Heed the Chinese ghosts of Morecambe Bay

28 January 2009

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Five years after the tragic death of 23 cockle-pickers, David Tang warns that Chinese illegal immigrants are still working as slaves in this country

I went to see the Home Secretary, Jacqui Smith, about the plight of Chinese illegal immigrants. I asked her if the government might not at least allow those who had already been arrested to work in some limited way until they were deported; otherwise they will inevitably be driven underground and become victims of gross exploitation, just like all the other illegal immigrants. But Mrs Smith was not about to waver on the matter. While her approach might square with the interests of Britain and the EU, it doesn’t demonstrate compassion or bolster human dignity.

There are various measures which could be taken to improve matters. First, I would urge multinationals that have a reputation and a conscience to pay considerably more attention to their outside suppliers. They must be absolutely convinced through regular inspections that there are no sweat shops supplying their goods. It’s no good relying on ‘official’ reports.

Second, the government must increase the punishment for traffickers, who cram their human cargo into tiny rooms with peeling walls and soiled mattresses, make them work for 18 hours a day with no food — and, worst of all, steal their pitiful salaries. Police resources should be spent in hunting down the unscrupulous traffickers and their agents.

Third, we must take every step we can to stop ‘aspiring’ illegal immigrants from leaving China. They must be warned that Britain has zero tolerance towards economic migrants and that it is far from being a land of plenty and opportunity. The Chinese associations in this country, of which there are hundreds, must spread this message through their vast networks. They are, after all, paid to help the Chinese community, although the evidence is that they offer little help and don’t really care. The Chinese embassy shows a similar lack of concern. It is despicable that we are not helping our own people.

The cursed veil must be lifted from the illegal immigrants already in Britain. The government should consider an amnesty, especially for those who have already been here for a long time.

On 5 February we commemorate the 23 victims of the Morecambe Bay disaster. We will also remember the 58 others who suffocated in a container at Dover in 2001. I hope all of us will have the heart, especially in the spirit of the Chinese New Year, not to hide behind the legal and moral arguments, but simply to do something for these families, and especially for the children who have been left behind. Those wishing to make a difference or a donation should go to www.ghosts.uk.com. I urge all readers of The Spectator to do so.

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Richard

January 29th, 2009 11:52am Report this comment

This is what happens when you criminalise an economy, chaos..

H Osbourne

January 30th, 2009 8:21pm Report this comment

My sympathies are with these courageous, decent and hardworking people who aspire only to achieve the best for their families. They have, as David Tang notes, been disgracefully misled and abused by all the parties concerned in their migration and continuing exploitation, their own and the UK governments, their employers and their blackmailers.
However cruel it may seem, their migration to and residence here mist remain illegal if only to deter help further immigrant workers.

Hal G. P. Colebatch

March 13th, 2009 4:54am Report this comment

It is typical of this government that it is overbearing and Draconian where it should leave people alone, and weak and indifferent where regulation is actually needed. Morcombe Bay showed half-a-dozen government regulatory agenices had failed in their duty - no doubt they were too busy pursuing pensioners for having put their dustbins out on the wrong day.

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