Foreign nationals found in container at Rosslare

Two non-nationals were found in a container on a ferry arriving from France, it emerged today.

Both men are in Garda custody in Wexford. They were discovered in a container which arrived at Rosslare Port last night on the P&O ferry, European Diplomat, travelling from Cherbourg.

A P&O spokeswoman said noises had been heard coming from the container unit of a truck on the ferry.

“The driver contacted the captain and he contacted the immigration authorities, who came onto the ship and took the two people away.”

The men were taken by gardaí to Wexford General Hospital but were not deemed to require treatment.

“They came into casualty at around 12am but it was very busy and the gardaí went off with them. They were not admitted to hospital,” said a hospital spokeswoman.

P&O and planning to close its Rosslare-Cherbourg route as part of a restructuring plan.

In 2001, 13 Turkish asylum seekers were smuggled onto a container which was being transported from Belgium to Belview Port. Eight people died during the 53 hour sea-journey and five were found alive, when the container was finally opened outside a company office in Wexford.