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| 68 people found crammed in lorries in Essex port | |
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| Fifteen children were among 68 people found crammed into lorries at Harwich international port in Essex. | |
| Seven people – including two pregnant women – were taken to Colchester general hospital after the suspected illegal immigrants were discovered on Thursday night. East of England ambulance service (EEAST) said it assessed all 68 people at the scene. The stowaways – 35 Afghan nationals, 22 Chinese nationals, 10 people from Vietnam and one Russian – were found after a search by Border Force officials. | Seven people – including two pregnant women – were taken to Colchester general hospital after the suspected illegal immigrants were discovered on Thursday night. East of England ambulance service (EEAST) said it assessed all 68 people at the scene. The stowaways – 35 Afghan nationals, 22 Chinese nationals, 10 people from Vietnam and one Russian – were found after a search by Border Force officials. |
| An EEAST ambulance service spokesman said: “The patients who were taken to hospital were suffering from abdominal and chest pains and were feeling faint. None are in a life-threatening or serious condition. The remaining 61 were released to the UK Border Force officials.” | An EEAST ambulance service spokesman said: “The patients who were taken to hospital were suffering from abdominal and chest pains and were feeling faint. None are in a life-threatening or serious condition. The remaining 61 were released to the UK Border Force officials.” |
| The Home Office said four Polish lorry drivers had been arrested on suspicion of immigration offences in relation to the incident. A spokesman said: “We can confirm Border Force officers discovered 53 adults and 15 children during a proactive search of four lorries that had arrived at Harwich port from Holland on Thursday evening. | |
| “Seven of those discovered were taken to hospital as a precaution, before being released. All 68 individuals are now in the care of Border Force. Four Polish nationals, who were driving the vehicles, have been arrested on suspicion of facilitating illegal immigration. They have been taken to separate police stations and will now be questioned by the Home Office’s criminal investigations team while inquiries continue.” | “Seven of those discovered were taken to hospital as a precaution, before being released. All 68 individuals are now in the care of Border Force. Four Polish nationals, who were driving the vehicles, have been arrested on suspicion of facilitating illegal immigration. They have been taken to separate police stations and will now be questioned by the Home Office’s criminal investigations team while inquiries continue.” |
| A spokesman for the port said the stowaways were discovered on vehicles that had arrived on the Stena Hollandica, a combined freight and passenger ship, which carries up to 1,200 passengers and 230 cars. The 240-metre vessel has a cinema and casino on board. | |
| A spokeswoman for Stena Line said: “We can confirm that four different lorries carrying 68 clandestines were stopped by Border Force at Harwich international port last night as they disembarked from the Stena Hollandica.” | |
| She said the ship left the Hook of Holland at 2.15pm and arrived in Harwich at 7.45pm on Thursday. | |
| Essex police said they were contacted by EEAST at 10.15pm on Thursday but that Border Force was taking the lead as the incident related to immigration offences. | Essex police said they were contacted by EEAST at 10.15pm on Thursday but that Border Force was taking the lead as the incident related to immigration offences. |
| Harwich is a busy freight and passenger port. In February last year, two immigrants, Albanians Artur Doda, 24, and Leonard Isufaj, 27, died after leaping off a passenger ferry into the North Sea to try to swim 500 metres back to shore after being deported from Harwich. They were being sent back to the Hook of Holland after arriving with 13 other stowaways hidden in a lorry on a freight ferry at Harwich five hours previously. | |
| In August last year, 35 immigrants were discovered in a container at Tilbury Docks, also in Essex. One of them, 40-year-old Meet Singh Kapoor, from Afghanistan, was found dead. Later the same month, one person was taken to hospital after 13 people were found in the back of a lorry at the Dartford Crossing in Kent. | In August last year, 35 immigrants were discovered in a container at Tilbury Docks, also in Essex. One of them, 40-year-old Meet Singh Kapoor, from Afghanistan, was found dead. Later the same month, one person was taken to hospital after 13 people were found in the back of a lorry at the Dartford Crossing in Kent. |
| Last month, David Cameron announced plans to make “Britain a less attractive place to come and work illegally”, as figures showed that net migration to Britain surged to 318,000 in 2014. | Last month, David Cameron announced plans to make “Britain a less attractive place to come and work illegally”, as figures showed that net migration to Britain surged to 318,000 in 2014. |