Pet Passport check in warning

[Shovelheadrob]

Just come back from a month touring France & we had someone trying to stow away at the pet passport check in area, I know it's been posted before so we had made sure everything accessible was locked but as we were having Ollie checked in one of the staff pointed out what was happening. The young African lad just walked off to return a minute later & try the next caravan!

 

[Nirvanauk]

I guess that we were lucky, arrived at pet passport control last Wednesday morning, didn't see a soul. I patrolled the van while wife did the pet thing, never saw any immigrants or no security either. It was a breeze considering all the press it has recently received .

 

[Allanm]

We found a young man hanging on underneath our van there last week, we were told security patrols would be increased in the car park, they obviously aren't!
Allan

 

[DBK]

Do you have to prove the stowaways have been wormed?

 

[Hollyberry]

I've never done France to UK on the tunnel. Why do you have to leave your vehicle with your dog? And what do you do with a cat?
At the ferry I stay with all animals in the car and read the chips one at a time, handing reader back through booth window each time.

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[Shovelheadrob]

Only done the Euro tunnel, that's just the way it is, you park in the car park by pet check in, go to the desk with your pet & paper work, pet gets scanned & away you go, it just appears that there is very little security in the compound.

 

[robiebee]

We came thru on Friday afternoon stopped at the dog control centre didn't see anyone suspicious about,when we got to passport control we were asked had we looked under our vehicle to check if anyone was hanging on that was it no checks by anyone official so our immigration control is spot on !!!

 

[Hollyberry]

Thanks for the info Rob. Looks like the pet check in is the weak link.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-kent-29063132
Being on my own, I'm glad I always used the ferry. ( and taking 2 cats into a check in office sounds like a recipe for disaster)

 

[clf86ha]

I came back from my first trip to France two weeks ago and was totally surprised at the lack of checks.

On the UK side: Pulled over and asked if I'd turned my gas off? said yes and he said, "ok, I'm supposed to check, but I'll take your word for it!", no more checks - good job I wasn't kidnapping/trafficking kids etc

On way back to UK: went to pet passport area and inside with my 2 dogs, handed me the scanner, never looked at my dogs to see if they matched the paperwork, gave sticker and out I went, I could have had an ill litter of underage puppies in my motorhome for all they knew.
Next checkpoint and passports checked for the first time in trip, then told to pull in behind, they checked underneath for stowaways, I asked if they wanted to see inside, their reply "No". I could have had 3 immigrants in the loo!

Having only ever travelled by plane and subjected to high security measures, which we accept as the norm, it shocked me to see how utterly lax security seemed at the tunnel

 

[autoswan]

With all the problems at Calais why have we not heard of problems at Dieppe or Le Harve in the news ? surely after travelling through all those safe countries to get to Calais the others are just down the road for the illegals ?

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[sdc77]

I came back from my first trip to France two weeks ago and was totally surprised at the lack of checks.

On the UK side: Pulled over and asked if I'd turned my gas off? said yes and he said, "ok, I'm supposed to check, but I'll take your word for it!", no more checks - good job I wasn't kidnapping/trafficking kids etc

On way back to UK: went to pet passport area and inside with my 2 dogs, handed me the scanner, never looked at my dogs to see if they matched the paperwork, gave sticker and out I went, I could have had an ill litter of underage puppies in my motorhome for all they knew.
Next checkpoint and passports checked for the first time in trip, then told to pull in behind, they checked underneath for stowaways, I asked if they wanted to see inside, their reply "No". I could have had 3 immigrants in the loo!

Having only ever travelled by plane and subjected to high security measures, which we accept as the norm, it shocked me to see how utterly lax security seemed at the tunnel

The alternative to all this is for them to be extremely invasive.... I'm sure that would get a load of people moaning. I prefer the whole thing to be intelligence led and quick to be honest... So much easier and less hassle than the ferry (I know it costs more)

 

[big map]

When driving into the pet place at 8.25 this morning we saw 2 men stood against the trees on the right. Why isn't this area fenced? A cheap solution to the problem.

 

[The Wino]

Makes you laugh at the ebola airport checks when the channel crossings are so lax

David

 

[Wildbill]

was in the pub last night and a friend of mine had someone some how got in to his caravan.
before boarding the ship he had to go in to the van for something smelt something bad in the van like stinking shocks trainers
got suspicious sent for security stow away in the wardrobe
he never seen any one hanging around his van at check in and was sure he had locked the van
bill

 

[Philiphall]

We came back through the tunnel about 2 weeks ago and had to have the dog checked at the pet control building. Whilst I was out the van at the centre a male tried to get under the van, lucky my other half spotted him and banged on the window she then sounded the horn to alert me. By the time I came out of the pet centre literally 30 seconds later there was no sign of the male. We were fully checked by border control, we were towing a trailer and they checked in that too. The guy from border control actually went under the van to check. He stated it is now very common for the immigrants to climb under motorhomes and cling onto the sill, apparently they drop down onto the floor whilst on the train then reattach themselves when the train stops at Folkestone. He also stated the UK Border Control were fully aware that immigrants are living in the bushes next to the pet control centre but the authorities in Calais will do nothing about them as if one gets to the UK its one less for them to worry about. They apparently refuse to enclose the pet centre with security fencing.
The immigrants main camp is now in a field behind Calais caravans (looks about 300 tents) which is next to Leader Price on the way into calais from Cocquelles - this where loads of motorhomes stop to shop at Auchan. We were going to stop there or Leader Price to shop but on seeing immigrants staking out the car parks decided against it. Back in France at the moment intend to shop in Normandy before returning!

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[Wyaye wires]

Once the MoHo's and Tuggers stop using the sales points around Calais and buying further out, then the authorities will start doing more to solve the problem...
It all comes down to economics in the end...

 

[Allanm]

Makes you laugh at the ebola airport checks when the channel crossings are so lax

David

Especially when a lot of the attempted stowaways are African.......

 

[Allanm]

The immigrants main camp is now in a field behind Calais caravans

They probably practice on the vans in the compound!
Allan

 

[peter21]

We came over on the Newhaven Dieppe ferry this time, with our two dogs. About the same price as the tunnel, 4 hr crossing, and you are about 100 miles further south when you hit France.

 

[jockaneezer]

We came over on the Newhaven Dieppe ferry this time, with our two dogs. About the same price as the tunnel, 4 hr crossing, and you are about 100 miles further south when you hit France.

How did your dogs cope with the ferry crossing ? Heard lots of tales of unpleasant cages and traumatised pets after the crossing, that's one of the reasons we use the tunnel.

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[sedge]

We went to Bergues aire for our last night in France (night of 20th Oct) so came along the Mway from Adinkerke and off at Jct 60, so then hung a left for Bergues, back under the mway and straight on from there.

There were shedloads of assorted plastic sleeping shelters to be seen on the grassy areas right next to that Jct. Saw a few next morning when from Jct 60 came off at 54b to go to Auchan Dunkerque to fill up in the service station - I'd think twice about parking up and going into that supermarket another time, cos it looks like they are getting further away from just Calais itself now.