Illegal immigrants arrested in Channel crackdown

French police check suspected illegal immigrants in Calais

DOVER, England -- Britain's largest ferry company has uncovered 22 illegal immigrants attempting to cross the English Channel from France within hours of beginning checks on every Dover-bound lorry boarding its boats at Calais.

As dozens of would-be immigrants huddled on roads close to the French port in search of a clandestine ride to Britain, 40 security guards hired by P&O Stena Line began searching vehicles queuing to board the 0700 Wednesday sailing.

A company spokeswoman said the human cargo -- 10 of them believed to be Iraqis -- was discovered on four lorries waiting to cross to Britain from the French port of Calais soon after the launch of the well-publicised crackdown.

"The checks started at 7 a.m. and within the first hour seven illegal immigrants -- believed to be Iraqi -- were discovered on a French-registered truck with a British driver," the spokeswoman said.

"Soon afterwards another three were found on an Italian-registered lorry. Twelve more would-be immigrants were then found on two more trucks."

She was uncertain of their sex and nationality, but said they were all being questioned by French police.

A private French firm has been hired for the job and its staff are armed with torches and carbon dioxide detectors which highlight the presence of human breath in lorries.

P&O Stena Line has hired the guards to work around the clock at Calais at a cost of £500,000-a-year to check an estimated 750,000 lorries which board its vessels each year.

The controversial move has been condemned by some refugee groups who believe a private company should not be involved in immigration control.

Hauliers and ferry companies have to pay a fine of £2,000 for each illegal immigrant found stowed away in the UK since the extension of the Asylum Act was introduced in April this year.

P&O Stena Line has paid £100,000 in fines in the last eight months and more than 300 penalty cases against freight companies are currently being processed through the courts.

The checks are compulsory for all lorries and vans. Those refusing the screening will not be allowed to travel.

While most drivers queuing to board the ferry to Kent appeared happy for the checks to go ahead, one or two were more cynical.

Mark Campbell, 36, who was driving a Thorburn International lorry laden with yoghurt bound for Shropshire, England, said: "They are getting onboard the boats anyway. This is just another move to pass the buck onto the driver.

"These carbon dioxide tests do not show anything unless they have been on board for more than five minutes and I have seen them running around the lorries here minutes before we've boarded.

"Not only that, they are getting on the ferries and boarding the lorries then."

The guards, from security firm Secur-Nord, will hand any illegal immigrants found over to the French authorities.

The ferry operator believes the move will support its freight customers.

Wednesday's initiative follows the recruitment by the Calais chamber of commerce of a large security force, with guards using the same carbon dioxide tests offered to drivers on a voluntary basis.

P&O spokesman Chris Laming said: "The test takes just a minute per vehicle. The checks consist of probing the curtains on the side of the lorries with a CO2 detector which looks like a ski-pole with a box on it.

"There are also physical checks going on under the vehicles, checks in the driver's cab and inside some of the lorries.

"It should not delay the boarding process and we are determined to keep our schedule."

Between 6,000 and 7,000 asylum seekers try to enter Britain every month. In July more than 700 illegal immigrants were found in one check at Calais.

Two weeks ago 43 illegal immigrants from 10 different countries were found hidden under tarpaulins of three German-registered lorries on the M20 highway in Kent after disembarking at Dover.

On June 18, 58 Chinese people were found suffocated in a container by shocked Customs officials at the port.

Laming said P&O planned to extend the checks in the near future to crossings from the Belgian port of Zeebrugge to Dover, the route taken by the Chinese immigrants in June.

Reuters contributed to this report.

Ferry firm cracks down on illegal immigrants
December 4, 2000
Illegal immigrants injured at Channel Tunnel
September 1, 2000
58 found dead in illegal channel crossing
June 19, 2000

P&O Stena Line
Port of Dover
Port of Calais
Freight Transport Association

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