French police are losing the battle to prevent migrants attempting to enter the UK. As the summer holiday season getaway begins Nigel Burton wonders if France is becoming a holiday no-go area

THE scale of the crisis facing police at Calais was laid bare earlier this week when despairing Eurotunnel bosses revealed how their trains were running a dangerous nightly gauntlet of migrants desperate to reach the UK.

In one night almost 2,100 migrants stormed the Eurotunnel terminal, turning Calais into a battleground between French police, border security forces and migrants willing to do anything to cross the Channel.

The Home Secretary has already announced an extra £7m to improve security around the terminal but appalled Eurotunnel bosses warned the situation was in danger of spiralling out of control. One fed up executive admitted yesterday: “We are under siege.”

Eurotunnel warned British day trippers not to bother and Kent Police reintroduced Operation Stack, forcing hundreds of lorries to park on the M20.

So what is causing the chaos in Calais and what can be done?

What are the issues?

For years, the name Sangatte represented the contrast between the decadence and splendour of France's capital, and the destitute communes which became home to refugees at the gateway to Britain.

The camps at Sangatte, which overlooked the Channel, were closed in 2002 after riots. Although the camps and the name are long gone, the problem of refugees remains.

For years migrants have camped out near the port of Calais, hoping to get to Britain in search of a better life. But after strikes by French ferry workers caused the closure of the Channel Tunnel the situation descended into chaos, with migrants openly trying to board lorries bound for the UK as they wait to cross the Channel.

The latest act of desperation saw 2,000 migrants attempt to storm the Channel tunnel on Monday night and become stowaways. Those who didn't find a vehicle would have faced a day-long pilgrimage to Britain.

It prompted Home Secretary Theresa May to pledge £7 million to tackle the Calais migrant crisis.

Why do they want to come to the UK in the first place?

The promise of a better life in Britain - and a chance of education, employment and safety - is what has driven many people from their homes in the first place.

The huge camps at Calais are part of a wider migration crisis in Europe, caused largely by a widespread displacement of people from war-torn countries such as Eritrea, Syria and Afghanistan, where people are fleeing hunger, civil war and political instability.

Many migrants are also coming from North Africa, making the dangerous journey across the Mediterranean - journeys often organised by criminal gangs and people-traffickers - to Italy.

The UK's National Crime Agency (NCA) believes this route is the biggest threat to increased illegal immigration - use of the route rose by more than 300 per cent in 2014 and is set to increase. It is estimated that more than 1,600 people have drowned so far this year trying to make the crossing.

What is the situation doing for Anglo-French relations?

Britain and France appear to be at loggerheads over how to deal with the issue.

David Cameron called the scenes at Calais which led to the Channel Tunnel being shut recently ''totally unacceptable'', but said it was important to work with the French and there was ''no point either side trying to point the finger of blame''.

The British Government's offer of more funds to tackle the problem will have gone some way to soothing any tensions between the two nations, and an admission the burden is shared.

Mrs May said: "We've had a very constructive meeting. The French and UK governments are working in close collaboration and cooperation on this issue which affects us both."

What about the wider migrant crisis?

According to the Home Office there have been 39,000 attempts to cross the Channel by migrants in the year to April 2015, more than twice the 18,000 attempts detected in the 12 months to April 2014.

The growing issue has prompted action, with the Government saying it is keen to stop the problem at source by breaking the link between travelling to Europe by boat and gaining settlement in Europe, and to smash the work of the organised gangs and people-traffickers.

The Eurotunnel attempted security breach brought in to sharp focus the extent of the problems.

A spokesman for Eurotunnel said: "This is an issue that is a really for the Government to sort out. We need them to stop the migrant flow from Calais but it appears to be too much for them to handle.

"It was the freight terminal and there was some damage to our fences - which we'll have to repair - as they tried to board shuttles. Fortunately, there wasn't any damage to shuttles. Unfortunately, a number of people were injured."

He added: "It is an almost nightly occurrence - we're trying to run a travel business here."