An Irish trucker is recovering after he was held at knifepoint outside Calais ferry port in France last weekend.

Graham Lownds, who travels to the continent every week, says he has seen a marked escalation in the migrant crisis at the port. He says asylum seekers are becoming more and more desperate and aggressive.

Last Sunday he was travelling to Holland with a load of mussels when he was attacked during a rest stop.

It happened because of long queues at the port, caused by strike action.

He told Newstalk.com's Breakfast show about his shocking ordeal:

Newstalk.com reporter Kieran Cuddihy travelled to the port to hear the migrants' stories - you can listen to those stories here.

Conditions the largely male group of asylum seekers are living in are sub-standard - view our picture gallery here.