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Britain’s plan to punish migrants shows it learned nothing from Vietnamese truck deaths

  • Advocates warn that a ‘draconian’ new migration law and stricter border policies will only put vulnerable trafficking victims further at risk
  • Authorities should instead look into migrants’ circumstances, assess if they are victims of human trafficking, and provide support for recovery

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Forensics officers inspect the truck found to contain the bodies of 39 dead Vietnamese in Essex, Britain, in 2019. Photo: AP
In 2019, I wrote about 39 Vietnamese migrants who were discovered dead in a refrigerated truck in Essex. While it was one of the most high-profile cases of people smuggling uncovered in Britain, throughout the years many more Vietnamese people have died making the journey.
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Four men have since been jailed for manslaughter, and authorities have cracked down on road routes. But many are desperate to build a new life, and traffickers are quick to adapt.
In recent months, there have been reports of people from Vietnam reaching England crammed into small boats. Smugglers have reportedly lured an increasing number of people into crossing the English Channel over the summer.
People thought to be migrants are brought into port after being picked up in the English Channel by a British border force vessel last month. Photo: AP
People thought to be migrants are brought into port after being picked up in the English Channel by a British border force vessel last month. Photo: AP

Mimi Vu, an anti-human trafficking specialist based in the Southeast Asian nation, said the Vietnamese attempting to enter Britain by boat “are people who were already transiting in Europe when [the coronavirus] restrictions led to border closures” last year.

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She said migrants ended up getting stuck in various European countries, as it became more difficult for people smugglers to operate their normal routes, while the cost of crossing Europe, especially the English Channel between France and Britain, also “increased dramatically” because of fewer crossings and increased risks.
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