Updated / Tuesday, 9 Jan 2024 23:34
An investigation is under way after 14 people were found hidden in a refrigerated trailer at Rosslare Europort in Co Wexford.
The discovery was made at around 3am yesterday morning when the vehicle was stopped and searched after arriving on a ferry from France.
The 14 migrants include nine men, three women and two young girls.
It is understood the authorities were alerted after a distress call was made by one of the people travelling in the refrigerated trailer.
Gardaí and a number of ambulances were at Rosslare Europort when the ferry docked.
The group were assessed by medical personnel at the scene and all were said to be in good health.
The migrants, who are understood to be Kurdish and Vietnamese, were taken to a processing centre.
Gardaí say investigations into the incident are ongoing and no arrests have been made as part of the inquiry.
Asylum applications
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has said that those migrants found in Rosslare who apply for asylum will have their applications processed as quickly as possible.
“Our first response is always a humanitarian one, to check that they are alive and in good health,” Mr Varadkar said.
The “next step” for the Government is to “facilitate voluntary return” for migrants found in Rosslare, he added.
“If they choose to apply for asylum, they are legally entitled to do that, and we will try and process the application as quickly as possible.”
Mr Varadkar said that he is limited in what he can say as he has limited information at this stage.
Minister for Justice Helen McEntee has said it was fortuitous that those found in the trailer are in good health, given it was “an extremely hazardous undertaking”.
“We know from past experience that similar situations have led to tragic fatalities. This was an extremely hazardous undertaking and it is only fortuitous that the same did not happen yesterday,” she said.
She added: “An Garda Síochána are investigating the matter with assistance from international partners. I would appeal to anybody with any information that might assist with the ongoing investigation to contact An Garda Síochána.”
Speaking on RTÉ’s PRime time, local Independent Councillor Ger Carthy said that the UK Coastguard received a 999 call from an occupant of a refrigerated trailer on board a ship at around 1am yesterday morning, and that people in the trailer “had difficulty breathing.”
Mr Carthy, who is also Operations Resource Manager with the National Ambulance Service, praised the multi-agency response that met the ship.
“There was a large number of national ambulance service vehicles, An Garda Síochána and Immigration Officers supported by staff of Rosslare Europort to help and indeed support the people once they arrived and the ship docked here behind me” Mr Carthy said.
He said the people were treated by advanced paramedics at the scene, and once they were cleared to be in good health, they were taken to a reception centre in Dublin for processing.
Mr Carthy said that the outcome could have been very different.