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April 13, 2000 9:00 AM, EDT

The British government is clamping down on the rising number of immigrants seeking asylum in the United Kingdom, and English truckers feel like they have gotten caught in the squeeze.

Since April 1, truckers have been required to check their vehicles for stowaways before entering Great Britain. If immigration officers find illegal entrants in a truck, the driver must prove he took proper precautions or face a fine of more than $3,100 for each stowaway and possible impoundment of his vehicle.

In the first three days the fines were in place, 16 illegal immigrants were found hiding in trucks — leading to more than $50,000 in fines being filed against four drivers. One of the truckers was caught with six stowaways and had to pay almost $19,000.

“Our operators are being hammered because they are an easy target,” said Kate Gibbs, a spokesman for the Road Haulage Association. “This is not even a transport issue. It’s simply about immigration.”

For the full story, see the Apr. 10 print edition of Transport Topics. .