Refugees improving after smuggle bid ordeal

The condition improved today of five refugees who survived a bid to smuggle them to Ireland in an enclosed freight container in which eight of their companions died, doctors said.

But all five - a woman and four men - were still listed as critical at Wexford General Hospital, where they were taken after being discovered lying unconscious in the container yesterday.

They were all suffering from lung and general respiratory problems and hypothermia after being trapped in a near airless space, unable to move comfortably amid a consignment of office furniture from Italy.

Dr Paddy McKiernan, the Wexford hospital’s consultant physician, reported that the condition of the refugees had shown some improvement and stabilised, but that the woman in particular was classified as critically ill.

He added: ‘‘We are much more hopeful about them now.’’

Meanwhile, with post-mortem examinations of the eight dead continuing, Gardai are still attempting to pinpoint the nationalities of the 13, including three children who died, who were packed into the container by a Europe-based gang dealing in human trafficking for profit.

One of the survivors, a 17-year-old youth, recovered sufficiently to make it known through an interpreter that he was Turkish.

It was also thought some of the others could be from Albania and that they could include four members of one family, possibly a mother and her children.

Police also had to establish how long the group had been inside the container.

The vehicle began its trip in Italy and made a stop in Germany before being loaded on to a ship in the Belgian port of Zeebrugge and heading to Waterford.

Speculation indicates they may have been put on board in Belgium, meaning that they were in the container for a minimum of four days, including 48 hours at sea in particularly bad weather conditions.

The Bishop of Ferns, the diocese that includes Wexford, today called for a change of attitude towards the position of refugees.

Dr Brendan Comiskey - who directed prayers to be said at all masses forthe victims of the incident - said he was appalled at the tragedy.

But he added: ‘‘It should not surprise anybody. It has been stated again and again that if we put up higher walls without looking at the desperate situation in which these people are living, we can expect more and more of this to happen.

‘‘Obviously, when people are desperate, they simply go underground. The European legislation will have to be looked at.

‘‘Europe is becoming known as Fortress Europe, instead of a family of nations.

‘‘Today is one of enormous grief for those who treasure human life. People should look upon asylum seekers and refugees in their own areas in a new and Christian light.’’

Peter O’Mahony, chief executive of the Irish Refugee Council, said: ‘‘These people see themselves as having no choice.

‘‘We are talking of people who are absolutely desperate to leave their home countries fleeing oppression or persecution of whatever, and are finding it next to impossible to legitimately access safe countries.

‘‘It means people resort to all sorts of measures. The awful thing is some people today will have heard about these deaths, but will still say they are going to take a chance because they have to get out of the country they are in.’’