This archive report was first published on 20 November 2019.
Published on November 20, 2019, a dramatic rescue unfolded on a Dutch-UK ferry when 25 migrants were discovered alive in a refrigerated container.
The cargo vessel, bound for Felixstowe, was sailing from the port of Vlaardingen, near Rotterdam, when the stowaways were found.
According to emergency services, the people found in the container received medical attention at the port, with two being taken to hospital for further treatment for possible hypothermia.
The discovery comes just a month after 39 Vietnamese people were found dead in a refrigerated truck in Britain, highlighting the risks of illegal migrant routes to Europe.
Rotterdam region emergency services confirmed the rescue on Twitter, stating, "On board a ship it turned out that several people were found in a cooling container. The ship returned to the harbour."
They added, "The 25 people were taken off the ship and given the medical care they need. Earlier the message came from the ship that no people died."
Two people were transported to hospital for extra medical care, while 23 were transferred to a police location after a medical check-up.
DFDS Seaways, the operator of the cargo ferry, revealed that the migrants had boarded the ship on a lorry trailer, according to De Telegraaf newspaper.
The driver of the truck had been arrested, and a bus took away the mainly male group, some of whom were wrapped in silver thermal blankets.
The nationalities of the migrants were not immediately known.
Mayor of Vlaardingen, Annemiek Jetten, expressed concern over the increasing number of people attempting to cross the Channel, despite the tragic events in the UK.
She stated, "I think people are so desperate that they keep trying, despite the tragic events in the UK not so long ago."
Separately, Dutch border police intercepted a bus carrying 65 Moldovan nationals, including children, who were planning to claim asylum.
