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Tilbury Docks ship death stowaways claim asylum in UK | |
(about 1 hour later) | |
A group of people from Afghanistan rescued from a shipping container in Essex are claiming asylum in the UK, the Home Office has said. | |
Thirty-five people, including 15 children, were found at Tilbury Docks on Saturday. One man was found dead. | |
The remaining four migrants who were being treated in hospital for the effects of severe dehydration and hypothermia were released earlier. | |
A Home Office spokesman said their cases were currently being considered. | |
Essex Police have named the dead man as Meet Singh Kapoor, who was 40 years old. | |
Initial post-mortem tests have proved inconclusive, officials said. Police are carrying out a homicide investigation into his death. | |
'Horrendous ordeal' | |
The group arrived in the UK on Saturday on a ship from Belgium and were said by police to be victims of "people trafficking". | |
They were discovered after dock workers heard banging and screaming coming from one of the containers. | They were discovered after dock workers heard banging and screaming coming from one of the containers. |
The 34 survivors include 10 men, nine women and 15 children, with their ages ranging from one to 72. | |
They are all in the care of the Home Office after being questioned by police. | |
A spokesman said: "Following the conclusion of police interviews, the individuals involved have now been passed into our care. | |
"All 34 are now in the process of claiming asylum in the UK and we are providing accommodation and support to those who require it while their cases are considered. | |
"The UK takes its international obligations extremely seriously and has a proud history of offering protection to those who need it." | |
Supt Trevor Roe, of Essex Police, said: "These people were found in an awful situation and our main priority is to look after them and ensure they are now safe following what would have been a horrendous ordeal." | |
Belgian police said they believed the immigrants were already in the container when it left Zeebrugge for Tilbury on Friday evening. |