Disturbing moment parents find migrants hiding in bus full of children returning to Britain after school trip to France
THIS is the moment shocked parents discovered migrants hiding in a bus full of their children returning from a school trip to France.
The Stowaways were discovered in the baggage hold when they returned home from the three-day trip.
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Two men, believed to be in their early twenties, were found hidden among the luggage when the hold was opened after the voyage back to Britain.
A mother waiting to collect her child said the incident at Hounsdown School in Totton, Hants, was 'horrible'.
One of the men tried to run away but was stopped by parents and a child's luggage was found to be covered in urine.
The bus had been carrying pupils from Years 9 and 10 who had just returned from a three-day school trip to the University of Boulogne, about 30 kilometers south of Calais.
The teachers and the students had traveled home by bus via the Eurotunnel at Calais, returning to Totton, near Southampton, on Saturday evening.
One mother described the moment the men were found: “[My son’s] his luggage was covered in urine and his belongings were crumpled because one of the men sat on top of them.
“I asked them (in French) if they spoke English or French and they answered French. I was about to ask them where they were from but was led away by the teachers.”
After the discovery, she panicked and her only thought was to get her 14-year-old son's luggage off the bus.
She said: “The only way I can describe it is panic mode.
“My only goal was to get my child off the bus, and once I did that, I turned back because I couldn't handle seeing children being asked to get their luggage out of the hold.
“I just said 'excuse-moi' to the gentleman and leaned over him to get the rest of the bags out, while my son's was underneath him.”
Taking to social media, another parent said: “I just picked up my daughter from her school trip to France. The driver of the bus opened the bottom to take the suitcases and saw that there were immigrants inside.”
SMOKING PARENTS
Several parents who witnessed the incident have spoken of their shock.
One wrote online: “I'm angry about it. They were given access to a bus transporting schoolchildren.
“It's one thing to get into a truck, and quite another to be able to get into a bus without being seen.”
He added: “It was an absolute shock to see someone sitting there as the children went forward to pack their bags.”
Another parent said: 'My son is so upset bless him he told me to cancel him leaving next one years at the school and has said he would rather wait until he can afford to go when he is older.
[My son’s] his luggage was covered in urine and his belongings were crumpled because one of the men sat on top of them.
Smoking mother
“Poor little one… even after such an incredible journey! The teachers couldn't have done better throughout the entire period, I now really sympathize with them.”
Hampshire Police confirmed that officers were present, but no arrests were made.
A force spokesperson said: “We were called just before 5.15pm on Saturday February 10 to reports that two people, possibly illegal immigrants, had been found at Hounsdown School in Totton.
“Officials have been present. No arrests have been made.”
It comes as Rishi Sunak accepted a £1,000 bet from Piers Morgan last week Deportation flights to Rwanda will be operational before the elections.
The Prime Minister was confronted with the TalkTV host, who said to him: 'I'll bet £1,000 on a refugee charityYou can't get anyone on those planes before the elections. Do you dare take that bet?'
WHAT IS GOING ON WITH THE RWANDA PLAN?
What is the Rwanda law?
The Rwanda bill ignores certain human rights laws in a radical attempt to trigger deportation flights and end the 'scourge' of illegal migration.
The plan will disapply elements of the Human Rights Act, which would have exposed the government to more brutal legal delays.
By also declaring this in law Rwanda is “safe”Ministers believe courts will be forced to overrule any challenge to their flagship plan.
The bill also allows that ministers ignore edicts from the European Court of Human Rights to prevent planes from taking off, like the one that was grounded at the last minute in 2022.
What happens now?
Rishi Sunak's Rwanda Security Bill has cleared the House of Commons and its first major hurdle in the House of Lords, but faces a painful ride as the Archbishop of Canterbury warned it is “leading the nation down a damaging path” . Peers will try to change it during the committee stage.
Will the Lords go into battle?
Colleagues have already started to water down the legislation. Many have made clear their disdain for the Rwanda plan, with arch-critic Lord Carlile and others already admitting that he and many colleagues will try to scuttle it. Mr Sunak also lacks a majority in the House of Lords, and even if he did, colleagues – who are generally unconcerned about climbing the political ladder – are far less likely to toe the party line.
Is the game over then?
No. The will of the elected House of Commons trumps that of the unelected Lords. This means that while peers can completely undermine the Rwanda Bill and send it back to MPs in a weakened form, the Government can override these changes and return them to the Lords as they first voted for them. This back and forth – known as ping-pong – can only happen so many times before the peer cave and the MPs get their way.
What's the problem?
By making ruthless changes to the bill, the Lords could throw the whole process into disarray and ultimately undermine Sunak's hopes of having the first flights take off in the spring.
What did the Prime Minister say?
Mr Sunak last week fired a warning shot at unelected colleagues not to stand in the way of MPs' efforts to thwart the crucial Rwanda plan.
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