Chilling clip of two men hiding under train highlights European migrant crisis

A shocking find underneath a French train has highlighted the chilling reality of the European migrant crisis.

A shocking clip showing people crawling out from inside a hidden compartment of a train highlights the chilling reality of Europe’s migrant crisis.

In a short video posted to Reddit, two men can be seen crawling out from underneath a carriage on a French-owned SNCF train.

The train was reportedly heading from Italy to France, with the poster saying two railway inspectors were checking for stowaways before letting it depart.

Although not confirmed, many suspected the two men were likely migrants who sought to cross over into France illegally without having to show any documentation.

The train was heading from Italy to France. Picture: Reddit

The poster said this was a common occurrence on European trains. Picture: Reddit

In 2023 alone, the EU registered some 380,000 illegal border crossings, with more than one million applications for asylum.

More than 90 per cent of those arriving illegally into European countries were helped by people smugglers, a series of underworld crime rings who take money from people desperate to start a new life.

Many migrants are fleeing war in Syria and Iraq, as well as conflicts in Libya and unstable parts of north and central Africa.

Many in the comments of the French train video were shocked at the sight, however others stated it was a common occurrence.

One asked whether hiding in this type of spot on a train could be dangerous or potentially even deadly.

“This is a French train (you can see it says SNCF) which only goes into Italy to Ventimiglia from Menton, France,” one wrote.

“This is on the Mediterranean in the South of France aka French Riviera aka Côte de Azur.

“The train is not a high-speed train and the trip from Ventimiglia to Menton is only a couple miles/kilometres. Absolutely survivable. Enjoyable Mediterranean weather even.

“For context, they’re doing this to cross the French border without getting their passports checked, not to avoid the fare.

The other man seemed to come out of nowhere. Picture: Reddit

“These are people in the EU illegally and arrived in Italy. The Schengen zone in Europe means passport-free border crossings between countries, BUT the French know what’s happening, stop the train, and do a walk through.

“This is arguably an illegal systematic border check, and the EU sends an angry letter every year or so condemning the treatment of people arrested and detained in Menton.”

Many asked why someone would choose to risk their lives hiding on a train rather than attempting to simply walk across the border.

However, these often result in dire consequences, with one of the routes from Italy to France being known as the “Path of Death” due to how dangerous it is to cross by foot.

One of the men could be seen climbing out from inside the train. Picture: Reddit

He appeared casual as he left with his bag. Picture: Reddit

“The path was initially used by smugglers and Italians who wanted to enter France without going through customs,” Professor Enzo Barnabà, who lives in the area close to the trail, told Global Voices.

“Then, during fascism, many workers, anti-fascists and Italian Jews travelled through the Pass of Death to enter France.

“Many of them died, as, once past the border, the path leads to a cliff. Many migrants and refugees did not know the right way, as they used to get through the pass at night, and many of them fell from the cliff.

“Therefore, the trail got the infamous name of ‘Pass of Death.’”.

The path had almost been forgotten after being all but unused for 60 years.

However, in 2015, Barnabà started a project to clean up the trail for its historical value.

They both walked off without saying a word. Picture: Reddit

“I and some volunteers finished the cleaning in May 2015, and we wanted to rename the trail the Pass of Hope,” he told the outlet.

“However, a few months later, the first huge migratory wave hit Italy, and many of these people reached the pass to continue their journey.”

There have been many cases of migrants dying when attempting to cross the borders in Europe.

Earlier this year, a man died on top of a stationary train in Paris, which was due to head to London via the Channel Tunnel.

He was reportedly electrocuted to death when he came into contact with the live wire.

A police source in Paris told AFP that he had been killed by electric shock after climbing on top of the stationary Eurostar train at the Gare du Nord station.

He died at the scene. Police confirmed that the man was a migrant, but added the condition of his dead body after the electric shock did not allow for more precise identification.

Local reports stated that his body had burst into flames upon contact with the live wire on top of the train.