Border Force checks
Road transport companies and their drivers must secure vehicles coming into the UK to stop “clandestine entrants“. A clandestine entrant is a person who hides in or on a vehicle to avoid going through UK border control.
If you don’t secure your vehicle and you’re found carrying clandestine entrants into the UK, you’ll get a fine (also known as a ‘civil penalty).
“If you are found carrying a clandestine entrant, even if you are a tourist, you could get a fine. You may face a fine of up to £10,000 for each clandestine entrant you carry.
If you are driving a goods vehicle, and it is not adequately secured you could also get a fine, even if no clandestine entrant is found. You may face a fine of up to £6,000 if you drive a goods vehicle that is not adequately secured. This applies whether you are entering or departing the UK.” UK Government website.
The law applies to all arrivals into the UK, including from European seaports and the Eurotunnel Shuttle.
With our Drivers Compliance App, we can help navigate you through this tricky minefield that is Border Force Checks.
What to do if someone hides in your vehicle?
Before departing for the UK
Your drivers must not go through UK border control, or board transport to the UK, if they suspect there’s someone hiding in the vehicle they’re driving.
They should contact the police in the country they’re in or speak to border control at the port where they plan to board. They can also contact Border Force at the port where they plan to arrive.
After arriving in the UK
Drivers shouldn’t approach anyone hiding in a vehicle. They should stay in the cab of the vehicle and contact the local police.
The police will take the driver’s details and your company’s details, and tell Border Force about the clandestine entrants.
You and your driver may get letters from the clandestine entrant civil penalty team, which is part of Border Force, asking for information about the security system in place on that day.
Your information will be used to help decide who will be fined, and by how much. For examples of how this is decided, read the ‘Level of penalty: code of practice’.
At UK border control
Your driver may be interviewed about the security system they’re using if clandestine entrants are found in your vehicle at UK border control, at a port in the UK or anywhere in Europe.
They can refuse to be interviewed and leave at any stage, but it’s in their interest to give as much information as they can. Your company and the vehicle’s owner or hirer may also be asked for information.
Why use CHECKEDSAFE?
Historically commercial DVSA vehicle checks were completed manually on paper, which is time-consuming, inefficient, and expensive. Our Vehicle compliance App is simple to use, and all the reviews are separated into categories for ease.
This allows the driver carrying out the check to submit the results in real-time from the App instantly. Drivers can also add detailed notes and take pictures regarding faults/defects and their actions to correct them. Once the check is finished, the report is sent and viewable on the Checkedsafe CMS (Compliance Management System).
All failed vehicle compliance checks will automatically generate a report directly sent to your line manager or administrator for inspection and guidance. The CMS suite will automatically store the recorded data, which can be downloaded in PDF or excel format for further analysis and KPI.
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