Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty
August 23, 2016
Police in Italy say a migrant from Afghanistan travelled 400 kilometers along a highway strapped to the bottom of a truck.
According to reports on August 23, the Afghan youth was detained by police along the Naples-Rome stretch of the A1 highway. Police were alerted by motorists who noticed him suspended from his makeshift harness.
Authorities believe he began his journey in the southeastern port of Brindisi, which is some 400 kilometers from where he was stopped.
The Bulgarian truck driver, who was travelling from Turkey to Spain, told authorities he was unaware of the stowaway.
The Afghan has been ordered to leave Italy within seven days after refusing to register an asylum request in the country.
More than 100,000 migrants have arrived in Italy since the start of the year. Many of them try to avoid registering there in the hope of being able to make asylum requests in northern Europe.
Based on reporting by AFP
Copyright (c) 2016. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave NW, Ste 400, Washington DC 20036.
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