Essex lorry deaths cast a spotlight on people smuggling, but also enabled gangs to put their prices up
The 39 Vietnamese travellers embarked on their journey to the UK full of hope. Many planned to work in Britain’s nail bars and restaurants; some hoped to get work as bricklayers. They told relatives they were leaving Vietnam so they could provide for a better future for their families.
Their optimism vanished sometime during the crossing from Zeebrugge to the UK on 22 October last year, as the temperature inside the container began to rise and the oxygen levels plummeted.
