A local Wexford Councillor and first responder has said that Rosslare Europort can expect to see “more and more” incidents after the discovery of a group of migrants hidden in a refrigerated lorry at the seaport.
His comments come as Minister for Justice Helen McEntee said she was “extremely concerned” by Monday’s discovery of fourteen people in a refrigerated lorry at the Europort.
The migrants, including two children, were rescued from the container on Monday morning, having been forced to cut a hole in the side of the container because they were struggling to breathe according to Wexford Councillor Ger Carthy.
Responding to the incident, Minister McEntee said: “I was extremely concerned to learn of the discovery of fourteen people, including two children, in a refrigerated lorry at Rosslare Port on Monday and I would like to thank the emergency services for their initial response.
“Thankfully, I understand that all the people are in good health,” she continued, adding: “We know from past experience that similar situations have led to tragic fatalities. This was an extremely hazardous undertaking and it is only fortuitous that the same did not happen yesterday.
“An Garda Síochána are investigating the matter with assistance from international partners. I would appeal to anybody with any information that might assist with the ongoing investigation to contact An Garda Síochána,” the Minister said.
Independent Wexford Councillor, ambulance officer and advanced paramedic at the National Ambulance Service, Cllr Ger Carthy, as a local representative in the area, has been supportive of ongoing protests over the influx of asylum seekers in the small village – telling the programme: “We’re opposed to saturating a rural village with a population of 1,200 people with over 700 refugees.”
Mr Carthy, speaking on Morning Ireland on RTÉ Radio 1, said that the migrants were found after one of those inside the refrigerated trailer rang the UK police to tell them they were inside the container, which was onboard the ferry. 14 migrants – 12 adults and two children – were found concealed in the trailer onboard a lorry which was arriving at Rosslare from France.
The local councillor and Operations Resource Manager with the National Ambulance Service said that the migrants had been discovered at around 1am on Monday morning after a 999 call was made to the UK coastguard from an occupant of the trailer bound for the Europort. The call was subsequently transferred to the Irish emergency services, prompting a multi-agency response.
“To bring some context to that, there was a large number of ambulances, Garda Síochána interpreters, and indeed staff of Rosslare Europort,” he said.
When the ship docked, the migrants were assessed and cared for at the scene, according to Cllr Carthy, and subsequently transferred to a processing centre in Dublin.
“It seems to be quite a challenging and extremely difficult trip for anyone to make but I believe they had difficulty breathing within the refrigerated trailer, and may have had to break a hole in the side of it to actually access some air within the ship itself,” he said.
“Thankfully we don’t have an outcome similar to what we had in the early 2000s, when a container came into Rosslare and there were a number of deceased people in it at a business park. That was averted the other night but I suppose it brings it to the context of people coming from possibly war-torn countries trying to get to a better life,” Cllr Carthy said.
“But many of these people, once they’re put into these containers, or indeed fridges, their expectation is that they are going to the United Kingdom. But that was a 30 hour journey across to Rosslare Europort, and could have been a very different outcome,” he added.
Asked about the route the migrants took, Cllr Carthy said he wasn’t sure, and that it was subject to a garda investigation.
“They are benefiting from the services of the Irish authorities in Dublin,” he said.
Cllr Carthy confirmed it was a refrigerated trailer that the people were in, and to try and free themselves, they “may have had” to break a hole inside of it. The call, he said, was originally made due to shortness of breath after spending 28 hours in the container.
The Independent councillor said that Rosslare Europort had seen a 360 per cent increase in capacity, with 36 sailings per week post-Brexit, when they would previously have had six direct services a week.
“So we’re going to have more and more of it,” he said. “But we have a very robust immigration system, and indeed immigration staff in the port,” he insisted. “So they’ll hopefully identify these issues going forward, but I suppose it should alert the government that we’re going to see more and more of this now with the current crisis across the world.”
He said that there were nine men, three women, and two children onboard, saying that the individuals were receiving counselling and interpretive services.
“That will continue,” he said, adding that there was a possibility of having their applications for asylum “fast-tracked.”
Cllr Carthy was asked about protests which have taken place in Rosslare over the issue of an influx of people seeking asylum. Referring to protests outside a hotel set to house asylum seekers, the councillor said that Rosslare is currently “at saturation” when it comes to migration.
‘IT’S ABOUT DISTRIBUTION AND FAIRNESS’
“It’s only a small village,” he told the programme. It’s got a population of 1,200 people. So it’s about saturation, it’s about distribution, and [it’s about] fairness to the people of Rosslare and that general area.”
He said locals “don’t see any fairness coming from the current government” or from the Department of Integration.
Cllr Carthy said that as a local representative he fully supported the endeavours of those protesting.
“They’re currently 58 days down there protesting,” he said. “They want the nursing home that they were promised. There is a serious demand for a nursing home in Rosslare Municipal District,” he added.
He said that there had been a number of peaceful marches at the Europort, and added he believed that protestors would likely go to Dail Eireann.
“Hopefully Roderic O’Gorman will listen to the concerns and issues. It’s about the distribution and fairness,” he added. He said people were opposed to the saturation of refugees in their area.
The people of Rosslare, he said, had integrated over 350 refugees who were involved in the community, including in GAA and soccer clubs, and that locals had “done their bit.”
“It’s about distribution and fairness,” he emphasised. “This is a problem across the country.”
“We’re opposed to saturating a rural village with a population of 1,200 people with over 700 refugees, IPAS and Ukrainian,” he said.
“We’re opposed to any further numbers,” Cllr Carthy said.