'partners' use UK as immigrant haven

The French government closed the controversial Sangatte Red Cross centre for asylum seekers in 2002, but it is now about to replace it with 20 "mini-Sangattes".

"Britain is a soft touch for asylum seekers and illegal immigrants and the other countries of Europe know this," said UKIP leader Nigel Farage. "That's why these desperate people are pushed towards us, via Calais, rather than being dealt with in the first country they come to, as international law requires.

"The French closed down the Red Cross centre in Sangatte in 2002 but now they're to open 20 'mini-Sangattes' to replace it. That is bound to attract more illegal immigrants to our shores: they're even going to teach them how to claim asylum in Britain while they feed them up for their attempted entry."

Mr Farage, who is the UKIP MEP for the South East, added: "This just shows that we cannot trust our so-called partners in Europe. So why are we partners in Europe with these people we cannot trust?"