16-Year Old boy Survives 5000-mile Journey as Stowaway.

 

A 16-year-old, unidentified teenage boy from Kenya survived as a stowaway, aboard the landing gear of a freight plane that flew from London, Stanstead Airport to Maastricht Airport in the Netherlands. The boy astoundingly survived freezing sub-zero temperatures. However, he was admitted to hospital with hypothermia and is reported to be recovering surprisingly well.

 Unfortunately, most stowaways either fall out of the wheel during flight-or freeze to death. Such an incident took place in 2019 when a Kenyan man was found on a patio in Clapham, London.

The Dutch Royal Marechaussee (police branch of the Netherlands armed forces) are investigating potential links to a human trafficking syndicate. The boy is applying for asylum and has expressed that he does not wish to return to Kenya, which is where his incredible journey originally began.

He has not yet explained exactly what pushed him to give up his comfort and potentially his life to flee his home country. We hope to find out more when he presents a statement to officials, as to why he deserves to be granted asylum. The boy does not possess documentation to prove he is from Kenya, and there is the possibility that the young man could be deported as Kenya is considered a safe haven.

Legally the boy has been allowed six days rest before he is due to present his case to the Immigrate en Naturalisatiedienst (IND) and will be provided a lawyer.