Nine migrants, including Somalis, found in shipping container at Irish port

Wednesday January 29, 2025

A view of Rosslare Europort in County Wexford, Ireland, a key gateway for freight and passenger transport. The port has also been at the center of recent investigations into human smuggling operations. (Irish Times File photograph: Collins Photos)

Mogadishu (HOL) — Nine migrants, including individuals from Somalia and Eritrea, were found trapped in a shipping container on Monday at Rosslare Europort after spending four days without food or water. The group, which had believed they were being smuggled into the United Kingdom, contacted authorities for help before being rescued on Monday morning.

Upon discovery, the migrants were deemed to be in stable health, while two minors required hospitalization for non-life-threatening injuries. Medical personnel assessed the group at the port before further processing.

Officials confirmed that the migrants, aged between 16 and 27, had each paid more than €2,000 to human traffickers who falsely promised them safe passage to the UK. However, instead of reaching their intended destination, they arrived in Ireland.

Abdiaziz Ahmed Muse, a Somali community leader in Ireland, told the BBC “One of the migrants managed to make a phone call, which led police to discover that nine men were inside the container. Two received medical treatment on-site, and another was hospitalized.”

The Garda National Immigration Bureau (GNIB) is leading an international investigation into how the men were transported and who facilitated their journey. Authorities suspect human traffickers based in Africa and Europe misled the migrants, promising them passage to the UK, only for them to end up in Ireland.

Officials believe the migrants entered the container in Dunkirk, France, and remained inside for at least four to five days. Investigators are particularly interested in identifying the truck driver responsible for delivering the container to the French port.

Irish immigration officials confirmed that six of the nine men were denied entry and deported to France, where the container is believed to have originated. One individual has applied for asylum, which will be processed by the International Protection Office (IPO). Two minors have been placed under the care of Tusla, Ireland’s child protection agency.

Rosslare Europort in County Wexford, Ireland, a key gateway for freight and passenger transport. The port has also been at the center of recent investigations into human smuggling operations. (Pic: Google Maps)

Rosslare Europort, one of Ireland’s busiest cargo hubs, has increasingly become a focal point for human smuggling operations. In March 2024, seven Eritrean migrants were found concealed in a trailer at the port, six of whom were swiftly deported. A year earlier, 14 Kurdish migrants from Iran and Iraq were discovered hidden in a trailer that had arrived from Zeebrugge, Belgium. Many from that group remain unaccounted for. In October 2024, authorities found two men inside a van at Rosslare, later providing them with state support. The port, which has experienced a 53% surge in freight traffic over the past two years, has become a critical transit route for smuggling networks attempting to transport migrants into Ireland and the United Kingdom.

The discovery of migrants at Rosslare Europort highlights the broader challenges of irregular migration across Europe. The United Kingdom received 329,035 asylum applications in 2023, ranking as the fifth most sought-after destination globally. Spain recorded 160,460 asylum applications, the second highest in Europe, followed by France with 145,095 and Italy with 130,565. 

As migration pressures intensify, advocacy groups warn of the increasing risks faced by those fleeing conflict and economic hardship. Tiffy Allen, director of Places of Sanctuary Ireland, said these cases reflect the desperation of displaced individuals, with global displacement now exceeding 120 million people. 

Authorities warn that smuggling networks continue to exploit vulnerable individuals, urging governments to enhance border security and provide legal pathways for migration to prevent future tragedies.