Migrants: Stowaway cases decrease as hauliers take measures

Lorry drivers say their vehicles are targets for stowaways in France and Belgium

The number of attempts to stowaway at Channel ports have declined as hauliers and authorities take measures.

Figures obtained by the BBC show stowaway cases plummeted from about 83,000 in 2015 to 18,000 in 2021.

There has been a huge increase in attempts by migrants to cross the Channel by small boats in recent years after millions was spent improving security for lorries around the ports.

One haulage firm said drivers were told not to stop in some areas of France.

Lorenzo Zaccheo, owner and managing director of Alcaline Transport in Hythe, Kent, also told the BBC some of his drivers were being targeted further away from the ports of Northern France.

He said: "They are shifting from Calais to areas like Reims, and we have an agreement that our drivers cannot stop between Reims and the Channel ports unless there is a health issue, or to use the toilet.

"We ask anybody who stops to open up the trailer and to check for unauthorised people."

"These people are basically sitting there all day long thinking 'what is my next move', and they are moving south," he added.

Lorenzo Zaccheo is the owner and managing director of Alcaline Transport

The figures on declining attempts by potential stowaways obtained by BBC South East relate to juxtaposed controls managed by the UK government at French ports, Eurotunnel and on Eurostar.

The statistics revealed through a Freedom of Information request also showed that £30m in fines for illegal entry have been paid by lorry drivers and hauliers to the government since 2015.

The government has introduced new fines of £10,000 per stowaway this year, up from £2,000.

Neil Kuhl, a lorry driver from Aylesham in Kent, said hauliers had to carry out thorough checks on their vehicles.

"They will climb on the roof. They will climb underneath and they will hang under the bottom of the vehicle," he said.

"What do we do? We can't keep checking the whole underbody of the vehicle."

Last month French Police cleared more than 500 people from a migrant camp, near an industrial park and close to lorry parking facilities at Merck, near Calais.

Neil Kuhl, a Kent lorry driver says they now have to be extremely vigilant when securing their vehicle.

Many migrants come from some of the poorest and most chaotic parts of the world, and many ask to claim asylum once they are picked up by the UK authorities.

Lucy Moreton, from the Immigration Services Union, which represents border staff said: "Security has been stepped up around the ports.

"We use a combination of dogs and C02 probes. Frequently lorry drivers are willing to alert us or the French police that they think they have somebody on board.

"There are also significantly increased fencing to try to prevent somebody climbing into the ports."

A Home Office spokesperson said: "In February we announced a major package of policies to stop the use of vehicles to smuggle people into the UK.

"These measures, which include increased fines of up to £10,000 for each illegal entry, are a vital tool in securing our border, deterring illegal migration and disrupting the business model of people smugglers."

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