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Some 840 illegal immigrants heading for Britain caught at Dutch ports

Xinhua, October 25, 2016 Adjust font size:

Some 840 people have been caught at Dutch ports attempting to make the crossing to Britain, according to this year's figures for January to September from the Dutch Ministry of Security and Justice.

The figure is more than the total of 2015 when there were 500 stowaways. Most were caught trying to climb into lorries.

Over a half of the total were discovered at Hoek van Holland, a coastal city in south Holland on the New Waterway that leads to the North Sea. A total of 180 were found at Europoort in Rotterdam; another 190 were picked up by British officials on the other side of the channel.

More illegal immigrants were found on the Dutch side of the North Sea, up from 55 percent in 2015 to 78 percent this year, the Dutch ministry noted, adding that the additional controls put in place last year had been effective.

Also, the number of illegal crossers decreased in past quarters. In the first quarter of this year, there were 360; 270 in the second and 210 in the third. Endit