Coach Operators warned to avoid Cité Europe

[coach2000]

Hi all, I have copied this article out of this weeks coach mag. Route One. Has any one see anything of this recently on their travels.

 

Coach operators are being warned not to visit Cité Europe – the shopping centre located next to the French terminal of the Channel Tunnel at Coquelles – due to a large number of illegal immigrants trying to hide in coaches.

 

It comes after an illegal immigrant, who had hidden under a coach, was accidentally killed after the coach arrived back in the UK.

 

Last week the Confederation of Passenger Transport (CPT) issued a warning about illegal immigrant activity at the shopping centre, which lacks proper security.

 

The illegal immigrants are reported to be hiding in bushes, waiting for vehicles to park, which they then attempt to stowaway on. In the last fortnight there have been three other reports of stowaway attempts.

 

Last week, a Volvo Van Hool Acron, operated by D&H Harrods of Downham Market, Norfolk, arrived back at its base after a three-day tour.

 

The coach had been washed and was parked, in the early hours of the morning, when the stowaway attempted to exit the vehicle. However, the coach was then moved, inadvertently running over the stowaway who suffered immediate fatal injuries.

 

The coach had visited Cité Europe and it is thought that the man, in his 20s, stowed-away in the coach while at the shopping centre.

 

Although the driver carried out all recommended checks, as did border controls including the use of sniffer dogs, the stowaway was not detected.

 

It was later discovered that the man, of slight build, had managed to crawl into the very small space above the drive axle, meaning that the only way he could have been detected would have been a very careful inspection over a pit.

 

A police investigation into the incident is continuing, but no blame is being attributed to the operator or driver.

 

The incident has highlighted the great difficulty of detecting the very desperate stowaways, who will crawl into engine bays in an attempt to secrete themselves.

 

Videos on the internet show the large numbers of immigrants attempting to board lorries at Calais, due to the lack of enforcement by the authorities.

 

At Cité Europe the problem is currently very intense, and operators are recommended to avoid stopping there unless absolutely necessary, due to the high numbers of would-be stowaways in the area, and the desperate attempts they will make to get to the UK.

 

Clive.

[Guest Peter James]

You have to ask why they want to come to Britain from France etc where social security benefit rates are higher.

As far as I can see from speaking to them when they were trying to get on to my lorry, its the result of Britains deregulation of the labour market, the criminalisation of Brothels, the wide gap in duty rates on tobacco and alcohol etc, all of which makes Britain the easiest country in Europe to work in the black economy.

Coupled ith the fact that illegal immigrants drive down wages and drive up property prices, both of which seem to suit the British Establishment, so they have long had a half hearted attitude towards tackling illegal immigration.

[kelly58]

Last year whilst sat at city Europe motorhome parking area I could see a couple of immigrants trying to get under a coach. I rang 112 but gave up after trying to speak to an English speaking operative for over 15 minutes, so I walked over to the bus driver to tell her what was happening  , she said she had seen them and had called the police and that she used the parking area twice a week and always lowered her suspension so as they could not get under her bus . All vehicles leaving European ports should drive over a high pressure water cannon to flush them off .

[Billggski]

They are usually trying to reach friends or family who are already here.

Italy, Germany and Spain have a far bigger problem than we have, ours is more visible because of the channel.

[Guest JudgeMental]

Flush them out? What a lovely attitude.........Your a credit to your ignorence......