Twelve arrested on suspicion of immigration offences after police swoop on lorry off Edinburgh Way
Crime / Sat 20th Dec 2025 at 12:41pm
Update: Sunday: Those found inside the lorry and arrested have/will be transferred to the UK Border Force while the lorry driver has been released under investigation.
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THE emergency services swooped on a lorry in Harlow on Friday night.
A large number of police, ambulance and fire personnel surrounded a lorry which was parked at the back of The Range area off Edinburgh Way (opposite Tescos).
An Essex Police spokesperson said: “We were called shortly before 10.15pm on Friday 19 December to reports of people in the back of a lorry in Edinburgh Way, Harlow.
Officers attended and found 11 men and one teenage boy in a lorry.
“The men, and the driver of the lorry, were all arrested and our enquiries are ongoing.
“They’ve all been arrested on suspicion of immigration offences”.
An east of England ambulance service spokesperson said: “We were called to East Road, Harlow on Friday at 11.08pm and crews assisted police and ambulance in removing a number of people from a lorry”.
Vrus
2025-12-20 13:00:38
Before we had people with degrees looking after our immigration and people with years of experience looking after Revenue & Customs. Then the Tories came along and got rid of the people with degrees and replaced them with agency workers and dressed everyone up in uniforms - ‘cos that’s what makes Tory voters look safe - Well look at the mess we have now - I bet we have more people arriving it the back of trucks than we have arriving in dinghies.
Stuart J
2025-12-20 13:04:34
As a matter of interest, do those who arrive by dinghy get arrested as soon as they step ashore. If not, what’s the difference?
jarrett
2025-12-20 13:09:04
More Doctor's and engineers.
Fed up pensioner mark 2
2025-12-20 17:03:44
Let's give them a full medical once over dentistry check bung them in a 4 star hotel and Bob's your uncle
Ted
2025-12-20 17:33:49
No Jarrett . More like more benifits
David Forman
2025-12-20 22:02:24
Probably bound for work in car washes, agriculture and various other businesses. This is people trafficking and those in the lorry would end up as modern day slaves. Unfortunately, our government has even proposed backsliding on protections for modern day slaves introduced by Teresa May. In the House of Commons on March 27 LibDem MP Paul Kohler said: "In 2024, over 19,000 potential victims of modern slavery were referred to the Home Office through the national referral mechanism—a 30% increase on the previous year. Horrifyingly, 31% of all referrals last year were children." See statement at https://hansard.parliament.uk/commons/2025-03-27/debates/EE89552F-727A-4BC4-898C-4149A49D818E/ModernSlaveryAct201510ThAnniversary#contribution-46DA09FC-0703-4A3F-A168-298A10329716
David Forman
2025-12-20 22:45:41
For those doubtful of my previous comment one should listen to the National Crime Agency: "The most common clandestine ways for migrants to enter the UK are in lorries or other commercial vehicles transported by rail or ferry, in commercial shipping containers, or in small boats. Organised gangs frequently smuggle people in hard-sided lorries, more opportunist smuggling tends to be in soft-sided lorries. Most methods of transport subject migrants to significant personal risk." See NCA statement at https://www.nationalcrimeagency.gov.uk/what-we-do/crime-threats/organised-immigration-crime
Brian
2025-12-21 08:44:12
Stuart j what a good point indeed what is the differance?
David Forman
2025-12-21 13:15:42
For the benefit of Brian and Stuart J, irregular migrants arriving by small boat are arrested. Read paragraphs 4.19 and 4.20 on page 19 that starts explaining the Operation ALTAIR Standard Operating Procedure’, version 2.1 revised in December 2021, in the link below. The arrest is now made in the portakabins in the Western Jet Foil area of Dover Docks. The Tug Haven facility closed just after the inspection. YourHarlow's readers' may like the photographs of facilities starting on page 62. See link https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/62d7d12bd3bf7f2861b893f4/E02726679_ICIBI_Tug_Haven_and_Western_Jet_Foil_Web_Accessible.pdf
David Forman
2025-12-21 13:35:37
Short answer for Brian and Stuart J is yes, arrest of small boat people is made by an Immigration Officer trained to Level 3 Personal Safety. The arrest is based on a breach of section 40 of the Borders and Immigration Act 2022 and takes place at the Western Jet Foil facility in Dover Docks. Migrants picked up at sea by Border Force vessels are disembarked at Dover Docks.
oi
2025-12-21 20:05:26
mr D m you have got to much time on your hands
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