Eight migrants discovered "hiding" onboard a cargo ship at a port near Waterford city on Wednesday have been deported.
Gardaí said the men, believed to be Albanian, had been returned to France following an assessment of their migration status.
The assessment was carried out by Garda immigration officers attached to Waterford Garda station assisted by the Garda National Immigration Bureau.
The men were refused “leave to land” in the jurisdiction, gardaí said, and were deported under escort via a ferry destined for Cherbourg which left from Rosslare Europort in Co Wexford at 8.30pm.
The men were found by the crew of a bulk cargo ship travelling from St Nazaire in France to Belview Port. Three fled the ship after being discovered but were apprehended by gardaí a short time later.
They were arrested and brought to Waterford Garda station where officers began liaising with their French counterparts and discovered that all eight were already registered as migrants on European databases.
After being medically examined they were interviewed with the assistance of an interpreter to try and establish their exact movements prior to boarding the ship.
