VIETNAMESE POLICE HAVE arrested eight people in relation to the deaths of 39 migrants in a truck in Essex last month, according to state media in the country.
Investigators in Vietnam arrested two people for alleged involvement in the case last Friday, following a series of arrests in the UK over the deaths of the migrants, who police now believe were all Vietnamese.
“Based on what we learn from the suspects, we will actively launch investigations to fight and eradicate these rings which bring people illegally to Britain,” police chief of the Nghe An province, Nguyen Huu Cau, told reporters, according to Reuters.
He also said police were investigating the tragedy as a case of people-smuggling rather than people-trafficking.
“The best thing to do now is to deal with the consequences of the incident and help family members receive the bodies,” Cau added.
Meanwhile, UK MPs have said that the deaths should be “wake-up call for the Government” to rethink its approach to illegal migration.
In a new report to be published today, the country’s Foreign Affairs Select Committee has warned that a policy focused on closing borders will drive migrants to take more dangerous routes and push them into the hands of smugglers.
The report, Responding To Irregular Migration: A Diplomatic Route, also raised concerns about deals to limit migration with countries such as Libya, Niger and Sudan as risking fueling human rights abuses.
It warned that these deals could be used as leverage by partner governments such as Turkish President Erdogan’s recent threat to “reopen the gates”.
It also calls for more effort to negotiate future close co-operation on migration policy with the EU and an immediate return of UK officials to EU-level meetings where irregular migration is discussed.
Comments have been closed as legal proceedings are ongoing. With reporting from Press Association.
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