Parents’ fury as stowaways discovered in luggage compartments on return journeys from France – with drivers reporting increasing attempts to breach security
The ongoing migrant crisis at French ports has taken a disturbing turn as British school trips increasingly become targets for desperate asylum seekers attempting to reach the UK by hiding in coaches carrying children.
Recent incidents have seen illegal immigrants discovered in luggage compartments and wheel wells of coaches returning from educational trips to France, sparking serious safety concerns among parents and school officials.
The dangerous trend highlights the escalating desperation at Channel crossing points, where migrants are now targeting school transport rather than just commercial lorries in their bid to reach British shores.
CALAIS CHAOS
Two men believed to be in their early 20s were discovered amongst the suitcases after the bus pulled up outside Houndown School, Southampton in one particularly shocking incident that left parents outraged.
“[My son’s] luggage was covered in urine and his belongings crumpled by one of the men being on top of it. I asked them (in French) if they spoke English or French and they replied French, I was about to ask them where they’d come from but got ushered away by the teachers,” one horrified mother revealed.
The discovery came after the group had visited locations near the notorious migrant hotspot of Calais, where thousands of asylum seekers gather hoping to make the perilous journey across the Channel.
PARENTS’ NIGHTMARE
Posting on social media, one parent said: “Just picked my daughter up from her school trip to France. The coach driver opened up the bottom to get the suitcases and found three immigrants sat in there.
Another parent expressed their anger at the security breach: “They looked completely fine and comfy. Not being funny but I’m angry about it. They got access to a coach carrying school children. It’s one thing to get in a lorry but a very different thing to manage to get in to a coach without being seen.”
The incidents have prompted urgent questions about security measures at French ports and whether school trips through Calais should continue given the current crisis.
DRIVER HEROES
Coach drivers have emerged as the frontline defenders against these dangerous intrusions, with many reporting having to check their vehicles multiple times during Channel crossings.
In multiple incidents, alert drivers have discovered stowaways before departing French ports, preventing potentially dangerous situations where migrants could have emerged during motorway journeys with children on board.
He added: “Was an absolute shocker to see a person sat there as the kids went forward to get their bags.”
POLICE RESPONSE
Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary said: “We were called just before 17:15 GMT on Saturday to reports that two people, who were possibly illegal immigrants, had been found at Hounsdown School in Totton.
Authorities have been forced to increase security measures around school transport, with some educational institutions now reconsidering whether trips through the volatile Calais region should continue.
GROWING CRISIS
The targeting of school coaches represents a dangerous escalation in the Channel migrant crisis. Migrants have gathered in and around Calais, on the northern French coast, since at least the late 1990s seeking to enter the United Kingdom from the French port by crossing the Channel Tunnel or stowing away in the cargo area of lorries heading for ferries that cross the English Channel.
More than 39,000 attempts to cross the Channel illegally were prevented in 2014 to 2015 – more than double the previous year.
SCHOOLS UNDER SIEGE
Educational institutions are now being forced to implement extraordinary security measures to protect their students during what should be enriching cultural experiences.
Schoolchildren were forced to abandon belongings after their coach was searched for illegal immigrants on their way home from France. Police swooped on the bus near Calais after a tip off from drivers about potential stowaways in their luggage compartment.
One concerned parent warned: “Maybe schools need to think twice about going through Calais with youngsters, while the current problems associated with the camp there is sorted out.”
GOVERNMENT ACTION
The Home Office has refused to clarify where the two men had been detained, however said: “The government works closely with law enforcement agencies to tackle illegal migration in all its forms.
The incidents have reignited debates about border security and whether enough is being done to protect British citizens, particularly children, from the spillover effects of the migrant crisis.
FUTURE FEARS
School officials are now grappling with difficult decisions about whether to continue educational trips to France, potentially depriving students of valuable learning experiences due to security concerns.
Hounsdown School released a statement regarding the incident: “Following the Hampshire Police statement released over the weekend the school can confirm that two possible illegal immigrants were discovered hiding in the baggage compartment of a coach bringing a school trip back from France.
As the crisis at Calais continues to escalate, parents are demanding stronger action to ensure their children’s safety during school trips, with many calling for enhanced security checks and alternative routes that avoid migrant hotspots.
The disturbing trend serves as yet another reminder of how the Channel migrant crisis is affecting ordinary British families trying to go about their daily lives.
