Seven people were found hiding inside a lorry in Waltham Cross, Hertfordshire, and were later detained by police. The driver, who is in his 30s, was arrested on suspicion of facilitating illegal entry, amid claims that traffickers are increasingly using lorries and other vehicles instead of small boats to bring people to the UK.

The incident comes as small-boat arrivals have reportedly fallen by 45 per cent compared with the same period last year, partly because of bad weather and increased beach patrols. Authorities detected 5,874 vehicle-borne stowaways at French ports in 2025, up from 4,794 in 2023, while more than 200,000 people have crossed the English Channel since 2018; the article also outlines government efforts to strengthen cooperation with France and reform asylum policy.