• Privacy policy
  • T&C’s
  • About Us
    • FAQ
    • Meet the Team
  • Contact us
TLE ONLINE SHOP!
  • TLE
  • News
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Sport
  • Opinion
  • Elevenses
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • Film
    • Lifestyle
      • Horoscopes
    • Lottery Results
      • Lotto
      • Thunderball
      • Set For Life
      • EuroMillions
  • Food
    • All Food
    • Recipes
  • Property
  • Travel
  • Tech/Auto
No Result
View All Result
The London Economic
SUPPORT THE LONDON ECONOMIC
NEWSLETTER
  • TLE
  • News
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Sport
  • Opinion
  • Elevenses
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • Film
    • Lifestyle
      • Horoscopes
    • Lottery Results
      • Lotto
      • Thunderball
      • Set For Life
      • EuroMillions
  • Food
    • All Food
    • Recipes
  • Property
  • Travel
  • Tech/Auto
No Result
View All Result
The London Economic
No Result
View All Result
Home Politics

Britain begs undocumented migrants to become lorry drivers

Critics said the scramble for HGV drivers was the latest example of the government's "staggering incompetence".

Andra Maciuca by Andra Maciuca
2021-10-07 11:12
in Politics
EU lorry

Photo: PA

FacebookTwitterLinkedinEmailWhatsapp

Undocumented migrants with HGV licenses have been sent official government letters begging them to help ease the fuel crisis – despite having no official right to work in Britain.

People who overstayed their visas have now been told their “valuable skills and experience have never been more needed than they are now” – and asked to “consider returning” to drive lorries, The Independent reported.

The letters, sent by the Department for Transport, were part of a mass mailout to ambulance drivers and paramedics to bail Britain out of its ballooning fuel crisis.

Officials said the letters had been sent by accident – prompting critics to accuse ministers of “staggering incompetence”.

It comes after the Road Haulage Association asked the government to allow more European drivers into the UK after thousands left the country because of Brexit and the Covid pandemic.

‘Slave labour’

The newspaper spoke to one Indian man who has been living in the UK since 2008 but became undocumented in 2017 because he could not afford the costs of extending his visa. 

He has been repeatedly refused a visa by the Home Office and told to return to India to reapply, despite him fearing harm from his wife’s family due to an inter-caste marriage. 

RelatedPosts

Man spotted selling eggs outside Margaret Thatcher statue

Jamie Oliver threatens Johnson with ‘Eton Mess’ protest over anti-obesity U-turn

Gove was ‘advised’ to do funny accents during TV interviews

What was Theresa May’s Irish Backstop deal?

The man said he received the letter despite the fact that the government “knows” his status, and that he could be contributing to the UK tax system if he was offered a visa. 

Another Indian man who also could not afford to extend his visa in 2017 said he knew “loads” of undocumented migrants who received the same letter. 

He said people like him are “working like slaves” because they are being denied the ability to work legally in the UK – but that he is also receiving £130 a shift from his cash-in-hand HGV driving which he could be paying tax on if allowed to work legally.

Fewer than half of the 300 visas offered to European HGV drivers by the government have been taken up under a new emergency scheme announced last month to address the labour shortage emergency.

‘Staggering incompetence’

Shadow immigration minister Bambos Charalambous said: “This again illustrates the complete chaos the Government have got themselves into on this issue of HGV drivers. Despite being warned on several occasions that there would going to be a shortage, now we have a fuel crisis all because the government failed to plan.”

Last month, winery production manager Peter Brissenden told The London Economic that he had also been invited to drive an HGV by the government – and accused ministers of “a complete scattergun approach”.

He said: “I’ve never actually driven an HGV commercially, and in fact I’ve not done all the qualifications to drive an HGV professionally, all I’ve done is just take the test that allows me to drive a motorhome.”

A Department for Transport spokesperson has previously said the letter was sent to around one million HGV driving licence holders, and that it would have been “impossible” to only send it to professional drivers because of data protection rules. 

Another spokesperson now told The Independent that many of those who received letters chose to return to the industry. 

Related: Government asks winery manager with a motorhome to become HGV driver

Tags: Brexitlorry drivers

Since you are here

Since you are here, we wanted to ask for your help.

Journalism in Britain is under threat. The government is becoming increasingly authoritarian and our media is run by a handful of billionaires, most of whom reside overseas and all of them have strong political allegiances and financial motivations.

Our mission is to hold the powerful to account. It is vital that free media is allowed to exist to expose hypocrisy, corruption, wrongdoing and abuse of power. But we can't do it without you.

If you can afford to contribute a small donation to the site it will help us to continue our work in the best interests of the public. We only ask you to donate what you can afford, with an option to cancel your subscription at any point.

To donate or subscribe to The London Economic, click here.

The TLE shop is also now open, with all profits going to supporting our work.

The shop can be found here.

You can also SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER .

Subscribe to our Newsletter

View our  Privacy Policy and Terms & Conditions

Trending on TLE

  • All
  • trending
Abdollah

‘Rescue us’: Afghan teacher begs UK to help him escape Taliban

CHOMSKY: “If Corbyn had been elected, Britain would be pursuing a much more sane course”

What If We Got Rid Of Prisons?

More from TLE

10 New Bands To See At Reading & Leeds

Ireland to receive €920 million Brexit payout from Brussels

Brexit bites as Brits are barred from entering the EU from January

The Nation’s Favourite Walks Revealed

Images from Palu, Indonesia show the destruction caused by earthquake & tsunami

David Lammy’s 2019 speech on Brexit rings more true every day

Ten arrests in Bristol as ‘Kill the Bill’ protestors clash with police

Domestic abuse survivors at risk attending parliamentary committee

A Dog’s Purpose: Competition

‘Some way behind’ – Bar profession diversity needs to improve sooner rather than later

About Us

TheLondonEconomic.com – Open, accessible and accountable news, sport, culture and lifestyle.

Read more

© 2019 thelondoneconomic.com - TLE, International House, 24 Holborn Viaduct, London EC1A 2BN. All Rights Reserved.




No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Sport
  • Entertainment
  • Lifestyle
  • Food
  • Travel
  • More…
    • Elevenses
    • Opinion
    • Property
    • Tech & Auto
  • About Us
    • Meet the Team
    • Privacy policy
  • Contact us

© 2019 thelondoneconomic.com - TLE, International House, 24 Holborn Viaduct, London EC1A 2BN. All Rights Reserved.