Lorry drivers receive record number of fines for bringing illegal immigrants into Britain
RECORD numbers of fines have been issued to lorry drivers for bringing illegal immigrants into the UK, new figures reveal.
Hauliers are handed £2,000 fines ten times every day as "determined" migrants are found hiding in their vehicles.
Home Office data shows 3,522 civil penalties were handed to drivers or their employers in 2016/17 after "clandestine entrants" were discovered in vehicles.
This was a 12 per cent rise on an astonishing total of 3,151 in the previous year, according to statistics obtained by law firm Nockolds.
Related articles
We hear from hauliers who no longer want to take the Calais/Dover route because of the risk of fines and also the real possibility of facing intimidation or migrant attacks
A total of £7.8million worth of fines were issued during the last financial year.
The findings suggest that large numbers of migrants are still boarding UK-bound lorries, despite the closure of the Jungle camp in Calais in autumn last year.
Transport lawyer Dan Hart said: "The majority of drivers take measures to secure their vehicles but it is increasingly difficult to do so when faced with the determination of large gangs of migrants.
"If there are even the smallest shortcomings, civil penalties are imposed.
Lorry driver shares terrifying story of Calais migrant ambush
"In the current climate, it raises the question of whether the penalty regime is fair given the exceptional circumstances."
A fine of up to £2,000 can also be imposed on drivers or firms for each stowaway discovered if it is found reasonable measures were not taken to check vehicles.
However, a driver or haulier can appeal against any decisions.
The figures follows reports of a van driver’s death after his vehicle collided with other lorries which were forced to stop because migrants had obstructed the road.
The Road Haulage Association (RHA) has called for the French military to be deployed in order to protect UK-bound HGV drivers.
An RHA spokeswoman said: "Hauliers take every precaution possible to prevent migrants getting on the back of their trucks but it still happens.
"We regularly hear from hauliers who no longer want to take the Calais/Dover route because of the risk of fines and also the real possibility of facing intimidation or migrant attacks.
"This will harm the economy and inevitably lead to higher prices."
Figures published last July showed the number of migrants discovered in the UK after hiding in vehicles or on trains had more than doubled.
A report on "lorry drops" revealed 6,429 "clandestine entrants" were discovered in the six months from the beginning of April to the end of September 2015, compared to 2,411 in the same period of 2014.
A Home Office spokeswoman said: "It is in all our interests to combat attempts to enter the UK illegally, which can damage the haulage industry financially and place the safety of drivers at risk.
"That is why we continue to work closely with the French to bolster security at the ports, tackle the organised crime networks behind trafficking and people-smuggling, and ensure hauliers and other travellers can travel through the ports safely.
"Most hauliers take their responsibilities for vehicle security seriously - the fines imposed are designed to ensure that all drivers take reasonable measures."
