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Crackdown in Calais
Page 12
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CM was granted exclusive access to the UK Border Agency controls on the French side of the Channel Tunnel recently, to find out how vehicles are checked for illegal immigrants and smuggled goods...
Words: Joanna Bourke and Christoper Wation images: Graham Richardson CM COVER STORY
ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS have been caught grabbing on to the sides of trains, hiding in exterior cab storage boxes, resting on lorry axles and putting plastic bags over their heads to fool CO, probes, the UK Border Agency (UKBA) has revealed.
They are so desperate to enter the UK, they will stop at nothing to get there, including putting themselves and others in danger, and leaving hauliers risking a hefty fine and damaging their business repute in the process. Last year, civil penalties were imposed on drivers and firms in more than 1,700 cases on the back of more than 28,000 stowaways' attempts to enter the country illegally. And for the past 10 years, for every illegal entrant discovered, both driver and firm are each liable for a .€2,000 fine per entrant.
Vehicle checks
On a recent CM trip to shadow UKBA officers at Eurotunnel's Coquelles terminal, which is near Calais, it was revealed that 40% of freight travelling to the UK is checked daily, and just 60% of this is secured ('UKBA hammers security message home'. CM 25 June).
The agency says it wants to reinforce the importance of doing vehicle checks as any unsccurc load is a potential target for stowaways An unsecure load is more likely to have officers check it than a properly secured load. This will have the effect of slowing a journey down if the truck is checked.
There are, of course, drivers who are involved with smuggling people illegally into the country, but Simon Gray, senior officer at UKBA, says the risk is not worth taking: "You must believe that criminal gangs are likely to have thousands of vehicles out there, and they know that not every one can or will be checked, so they are willing to take the risk because they know it will be the driver who has to pay the price."
He adds: "If you can prove you've tried to prevent smuggling incidents, you won't be fined."
No penalties are appreciated, but they'll be tough for those hauliers struggling in the recession.
We've examined the key search mechanisms to give you an idea of just how serious the agency is on cracking down on illegal activity •