Vietnamese Children as Young as 12 Found Hidden in a Refrigerated Lorry

Sumayyah Daisy Lane, BA History

Twenty-one migrants thought to be from Vietnam were found inside a refrigerated lorry entering the UK. The group included eleven children, some as young as twelve, and ten adults.

The lorry, transporting crates of sparkling water which hid the group, was discovered at the port of Newhaven in Sussex. The lorry was searched upon its arrival following a previous search at Dieppe Port in France.

The BBC reported that a criminal investigation had been launched following the group’s discovery.

The children were reported to have been cold but unharmed and safe. They are now being looked after by social services. Two of the adults were sent back to Vietnam, the rest are currently being held at an immigration detention centre.

 “The children were reported to have been cold but unharmed and safe.”

A 29-year-old Romanian man named Andrut Droma, who is thought to be the lorry driver, was arrested and charged with assisting unlawful entry into the UK. He will remain in custody until appearing at Lewes Crown Court for his hearing on November 26th.

This is not the first time that groups of Vietnamese immigrants have attempted to make their way into the UK illegally. In 2017, The Guardian reported that a camp of Vietnamese nationals was hidden in Northern France, not far from a motorway leading to Calais, indicating they may have been trying to reach the UK. In 2015, nine Vietnamese teenagers were also found in a lorry at the same Sussex port.