Hauliers 'paying huge stowaway price'

Lorry drivers say stowaways have cost them millions

Transport firms say they are paying a huge price for asylum seekers stowing away on lorries crossing the channel.

The Freight Transport Association (FTA) says its members have now paid £12m in fines because asylum seekers were caught on their vehicles.

Some lorry operators believe their very livelihood is threatened

David Green
Freight Transport Association

The association is demanding a meeting with home secretary David Blunkett in its efforts to get immediate help for the drivers.

The law now allows drivers to be fined £2,000 per stowaway, and the association says its members are often the victims of criminal gangs.

'Substantial impact'

David Green, vice-president of the FTA, said: "Given the criminal elements involved, and the desperation of many asylum seekers, none of us should be surprised that the problem will not go away and shows no sign of abatement."

He said the costs of security measures against stowaways continued to escalate, as did the level of fines.

The transport bosses want to meet David Blunkett

"The impact on legitimate businesses doing their level best is substantial.

"Some lorry operators believe their very livelihood is threatened."

Rail freight operator English, Welsh and Scottish Trains (EWS) said it had been fined £600,000 since March this year.

Rail company's fears

An EWS spokesman told BBC News Online the fines were "perverse" as they involved stowaways found by the firm's own security guards in its Folkestone yard.

He said the firm believed it was not liable to pay the fines as it was not allowed to check the trains in France, where they were controlled by French firm SNCF.

EWS says it is still awaiting a response to its appeals, and will take the issue to court if necessary.

The spokesman said the firm would have to end its international operations if it was found to be liable.

A Home Office spokeswoman said she could not comment on any individual case.

The department was studying a letter it had received from the FTA and would respond in due course.

The stowaway fines began for road transport in April 2000 and for trains in March this year.

The spokeswoman said that in April this year, a total of 587 people had been found secretly trying to enter Britain in Kent.

This was less than half the number in the month preceding the introduction of the fines for lorry drivers last year.