After Brussels, a Civil Liberties Committee delegation go to Calais (France) to look into irregular crossings to the UK and the implications for reception facilities. MEPs meet with municipal representatives in Calais as well as judicial and police authorities in charge of security aspects related to the migratory situation and borders, with a focus on the fight against smuggling. The delegation visits a reception centre and meets with local associations involved in humanitarian support to migrants. The visit also include the joint UK-France Coordination and Information Centre.

visit

Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs

migration and refugees in Europe (T)

EP delegation

Asylum and Migration: visit of a Delegation of the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs Delegation to Calais (France)

Views of the Pas-de-Calais coast, 3 shots

Arrival of the EP delegation on the coast at Hemmes-de-Marck, France, 3 shots

Presentation of the mechanism and equipment against sea-crossing, with representatives of the local authoritoies, military and national police: speedboat, thermic drone camera, video camera, metal detectors, searchlights, nightvision binoculars etc Les Hemmes-de-Marck, France, 38 shots

SOUNDBITE in EN, Lena DUPONT (EPP, DE) Head of EP delegation of LIBE Committee, I'm heading a delegation of the LIBE committee consisting of various members of the LIBE committee who actually work on the asylum and migration files we are about to discuss within the European Parliament and that's what we're doing here, we have an effect finding mission in order to see what challenges the Member States are facing, especially local communes are facing, when dealing with a high rise of numbers and high influx. And at the same time draw lessons from that for our work on the European pact because what we actually need in the end is not a beautiful solution on paper, but something that works in practice.

SOUNDBITE in EN, Lena DUPONT (EPP, DE) Head of EP delegation of LIBE Committee, So I would say there are two, two main points that we gathered so far, being so far in Belgium and in France. And next day will be in the Netherlands. So actually we see a lot of Member States being under huge pressure when it comes to their reception conditions. We see that a lot of authorities, a lot of local governors, mayors and so on are really struggling and really trying to do their best to provide the best reception conditions they can. But of course, we can't support more than we probably do so far, be it with a fast transition of the pact, because there are instruments in there who could really alleviate pressure on especially on local communes, but also provide more security with faster procedures and decisions for those who ask for protection. And at the same time, we can do more with the help of our European agencies. So whether it's Frontex, whether it's the European Office for Asylum support and so on and so forth, so there we can find ways of actually helping those on the ground in the region like here in Calais.