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Fine increases for hauliers crossing the Channel will not solve the problem, Logistics UK warns
Logistics UK has warned that the new offence, carrying a penalty of up to £6,000, for crossing the border with an inadequately secured vehicle will not tackle the root problem of people trafficking across the Channel.
The business group objected to the proposal during the passage of the Bill through Parliament, as its members felt it could be seen to be deterring EU businesses from risking a journey to the UK.
Chris Yarsley, Senior Policy Manager, Logistics UK, said: “We hope that government will work with the sector to help compliant operators demonstrate they are making every effort to comply with the new rules.”
The UK’s highly interconnected supply chain relies on the smooth movement of goods from across the EU, and the business group argues that any delay to goods would be detrimental to trade and could deter future movements of goods to the UK.
The government has also increased the fines from £2,000 per person to £10,000 per person for hauliers found carrying clandestine migrants into the country.
“The government’s plans to increase fines for those found to be carrying victims of people-smuggling gangs, from £2,000 per person to £10,000 per person, will not tackle the root cause of the problem,” Yarsley said, “Professional operators remain vigilant at all times when moving goods across the UK’s borders, but government must acknowledge that the responsible drivers and hauliers are, themselves, the victims of the criminal people-smugglers who prey on innocent migrants.”
The business group argues that it is unreasonable to impose such punitive penalties when individuals and businesses take every reasonable measure to mitigate the risk of carrying an illegal entrant, including participation in industry standards such as AEOS and Customs Seals, which demonstrate they have implemented the highest possible security measures. Instead it proposes that urgent improvements are needed to ensure detection systems used in ports are fully effective in locating hidden individuals on vehicles and more should be done to provide safe and secure passage for vehicles to the ports themselves. This includes the creation of more secure overnight parking and increased policing on the routes to Channel ports.
“Governments on both sides of the Channel should remain vigilant to ensure that hard-working hauliers can continue to protect the integrity of the UK’s supply chain,” Yarsley said, “Hauliers and drivers are not professionally trained immigration officers or trained security staff and should not be expected to take the fall for the failings of border operations.”
*www.logistics.org.uk/campaigns
Published On: 19/01/2023 16:00:31
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