Around 40 migrants and refugees were estimated to be entering Dover every day last summer.

This comes as one Romanian and one Dutch haulage firm is set to challenge the Home Office in court over fines imposed on drivers who unwittingly carry migrants across the Channel in their vehicles.

According to national newspaper, the Guardian, HGV drivers caught with illegal stowaways were fined up to £2,000 for each person discovered.

And the number of fines issued has more than tripled over three years.

Marius Cuzmin, the manager of a Romanian haulage firm that challenged the fines in the court of appeal on Wednesday, was fined in 2013 after three people climbed into one of his trucks by leaping on to the roof from a tree or motorway bridge and cutting a hole in the soft tarpaulin cover.

His solicitor Rupinder Matharu told the newspaper they were making the argument that sometimes it is unavoidable.

He said: “He followed the guidance as closely as he could, but the Home Office found he did not have a padlock on the rope secured round the lorry. But that would have made no difference, because people got inside by cutting the tarpaulin. We hope the court of appeal will find there should be a more common-sense approach.”

There will also be a similar case on Thursday by Dutch company Bolle, which is appealing against a £7,200 fine after a driver picked up a sealed container from Frankfurt with six people hidden inside, who were only discovered when it was opened in Berkshire.