Calais migrant camp takes centre stage in debate over UK's future in EU

Yet again today, the makeshift camp of migrants in Calais has taken centre stage in the debate over the UK's membership of the EU.

A government minister in France has told the Financial Times that the Anglo-French agreement over border checks would end if Britons voted to leave in June's referendum.

UK Border Force staff currently carry out checks on the French - rather than the British - side of the border.

It's why the migrant camp grew to such a size close to the 'British border' in Calais.

And those border checks could be moved back to Kent if the UK walked away from the European Union.

David Cameron was the first to warn of such a prospect a few weeks ago.

I recall asking him at a press conference on prison reform why he was suggesting the Calais migrant camp could be relocated to Kent.

His response was that many French politicians wanted to tear up the current agreement over border checks

The Vote Leave camp accused him of scaremongering (which - it has to be said - is an oft-used word in the Leave campaign).

It is a bilateral arrangement between Britain and France, Leave campaigners pointed out, not an EU one.

So there is no reason why it could not continue whatever happens to Britain's membership of the EU.

Now however Emmanuel Macron, the Finance Minister makes a similar claim.

It just so happens it comes on the day Mr Cameron meets the French President François Hollande at a summit in the city of Amiens.

Coincidence?

Or collusion?

The timing is certainly very helpful for the Prime Minister.

After writing this, I had my British passport checked by a French official working in London at the Eurostar terminal in Paris.

In other words - the French border starts in the UK.

Presumably, if the Calais camp warnings are correct, this control desk will also have to be dismantled and moved to the French side of the border?

Unless of course - to use that favourite word of Leave campaigners - it's all just scaremongering?