Stopping illegal migrants on lorries and coaches just as important as small boats, ministers told
STOPPING migrants sneaking into Britain on lorries is just as important as snaring small boats, ministers were warned last night.
More than 3,000 people attempted to enter the UK illegally last year via means other than Channel crossings.
Tory MPs spoke out after two migrants were caught hiding in the hold of a school coach returning from a trip to France.
It highlights that - while small boats now make up the bulk of illegal arrivals - many are still trying to stow away in vehicles.
The most recent available data from September 2022 to September 2023 shows 3,177 people were caught trying to enter the UK illegally.
It includes 2,866 people who were caught while in the UK, while the remaining 311 were stopped at the ports.
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The figure comprises those who hid in lorries, cars, shipping crates and other smuggling methods.
Illegal migration typically occurred this way before the boom in small boat crossings took off around 2019.
Tory MP Paul Bristow said: This is not just a small boat problem, this is an illegal migration problem and the British government needs the strongest controls to stop illegal migration in all forms.
“Stopping migrants coming illegally in a lorry is just as important as stopping a small boat.”
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The pair found hiding in the luggage compartment of the school coach on Monday were believed to be under-18 and taken into local authority care.
Police were called to Hounsdown School in Totton after parents were left horrified at the discovery.
More than 1,506 migrants have made the dangerous journey on small boats this year after 124 came over the weekend.
Last night it emerged celebrities will be paid by the Home Office for TikTok posts urging migrants not to cross in small boats.
Influencers will be handed thousands of pounds in return for posts discouraging people from making the journey.
A Home Office spokesperson said: "We are absolutely committed to disrupting the business model of people smuggling gangs to stop the boats and all forms of illegal migration.
"We are taking action to stop the use of vehicles for smuggling, including by increasing fines to £10,000, and legislating to remove those who arrive illegally promptly."