Refugees make UN plea for help

Refugees at a Red Cross centre in northern France are appealing to the United Nations refugee agency, UNHCR, to intervene on their behalf.

Iranian, Kurdish and Afghan refugees have written to the agency asking it to help resolve their problems fairly and humanely.

They represent some 85% of the thousand refugees housed in a camp at Sangatte, near Calais - close to the Channel Tunnel which links France and Britain.

Correspondents say illegal immigrants have found entry to Britain more difficult in recent months, after the company which operates the link stepped up security.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service