# UK Border Agency



## Zozzer (Aug 13, 2006)

At the Calais end of the tunnel we got stopped by the UK Border agency, I made the comment "No Clandestines on here" as the young lady climbed in the van.

"You'd be supprised" she said " We caught eleven in a large motorhome last week".


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## Stanner (Aug 17, 2006)

Zozzer said:


> At the Calais end of the tunnel we got stopped by the UK Border agency, I made the comment "No Clandestines on here" as the young lady climbed in the van.
> 
> "You'd be supprised" she said " We caught eleven in a large motorhome last week".


Ahh, but did they all have seatbelts?


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## BrianJP (Sep 17, 2010)

Sounds like Bxxxxxxxs to me she was probably one of those that had just spent a comfortable night with their colleagues in the nearby Suitehotel . I have seen them so many times when travelling by car. The whole thing is just a jolly to them and we are paying for it.


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## Penquin (Oct 15, 2007)

The danger is that if they DO find one then they behave in a draconian manner and can confiscate the vehicle for months if not permanently - they have done the same with lorries I believe....

http://news.sky.com/story/1025572/stowaways-stopped-by-calais-border-officials

There are pages of similar reports of the same sort of discovery, unless you can PROVE that you have secured the vehicle there could be problems - an extract from one of the reports;

_The stowaways were all handed over to the French border police and the driver of the vehicle and the haulage company now face a potential fine if they are unable to prove they took steps to secure the vehicle._

http://metro.co.uk/2010/05/18/25-stowaways-crammed-into-lorry-316015/

So do ensure that you lock as many places as possible, but what happens if one climbs on top I have no idea......

Dave


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## Zozzer (Aug 13, 2006)

The amount of space we have in our Symbol isn't enough to swing proverbial clandestine cat, but it didn't stop the young lady climbing aboard to inspect our toilet.

I suspect with such a large find more and more larger type motorhomes will be searched. The van in front of us was stopped and the dog on board was held whilst they waited for a machine to be brought over to check it.


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## Annsman (Nov 8, 2007)

My experiences with the BA at Calais have been mixed. On one occassion I was questioned at length about where I'd been and for how long because I couldn't give the exact date we'd left the UK. We'd been away for four months and without checking I could only say "Sometime around the last few days in September" I was accused of being obstructive! I explained I only knew the date then because that was on the battery clock in the van we use to tell us when to head back for the ferry! I said most vanners who were out of the country for long would be the same. I was detained at the kiosk for 25 minutes while this pantomime was acted out. In the end she told me the dates I'd been outside the UK for the last three years and which ports I'd used because it was on the screen in front of her! After all that no one actually checked in the van!

Another time a guy asked to see in the van. I asked him if he wanted to check our external lockers too but he said no it was just that he had always wanted to see inside a motorhome! 

On another day one asked if we had any knives. When I showed her the drawer full of cutlery and carving knives she said she didn't mean those only "proper" ones!


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## steco1958 (Mar 5, 2009)

BrianJP said:


> Sounds like Bxxxxxxxs to me she was probably one of those that had just spent a comfortable night with their colleagues in the nearby Suitehotel . I have seen them so many times when travelling by car. The whole thing is just a jolly to them and we are paying for it.


So you would prefer for them not to be in France, but in UK, and when the illegals are caught in UK we have to deal with them as they are in UK already so costing you more money.


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## Spacerunner (Mar 18, 2006)

Zozzer said:


> At the Calais end of the tunnel we got stopped by the UK Border agency, I made the comment "No Clandestines on here" as the young lady climbed in the van.
> 
> "You'd be supprised" she said " We caught eleven in a large motorhome last week".


Maybe it was the British Lions trying to save on transport costs.


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## salomon (Apr 20, 2011)

We have only been to UK once in the van. We were woken by French agents at 4 am wanting to search us. They were very nice about it and said they just wanted to look round the van cos it was a nice one !
They were also convinced we had **** and booze on board due to our Andorran plates


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## Stanner (Aug 17, 2006)

Penquin said:


> , but what happens if one climbs on top I have no idea......


That's why I always book on the restricted headroom bit of the tunnel or ferry - they don't stay up there long................ :lol:


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## greygit (Apr 15, 2007)

We have been "searched" a couple of times, they didn't check in the Garage, toilet, or shower on both occasions, so why bother? 8O


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## KeithChesterfield (Mar 12, 2010)

I reckon if I don't put the wine bottles/cartons in the garage I could get at least 6 illegals in there at a few grand each which works out at .............!


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## Remus (Feb 10, 2011)

Annsman said:


> On another day one asked if we had any knives. When I showed her the drawer full of cutlery and carving knives she said she didn't mean those only "proper" ones!


Sounds like the same girl who asked us if we had knives. On being shown the cutlery/carving knives she told us not to advertise the fact on board as someone might take them and use them to hijack the ferry.

Yes, I can see it now, how worried the ferry crew (with all manner of heavy, blunt objects ready to hand) would be by someone waving a Homebase carving knife at them and shouting "Take this boat to Dover!"


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## Glandwr (Jun 12, 2006)

It is an expensive farce. It doesn’t work, even the Home Sec. agrees. What other EU countries have one? ANYONE could happily walk into the UK via NI.

Yet we spend millions on it as well as fret a lot 

Dick


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## Stanner (Aug 17, 2006)

Remus said:


> Annsman said:
> 
> 
> > On another day one asked if we had any knives. When I showed her the drawer full of cutlery and carving knives she said she didn't mean those only "proper" ones!
> ...


Last time I went on a ferry there was a huge tray of knives and very pointy forks just outside every food outlet.


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## raynipper (Aug 4, 2008)

The US spends Billions of Dollars on Homeland Security, building walls along the Mex border, breeding rotweiler immigration agents and they still have between 12 and 20 million illegals.
They really don't know how many are in.

Ray.


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## Remus (Feb 10, 2011)

I wouldn't wish extra security delays on anyone but, given the cursory checks that I have experienced when travelling to/from France with caravan or motorhome, honestly, on most (all?) occasions I could have smuggled weapons, diamonds or drugs with ease.

If security are going to do the job they should do it right or not bother.

Last time I crossed the channel (two years ago) the only check that was made was that our passports were in order - nobody even looked inside he m/h. 

I'm sure that the bad guys know about this laxness and take advantage.


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## VanFlair (Nov 21, 2009)

Just back from Zeebrugge and we were checked inside and out but not underfloor spaces so if anybody really wanted to hide they would have been OK.

Martin


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## pippin (Nov 15, 2007)

So, Martin, how many did you bring in?

The going rate is about £1,000 each so you could have made a tidy profit!


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## trevd01 (Oct 26, 2007)

We always get searched going out through Hull. It was more of a joke when we had a tiny Bongo, but with the Bongo and now the Murvi the searcher often ends up saying to one of their colleagues "come and see this lovely camper van!".

I just love the knives question, we used to get the same question when we were tent campers, too.

I just accept it as part of the travel experience.

Same as the flying experience for me with a metal hip that sets off the alarm every time. 

Patience and politeness eventually see you through smoothly.


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## chiefwigwam (Jan 23, 2013)

steco1958 said:


> BrianJP said:
> 
> 
> > Sounds like Bxxxxxxxs to me she was probably one of those that had just spent a comfortable night with their colleagues in the nearby Suitehotel . I have seen them so many times when travelling by car. The whole thing is just a jolly to them and we are paying for it.
> ...


SURE THEY ALREADY ARE FFS


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## andyandsue (Sep 7, 2008)

*its true*

A week b4 we arrived back in the UK a couple of numties had bought an old luton MH and packed it to the rafters with eager future citizens. and got caught.

and guess what ....we got stopped for the once over because we were not old and didn't look "british".....nice lady came onboard and looked in the shower...most impressed by our standards of hygiene and left


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