Vietnam receives remains of UK migrant truck victims for burial
- A commercial flight from London with 16 bodies on board landed in Hanoi on Wednesday, and met by ambulances and security personnel
- The victims were among 39 migrants discovered in a refrigerated truck in an industrial state in Essex, east of London, on October 23
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Sixteen bodies arrived on a commercial Vietnam Airlines flight from London to Hanoi, where they were met at the airport by ambulances and security personnel.
They were quickly shuttled away en route to their home provinces in central Vietnam, where relatives anxiously awaited their arrival.
“We have been waiting for this moment for a very long time. We will organise the funeral as soon as he’s returned,” said Vo Van Binh, whose son Vo Van Linh was among the victims. “We are very sad but happy as finally my son is back.”
An airport security source earlier confirmed that 16 bodies had arrived on the flight and would be transferred to local authorities.
All 16 were from three provinces in central Vietnam – Nghe An, Ha Tinh and Quang Binh – according to an official letter confirming the repatriation plans.
The other remains are expected to arrive in the coming days, though officials have not confirmed the date publicly.
The bodies of 31 men and eight women were discovered in a refrigerated truck in an industrial state in Essex, east of London, on October 23.
Grieving Vietnamese struggle to pay to recover dead family from UK
Police initially identified the victims as Chinese but families in Vietnam later came forward with fears their relatives were on the truck.
They have been suspended in grief for weeks waiting for their relatives’ return, and many have taken out hefty loans from the government to cover the cost of repatriation.
They are now further in debt having taken loans from the government to bring their relatives back.
Families were given two options for repatriation: US$1,774 to bring back ashes, or US$2,858 for the cost of a coffin carrying the body.
Several families said they were already deep in debt after borrowing money to pay for their children’s risky journey overseas, and did not know how they would repay the loans.
Authorities in Vietnam encouraged relatives to opt for ashes “to ensure speed, low cost and sanitation safety”, but many paid more for the bodies so they could carry out traditional burials.
UK truck deaths: British driver pleads guilty to two charges
Cremation is rare in the Vietnam countryside, where many of the victims were from.
Most hailed from just a handful of central Vietnamese provinces, which are among the poorest in the country and where well-entrenched networks of brokers can easily facilitate risky trips abroad.
The tragedy exposed the dangers of illegal migration from Vietnam into the United Kingdom, a top destination for Vietnamese illegal migrants.
Many arrange trips through brokers who promise them well-paid jobs, and end up working in nail bars or on cannabis farms, heavily indebted to the smugglers who organise their trips.
Several of the 39 people who died in the truck last month paid thousands of dollars to brokers who promised the truck was the safer option – billed as the ‘VIP route’ – their families said.
He also admitted to acquiring cash that came from criminal conduct, but did not plead guilty to 41 other charges levelled against him.
Several other people have been arrested in the UK over the incident while Vietnam has held at least 10 people, though none have been formally charged.
