Lorry driver illegal immigrant fines madness.

[Workingman]

Surely this system needs to be scrapped?

I recognise that many years ago it was thought that a few lorry drivers were making money out of smuggling in a few illegals and the £2,000 fines, per illegal, were seen as a way to stop the trade. But we have all seen the situation in Calais and it is one going back years now.

Even our useless politicians must have seen the news coverage and videos of people getting on trailers when the lorries are on the motorway outside of Calais or the port. The drivers have no protection out on the open road and the E15 often slows to a crawl during busy times.

[TheOstrich]

Hmmm ... possibly refined rather than scrapped. The DM did a number earlier this week (?) on lorry drivers at Calais taking bungs of up to £1,200 from illegal immegrants for passage.

I think if the lorry driver reports illegal passengers at Cheriton or Dover, then no fine incurred. But if he hasn't reported them and they're found, then yes, fine the driver and the company. After all, it doesn't take much to do a visual check around of your lorry, inside and out. As for foreign lorry drivers, if they can't pay the fine on the spot, confiscate the lorry and load, and deport the driver with the illegals.

[debih]

I was listening to this on the radio earlier. Only around 3% of the fines go to UK drivers - the rest go to drivers from other countries.

I think that if the driver/company does not have suitable security on their vehicle then they should be fined - irrespective of whether or not migrants are found on their vehicle. If it can be proven (I don't know how) that the vehicle was fitted with proper locks and the migrants broke through then the fine should not be given.

The majority of UK drivers have good security on their vehicles, hence them only getting 3% of the fines. Its the other 97% of vehicles that the migrants are coming in on that need dealing with.

[debih]

A coach driver was interviewed.

He and his passengers were leaving a hypermarket and had to stop at a pedestrian crossing to let 30 or so migrants cross - they stopped in the middle of the crossing to create a diversion (he didn't know this at the time) whilst two migrants jimmied the locks of his boot and got in. They were found at Calais and he (he was the co owner of the coach company) was fined £2000 even though he took all steps to stop migrants from entering his vehicle.

Another lorry driver was on and he was fined when migrants jumped onto his axle when he slowed down at traffic lights - what was he supposed to do to stop that.

[Workingman]

By boarding the lorries these people are breaking-in to private property, often causing criminal damage in the process. They are criminals and should be arrested and charged.

It's open season on the drivers and they have no defence against the illegals. Curtain-siders can be opened up in a flash with a Stanley knife, locks can be broken with a hammer, and I have heard of roofs being opened with tin snips and then the flap pushed back up and taped shut from the inside.

People retuning from holiday, especially those with caravans, used to stop at an Aire de Repos near Nortkirque about 7km from Calais port. It has now been closed because illegals were breaking in to caravans. It happened to friends who were inside their van having a nap!

An array of technology now exists to detect stowaways: CO2 sniffers, acoustic sensors, temperature hot-spot scanners and low-power x-ray scanners. Maybe all vehicles should pass through gantries with these things installed. They could become part of the passport control area and would not take more than an extra few minutes to check.

[Kaz]

I agree with Frank, it is not fair to criminalise the drivers when they themselves are actually the victims!

[Workingman]

No, it is not fair, Kaz. Can you imagine sitting in an HGV when a gang of illegals attempt to get on your vehicle? They have weapons and numbers, you are on your own, or with a driver's mate.

This is happening outside of any secure zone and the drivers really do have no protection.

[Kaz]

It's just awful - and as usual this government does nothing to protect the ordinary working man

[Aggers]

If I were in charge, I would blow up the Tunnel and get out of the EU damn quickly.

Our ancestors who made this country of ours great must be turning in their graves.

What's the matter with those who are supposed to be looking after our interests?

We ought to kick the lot out.

[Suff]

Personally, were I in power, I would declare a state of emergency and close the UK to all traffic originating in Calais for two weeks. Then the migrants can do exactly what they want but they would not be going anywhere near the UK.

OK it would cause mayhem, force tourists, commuters and commercial traffic to use other routes for two weeks, damage business, the tunnel profits and ferry profits. But, in the end, it would send the message, both to France and to the immigrants that this situation is both unacceptable and untenable.

If nothing was done during that time to resolve the situation I would close the UK to all traffic from Calais until the immigrants were removed and the situation was brought back to normal.

We've tried the carrot. Now it's time for the stick.