The number of stowaways on lorries to Britain may increase after Brexit, transport and logistics organisation TLN fears.

Expected longer waiting times at the border will give illegal immigrants more opportunities to board the lorries, TLN spokesman Martin Vonk told the Nederlands Dagblad.

‘There is a special Brexit consultation with the government and businesses in which we discuss solutions, such as more safe places to park around the ferry terminals,’ Vonk said.

The fact that there is still no hard and fast date for Brexit although October 31 is looming large, is complicating things for the transport organisation. ‘We first prepared for March and at the time several parking locations were available but now they might not be.’

Police found 1,371 stowaways on lorries leaving Dutch ports last year. ‘We have a feeling that the numbers are increasing. We don’t have exact figures but it’s something we worry about,’ Vonk said.

On Tuesday, 27 Vietnamese were found in a refrigerated lorry at Hook of Holland, including a number of children. An Irish lorry driver was arrested on suspicion of people trafficking.

A day earlier a Polish driver was arrested for trying to smuggle two Iraqis into Britain while at Eijsden in Limburg, 20 people, thought to be from Eritrea, were seen to jump off a lorry. Three of them could be detained, the paper said.