N-VA wants to make climbing into HGVs a criminal offence

The N-VA is submitting a new legislative proposal to make climbing into HGVs by transmigrants a punishable offence. With a view to possible customs difficulties resulting from Brexit, it wants to allow the judicial system and the police to be able to intervene vigorously. “As a Parliament, it is our task to take every possible step to prevent chaos in our seaports in the event of a no-deal Brexit,” the N-VA says.

Economic damage due to illegal migration

It is still the case that too many illegal transmigrants want to make the crossing to Great Britain illegally. In West Flanders alone, the police come across an average of approximately 90 illegal transmigrants every week. The cost of that for the West Flemish economy is enormous. For example, 35% of companies in Zeebrugge speak of an impact between 100,000 and over three million euros.

Better security for parking areas and ports

With a no-deal Brexit possibly on the horizon, the N-VA is warning that more must be done to secure Flemish ports and motorway parking areas against transmigrants: “We are still in the dark regarding the consequences of a possible no-deal Brexit. That means that HGVs in the port of Zeebrugge and elsewhere will be stationary for longer due to customs checks, giving transmigrants much more time to hide in HGVs and so try to get across the Channel.”

Deterrent in the fight against human trafficking

It was the N-VA group that took the initiative in the previous legislature to make intrusion into a port area a criminal offence. Our party now wants to strengthen the deterrent effect further and give the judiciary and the police more possibilities and power in the fight against illegal transmigration by making climbing into HGVs outside a port area a criminal offence. “Our services must also be able to intervene on motorway parking areas and outside ports. By linking this to a one-year sentence, provisional detention and effective criminal prosecution become a possibility. That will be an important deterrent element in the fight against human trafficking,” the N-VA explains.

“As a Parliament it is our task to take every possible step to prevent chaos in our seaports in the event of a no-deal Brexit. This is why it is better to act proactively now instead of waiting until this problem once again gets out of control,” the N-VA concludes.