Stowaways in trucks bring 10 fines a day
TEN fines are issued to hauliers every day over migrants hiding in lorries.
Some 3,522 penalties were handed to drivers or bosses in 2016-17 – up 12% on the previous year.
The Home Office figures show that £7.8million in fines were issued in the most recent year.
A fine can be up to £2,000 for each stowaway discovered, where reasonable steps were not taken to check the vehicles.
Lawyer Dan Hart said: “The majority of drivers take measures to secure their vehicles but it is increasingly difficult to do so when faced with the determination of large gangs of migrants.”
Given the “exceptional circumstances”, he questioned whether the penalty regime was fair.