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UK migration policy blasted by committee

By JONATHAN POWELL in London | China Daily | Updated: 2019-11-05 09:46

Candles are lit during a prayer for 39 people found dead in the back of a truck near London, in front of Hanoi Cathedral in Hanoi, Vietnam on Oct 27, 2019. [Photo/Agencies]

Government border strategy in danger of driving people toward criminal routes

A Parliament committee report issued on Monday has found the British government may be driving refugees to use deadly smuggling routes with its migration policies.

The Foreign Affairs Committee said the deaths of 39 people in a truck discovered in Essex must act as a "wakeup call", forcing ministers to reconsider their approach.

The report warned that the United Kingdom's focus on closing borders "serves to drive migrants to take more dangerous routes and pushes them into the hands of criminal groups".

Tom Tugendhat, the Conservative member of Parliament who chairs the Foreign Affairs Committee, said the UK should "lead by example" on the issue.

"Today, hundreds of families across the world are losing loved ones who felt driven to take the fatal gamble to entrust their lives to smugglers.

"The UK has been relatively isolated from the different migrant crises in recent years-but it's wrong to assume that we are protected from their impact," Tugendhat said.

The report criticized ministers for allowing "dire conditions" suffered by migrants in northern France to continue, while instead pumping money into improving security along the French coast.

It cited research that said clampdowns at French ports had caused an increase in small boat crossings over the English Channel, which the UK is now trying to stop.

Tugendhat urged the government to remain in European Union forums on the migration issue after Brexit. "It's crucial that we plan our response to irregular migration together," he said.

The committee urged the British government to improve conditions in refugee camps and process asylum claims faster for those with relatives living in Britain.

Meanwhile, church services have been held in memory of the 39 Vietnamese victims found dead in a lorry container in Essex.

Members of the Vietnamese community gathered for a service on Saturday at the Church of the Holy Name and Our Lady of the Sacred Heart in East London. The Reverend Simon Nguyen, who led the service, said the 39 died "seeking freedom, dignity and happiness".

After the service, Nguyen said the incident had affected the Vietnamese community worldwide.

"We couldn't believe such tragedy could happen and the pain these people had to suffer before they died," he said. "The whole community is in shock. It is shocking every single day because of more news and more information about the tragedy."

At Mass at the same church on Sunday, Bishop Nicholas Hudson asked for prayers for traffickers.

Post-mortem examinations are being carried out on the 31 men and eight women to establish the cause of their deaths.

Last week, the driver of the truck, Maurice Robinson, 25, appeared in court on manslaughter charges. Prosecutors alleged that Robinson was part of a "global ring" of people smugglers.

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