A haulage firm is exploring launching legal action against the Government over its 'completely unfair' fines for stowaways found on trucks
In three instances, they say Border Force and French authorities checks of trucks failed to locate migrants who were discovered on arrival at the yard of the firm, which was fined up to £3,000 per stowaway after alerting police. Mr Zaccheo said one of the company’s drivers was badly beaten after confronting a group of stowaways who had climbed onto his truck.Recent Home Office figures show a 16 per cent year-on-year increase in migrants smuggled into the UK in vehicles or ferries, indicating an uptick in attempted lorry crossings as French police clampdown on small boat crossings.
“If a driver makes one small mistake, the employer is penalised for it anyway, as well as the driver. And if the driver doesn’t pay on time it falls on the employers,” he said.“We have had three instances in the last six months, maybe a bit longer, where Border Force have not found any immigrants on our truck, because they’ve come through X-ray machines, etc.
“However, we do not want hauliers and drivers who have done everything they possibly can to face punishment.