By 1997, the problem had attracted international press attention, and by 1999, the French Red Cross opened the first migrant centre at Sangatte, using a warehouse once used for tunnel construction; by 2002, it housed up to 1,500 people at a time, most of them trying to get to the UK.
至1997年此问题已引起了国际舆论关注，法国红十字会后于1999年在桑加特利用曾用于隧道建设的仓库，开设了一处难民收容中心；至2002年此处收容中心同时容纳了1500人，其中大部分都尝试进入英国。