A summit this week to discuss solutions to human trafficking and border security in freight transport included a range of delegates including transport lawyers, operators and government representatives.
Organised by the RHA, the event was described as “powerful and thought-provoking”, with challenging conversations taking place over how the industry and the country should deal with illegal immigration.
Stakeholders from the UK, EU and the US, including the office of the traffic commissioner, police, department for transport and Backhouse Jones solicitors, joined the trade association to highlight their concerns and potential solutions.
The summit also discussed the findings in a recent RHA report on clandestine entry, which concluded that the current civil penalty scheme was not fit for purpose and needed overhauling.
The report said: “The solution should start from the realisation that the challenges related to clandestine immigration are not unique to the UK.
“All countries en route to the UK, with or without ports, are affected by this issue, as criminal acts that lead to clandestine migration occur on their territories.
“This naturally leads to the conclusion that the UK cannot address this challenge alone.”
Richard Smith, RHA MD, said the summit allowed for difficult conversations to be aired:
“The conversations were open, honest, and at times challenging – exactly what this issue demands,” he said.
“We explored how different countries are responding to clandestine entry via commercial vehicles and human trafficking, and heard directly about the impact on people, businesses, and frontline agencies.
“As I said at the event, it’s important to air these conversations. We won’t fix this in one afternoon – but it’s vital we work out how to move it forward.”
