‘We’ll continue to search 100pc of vehicles coming from the continent’
WEXFORD GARDA CHIEF OFFERS ASSURANCES ON ROSSLARE EUROPORT
BACK in January of this year, the country was shocked to learn that 14 migrants had been uncovered concealed in a refrigerated trailer arriving into Rosslare Europort.
It was the latest in a long line of incidents in a county that has known too well the tragic consequences of human trafficking and people smuggling.
Given the explosion of traffic through the Wexford port since Brexit, the authorities have been kept extremely busy monitoring trucks, trailers and vehicles and uncovering people, multi-million euro consignments of drugs and other contraband.
All of this has led Chief Supt of the Wexford Garda Division Derek Hughes to seek the support of Garda HQ in the provision of another full-time Detective Inspector for the county. One tasked full-time to Rosslare Europort.
Given the scenes back in January, human trafficking and other illegal activities at the port were of serious concern to members of Wexford’s Joint Policing Committee.
“People trafficking seems widespread from some reports,” Sinn Féin’s Cllr Fionntán Ó Súilleabháin said. “Are we adequately resourced to deal with these traffickers.”
Chief Supt Hughes suggested that perhaps it wasn’t necessarily the case that Rosslare was being specifically utilised by human-trafficking gangs.
“I’d say it’s more of an issue with stowaways rather than trafficking,” he said. “Our inquiries indicate that people uncovered more often tend to travel of their own volition.
“We search 100% of vehicles from the continent and we’ve made a number of detections,” he continued. “Detective Inspector Roberts is very proactive in this area. He has travelled to the countries that these people have come from and impressed upon them the importance of tightening up on their end.
“We will continue to search 100% of vehicles from the continent coming into Rosslare,” he concluded. “Otherwise word will get out that Rosslare is a soft touch and we’ll be left with a massive problem.”
Aontú councillor Jim Codd expressed grave concerns around the potential for another major tragedy, like the one which saw eight bodies removed from a container in Drinagh in December of 2001.
“Is there any way for these poor unfortunates to get out when they’re in there? Do we run the risk of people freezing to death in these containers?”
Chief Supt Hughes said that there had been an increased focus on making it easy to ascertain if a refrigerated unit had been tampered with.
“In some instances, people can get out and have let themselves out of these containers,” he said. “We’ve also had cases where they can’t get out. We’ve raised awareness with shipping companies. We have the authority to contact that captain of these ships to force open trailers if we believe that there are stowaways on board.”
Meanwhile, Independent councillor Ger Carthy expressed concerns over how the inspections and checks referenced by the Chief Supt will be carried out in future.
“I’m led to believe that either the current government or gardaí are pushing for a border force to be allocated to Rosslare Europort,” he said. “That would mean that a civilian force carrying out checks at the port.
“I think An Garda Síochána run a very good operation down there in terms of uncovering drugs, migrants etc. Any dilution of that would seriously concern me.”
Chief Supt Hughes said that there were no immediate plans to change how Rosslare Europort is policed.
“That would be a matter for the Department of Justice,” he said. “I’m told, though, that there will be no changes in the foreseeable future. It would be my expectation that we will police Rosslare Europort in the same way for the rest of 2024 in any case.”