On Wednesday, Irish authorities announced the commencement of an inquiry into human trafficking following the discovery of 14 migrants inside a refrigerated shipping container at the Rosslare port in the southeast.
Prior to the vessel’s arrival, U.K. authorities had alerted their Irish counterparts based on a migrant’s distress call. A statement from Irish police revealed that, following a medical evaluation, nine men, three women, and two girls were found to be in good health.
Although the nationalities of the migrants were not immediately identified, reports from RTE and the Irish Independent suggested that the majority, including the girls, were Kurds from Iran and Iraq. Additionally, three individuals were from Vietnam, and one was from Turkey. The discovery occurred during a vehicle inspection as it exited the ferry from Zeebrugge, Belgium, which had arrived on Monday.
Rosslare seaport serves both passenger and freight traffic from Britain and Europe, offering connections to France and Spain. Irish Transport Minister Eamon Ryan expressed relief at the migrants’ well-being, emphasizing they had likely spent more than 24 hours inside the container.
Prime Minister Leo Varadkar assured that Dublin would expedite the processing of any potential asylum claims, underscoring the country’s “first response is always a humanitarian one.” Eugene Drennan, president of the Irish Road Haulage Association, revealed that the container had been loaded onto a truck south of Paris before reaching Zeebrugge, emphasizing the fortuitous prevention of a potentially tragic outcome.
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Source: Vietnam Insider