Male migrant suffered ‘life-limiting’ stroke after being held in van

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A Vietnamese man who was taken to hospital after being rescued from a hidden compartment in a van trying to come to the UK, has suffered a “life-limiting” stroke believed to be a direct result of the conditions, a Home Office official has said.

Six men and one woman from Vietnam were rescued from the concealed spot “the width of a human chest”, after they were heard screaming for help as they were starved of oxygen and became dehydrated.

Anas Al Mustafa, 43, has been convicted of assisting unlawful migration by trafficking the seven people in a specially-adapted van via a ferry between Dieppe, in France, and Newhaven, East Sussex, on February 16.

The discovery at the port sparked a major emergency services response. Ambulances, police and Border Force attended and all the migrants were taken to hospital and treated.

After the jury’s unanimous verdict at Lewes Crown Court on Thursday, prosecutor Nick Corsellis KC said that while the younger migrants recovered from the dehydration and heat, one man had a possible heart attack, one woman had acute kidney injury and another man went to hospital in a comatose state and suffered a stroke.

Speaking after the verdict, Chris Foster, the Home Office’s criminal investigations regional lead for London and south, said: “Frankly, how somebody didn’t die I don’t really know.

“They were very fortunate overall, but that has nothing to do with Mr Al Mustafa. He is the man responsible and it sends a really strong message.”

He added that while six of the patients made a full recovery, the man who had a stroke suffered “life-limiting” effects from it.

Mr Foster said: “Unfortunately, one of the men suffered pretty much a life-lasting effect.

“He suffered a stroke that we believe to be as a direct result of being held in that van and, even today, now, he has difficulty walking and he suffers with memory loss. So it is life-limiting for him.”

He said six of the migrants have applied for asylum in the UK and an investigation is continuing into further involvement of others in the case.

“We will work night and day to bear down on the criminal gangs that destroy our immigration laws and undermine our borders.

“In this country, we provide a safe haven for those that come here who are fleeing persecution, and there are regularised routes for doing that.

“But what we won’t tolerate is criminal gangs exploiting these people, bringing them into the country, selling them a dream that everything’s going to be OK, and they nearly lose their lives as a result of it.”

He added that immigration enforcement have arrested nearly 500 people involved in people smuggling this year so far.

Border security and asylum minister Dame Angela Eagle added: “This appalling incident could have easily ended in tragedy, and everyone who was squashed inside this criminal’s van is incredibly lucky to still be alive.

“We are sending a clear message that we will not tolerate this sort of life-threatening activity.

“Our new Border Security Command will work with partners across Europe to smash the business models of the criminal smuggling gangs and halt their activities long before they reach the UK.”