Six people were taken to hospital amid unconfirmed reports that they were found in a freezer lorry, although no fatalities have been reported. Two men were arrested on Friday after illegal immigrants were discovered in a lorry on a ferry in Newhaven Port. Sussex Police said one of the men was arrested on suspicion of facilitating illegal entry to the UK, while the other was arrested for illegally entering the UK. Six people have been taken to hospital for treatment, according to the police.
A spokesman for DFDS, which operates the ferry services between Newhaven and Dieppe in Normandy, northern France, confirmed that migrants were found onboard Seven Sisters, and said immediate medical attention was provided. The port remains open and ferry services are running as usual. The discovery at the East Sussex port on Friday morning sparked a major emergency services response, with ambulances, police, and Border Force in attendance. South East Coast Ambulance said they were called at around 9:40 in the morning, and a range of ambulance resources attended, including their HART team. Footage circulating online appears to show someone wrapped in a foil blanket being wheeled off a ferry on a stretcher, amid unconfirmed reports the group were found in a freezer van or refrigerated truck.
Local newspaper The Argus cited a French passenger, who said a ferry company employee freed the group with “an axe” after hearing them “banging from inside the lorry.” The Home Office confirmed Border Force was involved in the response but said it would be inappropriate to comment further while the incident was ongoing. In 2019, 39 Vietnamese died from suffocation in the back of a refrigerated lorry as they tried to make their way to the UK. It is unclear how many people successfully entered the UK by hiding in lorries. The number of illegal entries detected at UK ports has decreased significantly, from 1,052 in 2018 to 310 in 2022, as detected small boat arrivals increased. Maria Caulfield, whose constituency includes Newhaven, expressed her concern about the reports and thanked the emergency services for responding.