Migrant Nearly Makes Amazing Tunnel Hike Into England

A 40-year-old Sudanese man who walked 30 miles in darkness while avoiding search teams, security cameras, and speeding trains in an effort to cross the Channel Tunnel from France to Britain has become a polarizing figure in Europe's growing migrant crisis. The New York Times reports Abdul Haroun was caught and arrested Tuesday just outside England 10 hours after entering the tunnel in France. Haroun is allegedly the first migrant to walk nearly the entire length of the Channel Tunnel, and it's unclear how he was able to enter it without being spotted by heightened security. The Telegraph says he got caught "just steps away" from the English side of the tunnel.

“It is illegal and very dangerous to attempt to enter the tunnel, and a person can be seriously injured or killed,” a Eurotunnel spokesman tells the Times. "Mr. Haroun could now face prison, and he will likely not be able to get asylum. He has lost everything.” The tunnel is dealing with nearly 1,000 attempts per day from migrants trying to cross the Channel, many by stowing away in vehicles. At least 10 migrants have died since June, and thousands are living in makeshift camps near the entrance to the Channel in France. The UN calls the situation in the port city of Calais a "civil emergency," reports Newsweek. As Britain and the rest of Europe struggle with how to deal with migrants, some are pointing to Haroun's journey as a prime example of migrants' desperation while fleeing dangers in Africa and the unwillingness of European countries to take them in. (More Channel Tunnel stories.)