Rosslare ferry: Two boys among 16 discovered in trailer

The scene at Rosslare Europort in County Wexford

Two juveniles are believed to be among the 16 migrants discovered in a lorry travelling from France to the Irish port of Rosslare on Wednesday.

They were found in a "climate controlled trailer" on a Stena Line ferry sailing from Cherbourg to the County Wexford port.

The boys are now in the care of Irish child protection agency Tusla.

The other 14 were men, who have sought international protection.

• Sixteen people found in lorry on Irish-bound ferry

Their cases will be processed by the International Protection Office (IPO), an office within the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS).

All 16 are believed to be of Kurdish ethnicity from the Middle East, however, formal identification is ongoing.

Gardaí (Irish police) said they appeared to be "in good health".

Charlie Flanagan, Ireland's minister for justice, said it is important that security is tightened at the ports.

Emergency personnel on board the Stena Line ferry

RTÉ reports that Mr Flanagan is to meet with Garda commissioner Drew Harris about how "best to ensure that this type of incident is dealt with in accordance with the law".

The vessel left Cherbourg on Wednesday night at about 21:00 local time.

The 16 people were discovered on Thursday morning during a "routine inspection" of the vehicle deck, according to Stena Line.