Ten Migrants Found Hidden In Camper Van in Italy

Sniffer dogs found 10 Iraqi and Syrian migrants hidden in the false bottom of a camper van in the Italian port of Brindisi, on a ferry coming from Greece, border police said on Thursday.

Fire crews had to cut open the bottom of the van to extract the nine Iraqis and one Syrian, three of whom required medical assistance.

Police video showed them lying flat in a space about half a meter (20 inches) high. The dogs had found them during a border check.

The Greek people driving the van have been arrested and are accused of favoring illegal immigration -- a crime under Italian law.

The economic crisis and rising anti-immigrant violence in Greece have created an upsurge in migrants attempting to reach Italian shores in recent months and many are being immediately turned back, immigration watchdogs say.