WEXFORD (Ireland), Nov 23 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Fourteen men found in the back of a truck on a Rosslare-bound ferry have claimed asylum in Ireland.
The men, believed to be Kurds, applied for International Protection (IP) status in the State after the were discovered in the trailer of the lorry while it was en route to the County Wexford port on the Stena ferry from Cherbourg, France.
A further two people found in the truck, who are children and deemed unaccompanied minors, are now in the care of Tusla, the Garda (Irish police) said in a statement.
The adults in the group will now be processed by the International Protection Office, which is part of the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS). It is thought that those who accept an offer of accommodation will be placed in the direct provision system, either in a dedicated centre or an emergency facility.
The 16 people found in the truck, who are all male, are thought to be of Kurdish ethnicity from the Middle East, however formal identification is ongoing, gardaí said.
A source at the French Police Aux Frontières (border police), known by the acronym PAF, said the 16 will remain in Ireland if they request asylum there. “If they ask for asylum, they are protected by European conventions,” he said
Policy manager for Northern Ireland with the UK Road Haulage Association John Martin, said that the discovery of the 16 on board the ferry highlighted the need for greater checks at ports.
Freight trade sources said they were also concerned about the growing use of refrigerated trucks by stowaway migrants. The truck and trailer, which are owned by a company in the southeast, were photographed and examined by gardaí last night. The freight company, and the driver, a man in his 50s, were said to be assisting with inquiries.
The incident reinforced the concern that the Republic and Northern Ireland could become a backdoor into the UK, Martin said. It was unfair that at present the onus is on operators and drivers to thwart illegal immigrants. Many had to purchase expensive high tech security measures.
Two Albanians who were caught on a vessel bound for the UK at the beginning of the week arrived back in Cherbourg on Wednesday.
The official at the Channel prefecture said most of the migrants caught on vessels bound for Ireland or the UK are Albanian, Afghan, Iraqi or Kurdish. — NNN-AGENCIES
