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| Mayor of Calais, Natacha Bouchart |
THE mayor of Calais has demanded Britain pays £35million in compensation for causing the migrant crisis in her town.
Natacha Bouchart blames the UK's soft-touch benefits culture for creating an "El Dorado" for desperate refugees.
The politician will now fire off an invoice to the Government claiming recompense for "15 years of economic woes" at the French port.
She said: "I will demand 50million euros for 15 years of economic losses. I am citing the figure 50million...I could have said 10 or 20.
"But the true nature of the problem is that the English are ready to pay Eurotunnel 10million euros to ensure the security of their frontier.
"Calais is suffering in terms of its image, its tourism and consequently in economic terms."
Last year Home Secretary Theresa May promised to give France £12million to tighten security in Calais after 250 migrants stormed the ferry terminal.
The UK also offered 11-miles of high security fencing used during the Nato summit in South Wales.
But Ms Bouchart blames the lure of an easy life in Britain for the growing army of refugees camped out in her town.
Ukip MEP Steven Woolfe said: "If you wanted a greedy example of hands thrust out to claim taxpayers' money as a result of the Calais crisis the local politicians in the port town would be somewhere at the top of the list.
The words 'Le bloody cheek' come to mind in this latest desperate plea for damages.
"Since Britain has neither any control over how these migrants make it into France then all the way up to Calais nor for the security situation in the town once they get there such a claim is worthless.
I will demand 50million euros for 15 years of economic losses. I am citing the figure 50million...I could have said 10 or 20
"Lorry operators from across Europe and British tourists alike are starting to make plans to avoid Calais - a trend likely to accelerate unless the authorities stop whining and get their act together to ensure free and efficient movement of goods and people through their biggest asset."
Earlier this year Ms Bouchart said she would do "everything" in her power to wriggle out of the treaty that moved the UK border to Calais.
She is prepared to spark a major diplomatic row by pulling out of Le Touquet Treaty.
The deal, signed in 2003, allows British border security to be stationed at ferry terminals in France.
If she succeeds in scrapping it, thousands would be free to cross the English Channel raising the spectre of squalid migrant camps dotted along the south coast of England.
Calais Deputy Mayor Philippe Mignonet said: "If we have to force the British Government to transfer the border back to Dover and Folkestone we will do it. We have to renegotiate Le Touquet because nothing has changed.
Natacha will do everything she can to move the border back. You can build a wall around England, but it won't change anything.
"Migrants don't fall from the sky - they arrive in Calais to get to England."
Ms Bouchart said: "Calais is a hostage to the British. The migrants come here to get to Britain. The situation here is barely manageable. The UK border should be moved from Calais to the English side of the Channel because we're not here to do their jobs."
A Home Office spokesman said: "We continue to work closely with the French government and Eurotunnel to tackle the immediate pressures and longer term issues involved in the situation in northern France.
"We committed £12million to improving security at Calais last September, a further £1.4million to set up a secure lorry park in Calais earlier this month and up to £7million to increase security at Coquelles — and the French have provided an extra 120 police this week.
"This week the Home Secretary and French Interior Minister met to discuss the situation and our wider collaboration to resolve the migration pressures in the Mediterranean. We will continue to work together to find practical solutions to these issues.”
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