Norway will build a fence along its arctic border, while Hungary has constructed a fence along the border with Serbia and Austria topped with razor wire. The EU compound in Brussels has been surrounded by a wall for years.
And now the United Kingdom is moving forward with plans to build a 1 kilometer wall to stop migrants from using a tunnel in Calais, France to cross the English Channel.
“We are going to start building this big new wall very soon. We’ve done the fence; now we are doing a wall,” UK Home Office minister Robert Goodwill said.
Most of the port is already fenced off but British officials say a wall is needed in other areas of the route.
Port conditions have left many fearing for their lives. Drivers have reported having their windscreens smashed with metal bars or being ambushed by burning branches on the road left by men desperate to get them to slow down so they can jump on board. Drivers face fines if caught with any people in their vehicle in the UK.
This is occurring at the same time that the migrant camp on the outskirts of the city (known as the “Jungle”) has swelled to an unprecedented 10,000 members who are desperately seeking a way into Great Britain. Earlier this week, French farmers and truckers blocked main routes in and out of the city in protest over the Jungle.
The touted four meter high wall will stretch one kilometer around the port in Calais and will cost an estimated $4 million.
Calais aid worker François Guennoc said: “This wall is a waste of money. It will push up tariffs for people smugglers and people will end up taking more risks.”