You will no doubt be aware that there are a huge number of people who are being smuggled into the UK from across the English Channel whether that is by boat or motor vehicle. There is often great risk to the people being smuggled with the smugglers really only interested in one thing and that is making as much money as possible. It is quite possible that many of these smugglers are not particularly concerned with the well being of the people they are transporting.

You sometimes hear of lorries being used to smuggle people into the UK from the likes of France but there has recently been a case come to court involving a number of people being smuggled in a motorhome.

On the 6th September 2024, a 29-year-old man was sentenced at Canterbury Crown Court to 3 years in prison. He had been found guilty of assisting unlawful immigration. The person found guilty had links to a gang involved in criminal smuggling.

Apparently, the motor home was searched on the 24th January 2019 in Coquelles, France and 5 Afghan people were found in storage benches with one of those people being a 5-year-old child. The conditions these people found themselves in were described as being claustrophobic and cramped. They were in the motorhome for many hours.

We are sure that you will agree to use a motorhome or indeed any other type of motor vehicle or boat to attempt to smuggle people into the UK is disgraceful and those found guilty should receive the appropriate sentence by the courts. Hopefully this will act as a deterrent to people considering doing such a thing in the future.

Motorhomes are leisure vehicles that should be used for what they are intended which is to enjoy a short break or a longer holiday in them whether that is somewhere in the UK or perhaps abroad such as a trip across the English Channel to the likes of France, Belgium or Spain.