The UK Government has released a policy statement detailing how it plans to go about preventing illegal immigrants from reaching the UK via truck. The plans include longer prison sentences, stiffer fines and better security.
When it comes to fines, page 27 of the policy statement says that the current financial penalties imposed (£2,000-£4,000 per person) should be increased:
Under the current Clandestine Entrant Civil Penalty Regime, a maximum penalty of up to £2,000 can be imposed for every person found on board vehicles that have not been adequately secured, up to a statutory maximum of £4,000, where both driver and haulier are penalised. However, the fine level has not been changed for nearly 20 years and the current regime is not having enough of an effect as a high proportion of drivers and hauliers are not taking the steps required to secure vehicles. In 2020, there were 1,869 cases where clandestine entrants were detected in vehicles with inadequate security, despite the Covid-19 pandemic causing a lower volume of traffic.
We therefore propose to increase the maximum penalty per person found entering illegally and will consult on what amount would encourage greater compliance to better reflect the costs involved in managing and removing those who enter our country illegally.
Moreover, the document recommends that drivers should be punished for not securing their truck – even if an illegal migrant is not onboard:
- The introduction of a new penalty for failure to secure a vehicle, regardless of whether an illegal migrant is found on board or not
- Expanding the scheme to entail levying a penalty on all hauliers where a migrant is found in their vehicle, regardless of load security
- Reviewing accreditation for hauliers who are repeatedly found in breach
Another section of the document covers security.
According to the policy statement, revised standards on minimum expected security should also be set:
We will consult with industry, on amending the code of practice, to set revised standards on minimum expected security levels on vehicles. This will take account of advances in vehicle security technologies since the regime was first introduced. We will also consult on another possible approach of imposing a penalty in all cases where a migrant is found on a lorry, even where the vehicle has been secured. We also wish to explore with industry whether there are other more extensive measures which would help to drive up compliance with the scheme and encourage greater numbers of drivers and hauliers to take more responsibility for countering the threat from illegal entry.
In addition, those that facilitate a migrant’s illegal entry into the UK could even be jailed for life according to the plans:
We will now strengthen existing facilitation offences to take tougher action against anyone willing to risk lives facilitating a migrant’s illegal entry into the UK, such as by piloting a small boat. Each attempt at illegal entry risks life and the penalties for those who facilitate illegal entry should reflect that. We will therefore increase the maximum sentence from 14 years to life imprisonment.
The policy statement can be read in full here.
Photo credit: Cambridgeshire Constabulary