Lorry carrying 20 migrants intercepted in UK
A lorry carrying 20 migrants attempting to enter the UK, including two believed to be children, has been intercepted, the UK Home Office said.
The group was discovered yesterday hiding in the back of a vehicle travelling from the Netherlands at the Port of Tyne, north east England, by Border Force officers.
All 20 members, who were from Albania and Syria, were detained.
One of the migrants, a 35-year-old man, was arrested on suspicion of facilitation of illegal immigration, alongside a 32-year-old Polish man.
Both are being held by police.
Two members claiming to be minors have been passed to social services to be age-assessed, and two adults remain in immigration detention while their cases are considered.
The remaining 15 people found in the lorry were returned to the Netherlands by ferry yesterday evening.
A Home Office spokesman said: "Border Force officers work closely with the police and other agencies to tackle the criminal gangs that attempt to smuggle migrants into Britain.
"We continue to strengthen border security to stop illegal migrants entering the UK in the first place and use the latest technology including sniffer dogs, heartbeat detectors and carbon dioxide probes to find people hiding in vehicles and freight.
"The Immigration Act of 2014 made it harder for people to live in the UK illegally.
"The new Immigration Bill will build on this and we will take tougher action on those who shouldn’t be here, by rooting out illegal immigrants and boosting deportations," the spokesman said.
