1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160 
Scanners innoculate Calais against stowaway threat
Page 6
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
• by Dominic Perry International hauliers claim that the installation of scanners at Calais port has reduced the number of Illegal immigrants trying to use that route, according to a new report.
The initial findings of the study by the Freight Transport Association suggest that the scanners, introduced at the start of the year, have had a dramatic impact on the stowaway problem. However, It also adds that the stowaways appear to have shifted to some extent to other ports, notably Cherbourg and Zeebrugge.
But help could be at hand for operators using those routes, with the Home Office pledging to introduce scanners at Cherbourg by the end of May and Zeebrugge to follow at a later date.
Although the Home Office pledged In December that they would be introduced as soon as possible, almost five months have elapsed without any action.
Geoff Dossetten head of external affairs at the FTA says that although it welcomes the introduction of the scanners, the move is long overdue: "The action taken at Calais is very helpful, but then we always said it would be. We recommended this course of action to them almost four years ago."
One firm that uses Cherbourg regularly Is Plymouth-based Armoric Freight. Boss Marc Payne adds: "Anything that they do to sort the problem out has got to be a good thing."
The FTA's findings are supported by CM 's research earlier in the year (CM 16-22 Jan). Drivers at Calais told us that the port had become less of a stowaway hetspot but warned about problems ahead for Cherbourg.
There are still concerns in the industry, however, that the scanners don't offer much protection from determined stowaways—a fact confirmed by government minister Geoffrey FIlkin.
In a letter to Simon Hughes. theral Democrat spokesman on home affairs Filkin admits that the scanners are not 100% accurate, and fails to answer Hughes' original question, namely why drivers aren't given written proof of scanning. He also says that for a driver to check his vehicle "is not onerous".
But as CM editor-in chief Brian Weatherley points out: "To suggest that proves that neither the Noble Lord, nor members of the Home Office, have ever tried to climb Into, and more importantly, move around inside a densely-loaded trailer."
And one haulier that found the system to be less than foolproof is Bob Downten, who runs Bristolbased Westfield International. The firm and Its
driver were fined £1,000 each after two stowaways were found on board at Dover (CM SO Jan-5 Feb). The firm's fine has since been reduced to £200, but the driver's remains the same. Downton blasts: "It's totally disgusting it's like a stealth tax, isn't it? They are saying they can't police the borders so hauliers and drivers have got to dolt for them or get fined."
Dossetter adds: They have treated the haulage Industry with constant suspicion. Hauliers have always been treated as the cause of the problem rather than the victims."
dominic.perry@rbi.co.uk • See Comment, page 9.