The Dutch transport sector is feeling the impact of the rise in stowaways trying to get to Britain hidden in or under lorries, the Volkskrant reports on Monday, without quoting figures.

The paper says the transport and logistics sector organisation TLN says the wave of stowaways is moving north via Zeebrugge in Belgium to Hoek van Holland near Rotterdam.

Hundreds of economic migrants are camped out in the French port of Calais, hoping to get to Britain.

‘This human problem… is slowly moving towards the north,’ a spokesman is quoted as saying. The TLN has written to junior justice minister Fred Teeven calling for urgent talks. They want him to raise the issue at an international level.

Drivers and companies face fines of over €2,500 per stowaway, and there is an increasing risk of accidents, TLN points out.

Transport firms say they do all they can to prevent stowaways hiding in their vehicles and no longer stop within 150 kilometres of Calais.

TLN says it cannot say how many stowaways have reached England via Dutch sea ports but that it has had many phone calls from worried employers.