Two arrested and six taken to hospital as migrants found alive in lorry at Newhaven ferry port

  • Drone footage over the scene shows the emergency response

Migrants have been found in the back of a lorry at Newhaven ferry port in East Sussex.

A large emergency services presence is at the scene - including air ambulance crews and Border Force.

The number of people discovered, and the condition they are in, are not yet known but Sussex Police have confirmed there are no fatalities.

  • An eye-witness told ITV News Meridian they heard banging on the walls of the lorry

Jean-Paul Adam, a French journalist, was an eye-witness to the scenes.

He was on the ferry with friends, early in the morning on Friday. They arrived at Newhaven at 9.45am and went down to the garage where their vehicle was and when they got down there they saw police officers.

As the situation was unfolding, everyone had to go back to the restaurant on the ferry and they couldn't access their vehicles.

Jean-Paul says they had to wait about two hours before being allowed to go to their minibus which was just behind the truck with the migrants inside.

A helicopter landed near the ferry, he believed some of the migrants may have been airlifted to the hospital.

Jean-Paul said: "We understood that seven migrants were hidden in this freezer truck behind a wall inside the truck and there were seven, one on top of the other.

"They were very bad in this small space and they hit the wall of the truck to call for help and it is like this that they were discovered. Some of them were not conscious."

Police are working with Border Force at the scene Credit: ITV News Meridian

In a statement, Sussex Police said: "We are currently supporting Border Force, who are the leading agency.

"A man has been arrested on suspicion of facilitating illegal entry to the UK, and a second man has been arrested for illegally entering the UK.

"The ambulance service has taken six further people to hospital for treatment."

Lewes MP Maria Caulfield, whose constituency includes Newhaven, said in a post on X: "Very concerned about these reports.

"From my office in Newhaven we can see lots of activity opposite at the port and thanks to the emergency services responding."

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