Fleet Source, one of the UK’s largest transport training providers, has developed the first dedicated training course, CEASE, to help fleet operators and drivers maintain their safety and security, and avoid fines for carrying a ‘Clandestine Entrant’, a person who hides in a vehicle to avoid UK immigration controls.
Fleet Source CEO, Nick Caesari said: “Every year, an average of 8,500 people are detected entering the UK illegally using road transport. HGVs are the vehicle of choice, as there are so many places to hide. Border Force can’t check every vehicle, and so the real number of Clandestine Entrants will be much higher.”
Hauliers found to inadvertently have Clandestine Entrants on their vehicle face significant penalties. The UK Government has increased the fines significantly to force the transport industry to take action to reduce illegal entry, resulting in both fleet operators and drivers now being fined up to £10,000 per Clandestine Entrant, or £6,000 if a vehicle is identified as being insecure, even if no Clandestine Entrants are found.
Caesari added: “If a Clandestine Entrant is discovered on a vehicle, the fines that an operator and its drivers will face can be financially crippling, especially considering the tight profit margins that most operators work under.”
Drivers can face other, even more serious problems. Clandestine Entrants, often exploited by people smugglers and desperate to escape threat, suppression and poverty, have threatened and even attacked drivers when they’re discovered.
Mathew Smith, National Fleet Manager for Sunbelt Rentals, whose drivers piloted the CEASE course, commented: “The potential danger for drivers is a major concern. Educating our drivers on how to keep themselves protected and their vehicles safe is paramount.”
The Fleet Source CEASE training course (Driver CPC accredited) is designed to educate and inform drivers about the risk of people attempting to hide in, or on, their vehicle illegally. Covering subject matters such as Clandestine Entrants tactics, vehicle security, effective walkaround checks, personal security and what to do if a Clandestine Entrant is identified, the course is the first to comprehensively cover the issues that drivers face crossing UK borders.
Caesari concluded: “Although the Border Force Civil Penalty Scheme mandates training as a requirement, there is a lack of detailed information from the UK Government as to what this should include. Our new dedicated training course tackles this issue by giving drivers the guidance they need to maintain their safety and security, reduce the risk of Clandestine Entrants, and avoid being fined.”
