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A Stena Line ferry (Picture: Wikimedia Commons/Pplecke)
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A Stena Line ferry (Picture: Wikimedia Commons/Pplecke)
Friday, 5 June 2015 - 13:11
Nearly 70 migrants smuggled in trucks on ferry from Netherlands
68 stowaways, including 15 children and two pregnant women, were found hiding inside four trucks at the Harwich International Port in Great Britain on Thursday night. The trucks were transported to England from Hoek van Holland on a Stena Line ferry.
According to the BBC, the stowaways included 35 people from Afghanistan, 22 from China, 10 from Vietnam and one Russian. It is unclear how long they were hiding in the trucks. The two pregnant women and 5 others had to be taken to the hospital with complaints of abdominal and chest pains. Their conditions are not life-threatening. The other stowaways were handed over to the British immigration service.
Four Polish truck drivers have been arrested. They are suspected of facilitating illegal immigration. The truck drivers are currently in custody for questioning.
Refugees trying to cross to Britain in containers and trucks is a relatively common occurrence. Some of them do not survive the trip.