Lorry Drivers Suffer Stowaway Violence

By Mark White
Home Affairs correspondent
Updated:09:52, Tuesday November 27, 2007
Lorry drivers are suffering an increase in violence from illegal immigrants striving to enter the UK, an exclusive Sky News investigation has found.

It comes as a lorry driver was stabbed in the stomach and seriously injured after confronting a stowaway on board his truck at Calais, France.

Security checks at the Calais freight terminal are tighter than they have ever been.

Anyone managing to sneak into the back of a lorry is faced with a barrage of security checks from both British and French officials.

If they make it past the sniffer dogs, there are electronic sniffers to detect emissions from someone's breath and highly sensitive heart beat monitors.

ore than 500 British immigration officers work here, the UK's first line of defence against those trying to enter Britain illegally.

We gained exclusive access to the British Government's immigration checks at Calais and it seems that the officers are having considerable success.

Of the 4,000 trucks which pass through Calais each day, around 70% are checked by British staff.

We spoke to several illegal immigrants, who told us they had tried repeatedly to get passed port security and failed.Heinok Yosief, from Eritrea, has been in Calais a month. In that time, he has tried and failed 15 times to make it to Britain. It is clear he is frustrated.

Worryingly, he tells us that others are turning to intimidation and violence to coerce truckers into smuggling them on board their vehicles.

He blames Iraqi-Kurdish gang masters, who charge immigrants around 400-500 Euros to guarantee a place in the back of a lorry. If the drivers resist, they are threatened with knives and clubs.

The Road Hauliers' Association is extremely concerned about these developments. Its leadership has warned increased intimidation could be the knock-on effect of increased security checks.

The association is calling for more police patrols around the areas where hauliers park their vehicles at night.

During our visit to Calais, we saw repeated breaches of the port's perimeter fence. But most illegal immigrants still try to sneak onto the back of lorries before they enter the port.

However, with most seemingly intercepted before they can board the ferries, it is lorry drivers who are increasingly becoming the target for their frustration.

A spokesman for The Border and Immigration Agency said: "It is concerning that lorry drivers are reporting their safety is being threatened.

"Co-operation between the UK and French government remains strong and we continue to work closely with local French police who take the lead on protecting those who travel through French ports to the UK."

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