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A lorry driver was airlifted to hospital after attempting to jump over a harbour wall in a desperate bid to escape immigration officials.

The man allegedly fled after 12 illegal migrants were discovered in the back of a truck near the ferry terminal in Dover.

He tried to jump over the wall – only for the tide to be out, leaving him with serious injuries, a source told this newspaper.

The horror in the early hours of Tuesday morning sparked a major emergency operation, sources told the Daily Express, with firefighters having to help paramedics by climbing down onto an “unstable surface”.

Twelve people were arrested on suspicion of overstaying or illegal entry – and 11 of them have now been told they could be deported from the UK.

A Port of Dover spokesperson said: “The Port of Dover can confirm that there was an incident on 26th May, which involved a multi-agency emergency response from Port of Dover Police, Kent Police, the Home Office, Kent Fire and Rescue, South East Coast Ambulance, HM Coastguard and the Air Ambulance.

“The investigation is currently ongoing, so we are unable to release further information at this stage.”

Ambulance chiefs confirmed they raced to the scene just after 3am on Tuesday morning,

But they would not say anything about the condition of the driver.

However, a source has confirmed his condition is not believed to be life threatening.

A Home Office spokesperson said: “We are working closely with France to prevent illegal migration attempts which exploit national borders.

“This government has delivered a record‑breaking increase in disruptions to criminal smuggling activity, including arrests, convictions, and seizures, rising by nearly 50% in the year ending March 2026.”

Kent Police confirmed they were deployed to assist with an “immigration matter”.