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| Sixty-eight immigrants found in Harwich International port lorries | Sixty-eight immigrants found in Harwich International port lorries |
| (about 7 hours later) | |
| Sixty-eight suspected illegal immigrants, including two pregnant women and 15 children, have been found inside four lorries at a port in Essex. | Sixty-eight suspected illegal immigrants, including two pregnant women and 15 children, have been found inside four lorries at a port in Essex. |
| They were found during routine Border Force checks at Harwich International Port at about 22:00 BST on Thursday. | They were found during routine Border Force checks at Harwich International Port at about 22:00 BST on Thursday. |
| Thirty-five people from Afghanistan, 22 from China, 10 from Vietnam and one Russian were discovered. | Thirty-five people from Afghanistan, 22 from China, 10 from Vietnam and one Russian were discovered. |
| Four Polish lorry drivers have been arrested on suspicion of facilitating illegal immigration. | Four Polish lorry drivers have been arrested on suspicion of facilitating illegal immigration. |
| They are now being questioned, the Home Office confirmed. | They are now being questioned, the Home Office confirmed. |
| A Home Office spokesman said the stowaways were found inside four separate lorries rather than in one container as initially reported. | A Home Office spokesman said the stowaways were found inside four separate lorries rather than in one container as initially reported. |
| The pregnant women were among seven people taken to Colchester Hospital as a precaution after they reported abdominal and chest pains. | The pregnant women were among seven people taken to Colchester Hospital as a precaution after they reported abdominal and chest pains. |
| Their conditions are described as non life-threatening. | Their conditions are described as non life-threatening. |
| Bernard Jenkin, MP for Harwich and North Essex, said the people were discovered in trucks "full of Polish washing machines", adding the 68 individuals would probably be told to "go home". | |
| He said 94% of trucks go through unchecked and it was therefore possible more migrants got through this way than was known. | |
| A spokeswoman for Stena Line, the operator of the Stena Hollandica ferry that transported the lorries, said the service left the Hook of Holland at 14:15 BST on Thursday. | |
| It is not yet clear where the lorries had been before sailing to Harwich. | It is not yet clear where the lorries had been before sailing to Harwich. |
| The ship arrived at the Essex port at 19:45 BST. | The ship arrived at the Essex port at 19:45 BST. |
| A Home Office spokesman said the stowaways were found "during a proactive search" of four lorries by Border Force officers. | A Home Office spokesman said the stowaways were found "during a proactive search" of four lorries by Border Force officers. |
| Stena Line confirmed all 68 immigrants were in the care of Border Force at Harwich Port. It is believed those not seeking asylum will be sent home. | Stena Line confirmed all 68 immigrants were in the care of Border Force at Harwich Port. It is believed those not seeking asylum will be sent home. |
| Last August, one man died when 35 Afghan Sikh migrants were found in a container at Tilbury Docks. | Last August, one man died when 35 Afghan Sikh migrants were found in a container at Tilbury Docks. |
| 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. |
| Matthew Broad, from the East of England Ambulance Service, said there appeared to be a "similar pattern" to Thursday's incident. | Matthew Broad, from the East of England Ambulance Service, said there appeared to be a "similar pattern" to Thursday's incident. |
| "We have experience of dealing with this in Essex, and one of the things we were concerned about was the length of time they'd been in there." | "We have experience of dealing with this in Essex, and one of the things we were concerned about was the length of time they'd been in there." |
| Analysis | |
| Andrew Wallis, chief executive of the charity Unseen, says: "What we need to establish right from the start is whether this is a case of people smuggling or people trafficking. | |
| "People trafficking is a crime against the individual, people smuggling is a crime against the state. | |
| "At this point we don't know which it is. What we do know is that both people trafficking and people smuggling are going up." | |
| If those on the trucks have been trafficked they will enter the National Referral Mechanism which will offer them housing, care and support as victims of crime. | |
| If they have been smuggled, they will be assessed as to whether they have any grounds to be in the UK and, if not, they will be deported. | |
| Source: Unseen | |
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