This is the moment a British lorry driver realised a stowaway migrant had hitched a ride – but quickly begged to get off when he was told they were going to Belgium.
Sam Sullivan, 26, was at the Calais truck stop picking up his export paperwork so he could leave the dock just before 5pm on Friday when he saw the young man get on the back of his lorry.
The former Household Cavalry trooper – who was transporting chicken feed – told the Daily Mail ‘it is almost guaranteed’ that a migrant will hop on your lorry at the Calais truck stop, adding: ‘You seen them the second you get off the boat.’
He said: ‘I left the secure part where it’s all gated and migrants can’t get in, but the second you leave that compound you’ve got a group of probably about 30 of them at the door waiting.
‘As I was leaving with my paperwork, I picked up a bit of speed so they didn’t do anything stupid.
‘He left the group and ran after me and as I am approaching the roundabout to get out of the truck stop I’ve slowed down to about 20mph and he jumped on at that speed.’
Mr Sullivan, from Ramsgate, Kent, who has been driving lorries internationally for 9 weeks, said he knew the stowaway’s goal was to get to England, so he turned left for Belgium instead.
He only drove around 300 metres down the motorway before the migrant, who he believes was around 16 years old, realised he was headed for Belgium and began tapping the side of his lorry and asking him to slow down and stop.
Footage shows the man peeking his head out and waving to get the driver’s attention so he would pull over and let him off.
Mr Sullivan said: ‘There was no violence involved, he jumped off straight away and had a very nervous and apologetic demeanour. He was very thankful to me for stopping off at the hard shoulder.
‘I’ve got a duty to not bring him over, illegal immigrants are illegal after all. I wouldn’t ever entertain bringing one over, I could get a fine.
‘In the moment I felt bad, he was on both knees with his hands in the air.’
However, the lorry driver said the migrants who wait in groups to jump on the back are not usually so polite.
‘They are rude, you beep at them when they are trying to get on and they put their middle finger up at you.
‘They’re all men, I never see any women or children. Just mainly African men and Albanian men.’
