Lorry driver 'stressed' after migrants found

A haulage company said its driver was "stressed and concerned" about being fined after migrants were found hidden in the back of a lorry.

Dramatic footage showed the men, believed to be Iraqi Kurds, banging on the doors and calling to be let out at the depot near Hythe, Kent.

Dominic Graham, from Alcaline UK, said the men should have been detected by Border Force technology when the lorry passed through Calais in France.

The Home Office has been contacted for comment.

Alcaline UK contacted Kent Police, whose officers spent around two hours with the migrants before handing them to immigration officials.

Richard Hill, from Alcaline UK, said it was not known exactly where the men boarded the lorry, which was carrying car parts, but there was no evidence of damage.

"They probably got in the back doors at some point before the trailer was sealed", he said, adding that the driver was "stressed and concerned" that he might be fined.

Hill said: "The truth is our drivers work very very hard and they are very busy just every week getting through their days. They don't have time to be soliciting for business."

Freight travelling to the UK passes through a series of security checks in northern France, carried out by port operators and French authorities.

Scanners, dogs and carbon dioxide probes can be used to detect people on board vehicles.

Under the UK-France "juxtaposed controls" system, UK Border Force officers then carry out additional immigration checks in designated control zones before vehicles are allowed to travel to Britain.

In 2024 there were 5,874 attempts to hide on UK-bound vehicles detected at the Channel ports.

Since 2018 many migrants have crossed in small boats but a report by the Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration, said "the threat of clandestine entry at the juxtaposed ports remains high and is unrelenting".

The risk of migrants boarding lorries is a problem facing all hauliers who operate in the UK.

Bigger fines of up to £10,000 for each "clandestine entrant" were introduced in 2023 for anyone - including tourists - found to be carrying an illegal migrant.

Alastair Gunn, from the Road Haulage Association, said penalising drivers in this way was the wrong approach.

"This is deterring the wrong people you need to deter the gangs and the migrants not the hauliers.

"We've seen no increase in pressures on our members since those fines have come in at a higher level so we think they've been an ineffective deterrent."

Graham added that since Monday's incident the company has had no contact from Border Force regarding any potential fines.

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