Gardaí have released without charge a 40-year-old lorry driver arrested after five adult men and one child were discovered inside a refrigerated trailer at Rosslare Europort at 05:00 on Thursday. The six, all believed to be non-EU nationals, were treated for mild hypothermia at Wexford General Hospital; two men were subsequently refused leave to land under Section 4 Immigration Act powers, while the child remains in HSE care. The Garda National Immigration Bureau (GNIB) and local Gardaí are investigating suspected facilitation of illegal entry. A file will be sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions, who will decide on any charges against the driver. Rosslare, Ireland’s second-busiest roll-on/roll-off port, has seen a 30 % rise in clandestine entry attempts since post-Brexit freight diversions increased direct sailings from continental Europe. For logistics firms the episode underscores stricter screening regimes at Irish ferry ports, including heartbeat CO₂ detectors and canine units. Carriers may face liability under the 2004 Immigration Act if stowaways are found on their vehicles; industry bodies urge hauliers to adopt robust security seals and “six-point checks” before boarding ferries. The Department of Justice said it is reviewing whether additional infrastructure—such as mobile scanners—should be deployed ahead of peak Christmas freight volumes.
Source: TheLiberal.ie
