Calais Crisis: BBC Releases Short Film with HGV Driver Travelling Back to UK

BBC With the migrant crisis in Calais – part of a wider problem facing Europe as a whole – now costing the road haulage industry in excess of £750,000 per day, the BBC today released a video featuring a driver, David James, as he travelled back to the UK from France through the port.

The two-minute video offers just a small glimpse of what freight drivers are facing each time they pass through Calais, with James commenting that it is only a matter of a time before a driver is killed or seriously injured.

James discusses his concerns about safety and security, both in terms of migrants boarding the vehicle and the theft of diesel. He then discusses how those looking to get to the UK have no fear of the police, who simply release them to try again later.

In the video, James is caught up in severe delays as migrants are spotted inside the port terminal area, travelling just half a kilometre in two and a half hours.

The migrant, or refugee, crisis is a huge issue facing Europe, as thousands of people look to escape desperate situations in countries such as Syria and Iraq. The issue must of course be tackled, but from a haulage industry perspective, protection must be given to drivers who not only provide a vital trade link between the UK and the Continent, but are simply trying to do their jobs and return home safety to their families.

VISIT BBC: Migrant crisis: How is haulage industry affected?