One charged over six rushed to hospital after being found in lorry

17 February 2024 , 17:04

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One charged over six rushed to hospital after being found in lorry

One person has been charged with assisting unlawful entry into the UK after migrants were found in the back of a lorry at Newhaven ferry port in East Sussex on Friday, the Home Office said.

Six people were taken to hospital after the discovery at the port on Friday, which sparked a major emergency services response, with ambulances, police and Border Force attending. Shocked passengers told The Argus how a ferry company worker used an axe to smash his way into the lorry after hearing desperate banging from inside. The freed migrants were wrapped in foil blankets and were seen being stretchered away to hospital.

The Home Office did not name the person charged and no deaths have been reported by Sussex Police. Two men were arrested in connection with the incident, one was detained on suspicion of people smuggling and the other on suspicion of entering the UK illegally.  One French passenger, who was heading to Brighton with his family for a holiday, told The Argus the people inside the lorry were "lying on top of each other" and claimed that a "false wall inside the truck" hid them from view. 

Major emergency services response, with ambulances, police and Border Force attending (EDDIE MITCHELL/DAN JESSUP)

He said: "The place was very small and they were suffocating. It was arm's length wide. A guy from the ferry company said he went inside the garage and heard people banging from inside the lorry. It was a small lorry, a refrigerated one. The guy opened it up with an axe. We saw people being taken away with oxygen masks on a trolley. It was very emotional to me and for people watching."

A spokesperson for the department said: "Border Force, Immigration Enforcement and emergency services continue to investigate an incident in Newhaven on Friday February 16. An individual has been charged with assisting unlawful entry into the UK. While the investigation is ongoing, it would be inappropriate to comment further."

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A spokesman for ferry operator DFDS said: "We can confirm that migrants were found on board Seven Sisters. Immediate medical attention was provided and as per normal procedure, relevant authorities were contacted. From there on our crew followed their instructions."

Rachel Hagan