SYMPATHY not JUDGEMENT: A story of the journey of an illegal Vietnamese immigrant in the UK
"So this is my journey. It lasted 1 month. I would travel from Vietnam to Russia on a plane, and from there travel to Latvia by crossing the boarder through the forest. Upon arriving in Latvia, there’d be shattered tents in the forest where 14 of us would be living until someone comes to get us on the next part of the journey. Some people are lucky enough to get picked up after a few days, sometimes it would be up to few weeks. It was cold, we hadn’t much clothing (we were on foot most of the journey so were only allowed to take one back pack with us). We were given ramen noodles and plastic bowls after which we threw away thinking we’d get a bowl the next day only to be given a pack of noodles. We would then find plastic bottles and cut them to make a bowl out of them. It was just a matter of time before the food ran out.
We were food deprived, cold, tired and just waiting for the next move. A miracle came and at last we were able to be on the move. We went through a route where we had to swim through a pile of mud. After swimming through the pile of mud for two hours, the leader of the ring then realised that that the mud was getting rock solid. He signalled that we shall return. Those who could manage, shall follow and those who were too tired are left to die – he couldn’t give less of a toss.
Upon returning we were too tired, too hungry to do anything so we lay there for two days. The day after we were to follow a new route. After a day of walking, we arrived at a cow shed. We slept with cows and their dung. After two days there, we were picked up by 2 more people to cross the boarder to another country. This time it was a life or death type of route. We would be going at night through the forest and have to keep close together. The ring leader said that if you got lost, do not scream as there is someone at the back who is there to pick the ones who cannot manage to walk anymore. But he only said so, those who get lost or can’t manage are just left there to die. We would hide our heads and put our hands infront of our head to avoid getting hit by any tree barks. It was so dark you literally cannot see anything. Just black everywhere.3 hours of doing so. It was so cold, felt like I could not pick my legs up. When we got close to the boarder, we would get food: bread and water. And then we were waiting for transport coaches to take us to the next “gathering stage”. At that stage, the food and conditions were much better. At that gathering stage, we were divided into groups to get into a car to go to Poland. 4 people in the front seat and 3 small people at the back. Squished together for god knows how many hours. They would not stop to allow us to go to the toilet. After we arrive in Poland, we would be divided to go to our next destination. People who travel to Germany, travel to Germany, people who travel to UK, must go through France first.
We then are all to meet in a large group to be ordered to get into our “lorry container”. That is all organised by the European people. Vietnamese just organise the service, pick us up and collect money at each location but the logistics are organised by the Europeans. They go check the plate number of the lorries to indicate which lorry is going to which country. They then break open the locks of the lorries and we hop in. They don’t care if it’s cold or not. They don’t care if it’s refrigerated, if there is no space or if we die.
Of course, sometimes this method doesn’t work and certain people who were meant to go to Germany end up somewhere else. It is then their own responsibility to hop on a train without a ticket to come back to this destination.
We usually have to pay 500k VND for the whole trip and how it is divded is we process the application and arrive in Russia. We then pay 50% when we get to Poland, the next destination is France where 90% is paid and then the UK is the remaining 10%.
When we get to the France we have to stay in a camp known as the Calais Camp with many people. But the mafias are nice to us there. I think because they get the biggest cut from Vietnamese travelling the the UK.
We live in the camp with people from Syria, Albania and probably from many more countries. But we don’t have a voice there. We only have money. People get shot here all the time. It’s like a war between mafias. Like a war for territories I think. Whoever comes invades the territories gets shot and thrown into the river.
Funny thing late at night they would drink beer and get high on weed and play around with their large guns. They would play around and pointed the gun straight into my head.. I would fake laugh but I died a little inside XD.
So we stay in the camp whilst the mafias are in search of potential lorries/vans or ships that are going to our destination. Once they find some, we are called in groups and they break the locks and we hop in.
After breaking the locks, one ring leader hops on the lorry, and the second one bends on his knees for us to hop on to him and climb into the lorry. We are to do this quietly just in case there is a driver at the front of the driver’s seat. Sympathy for my fellow Vietnamese who made too much noise when he jumped on the lorry only to be pulled down by the leg on the the floor and beat up very brutally “you like hee hee ha ha now?” feel so sorry for him XD.
So we enter the lorry and are told to be quiet to not get caught. So we lay there waiting and waiting. But the lorry doesn’t move. Then the engine goes on and then it goes off. And a few times like this. This lasts a few hours. We hear few people talk after which the door of the lorry opens and the mafia is there clenching his teeth and smiling widely with two French police cars at the back of him.
Surprisingly, they let us go back to the camp. Apparently this was no surprise to them as they have seem this view dozens if not hundreds of times. So we were led back to the camp.
The next day I heard about the “VIP” journey. So I understand, the VIP journet is when the driver actually knows that he is transporting the immigrants and he gets a cut from our money. The VIP is also another 300k VND. But I was so tired and couldn’t take the chances anymore so I called my parents about it and they assured me they would manage to prepare the money for the VIP journey.
So the next day, I heard there was an opportunity to jump on the VIP route so I went straight for it.
We were in a smaller group this time – 4 people. I saw the mafia talk to the driver saying something, didn’t understand much and then saw him handing him some money.
We get into a truck and there are cabins. We lay in the cabin silently. We go though the boarders ,the security without any obstacles. We finally get to the UK! SO EXCITING. Once we arrive at a destination, there’s another person (assuming also from the mafia) who picks us up and gets us into housing. We are not to leave the housing until we pay off the money from our VIP journey.
So my relatives from the UK get this delivered after my parents prepared this in Vietnam and they let me go. I then arrive at my relatives, get training in a nail bar and work there too.
I am a paperless immigrant in the UK and the story is as simple as that.
There are other ways people can cross boarders. Some are fortunate enough to get a VISA. The ones who afford it and have a proper education come as a student and stay illegally. There are many stories. This is mine.
I hope this story does not go anywhere as I would not like anything to happen to me.
But.. I am not a “container person”"
We were food deprived, cold, tired and just waiting for the next move. A miracle came and at last we were able to be on the move. We went through a route where we had to swim through a pile of mud. After swimming through the pile of mud for two hours, the leader of the ring then realised that that the mud was getting rock solid. He signalled that we shall return. Those who could manage, shall follow and those who were too tired are left to die – he couldn’t give less of a toss.
Upon returning we were too tired, too hungry to do anything so we lay there for two days. The day after we were to follow a new route. After a day of walking, we arrived at a cow shed. We slept with cows and their dung. After two days there, we were picked up by 2 more people to cross the boarder to another country. This time it was a life or death type of route. We would be going at night through the forest and have to keep close together. The ring leader said that if you got lost, do not scream as there is someone at the back who is there to pick the ones who cannot manage to walk anymore. But he only said so, those who get lost or can’t manage are just left there to die. We would hide our heads and put our hands infront of our head to avoid getting hit by any tree barks. It was so dark you literally cannot see anything. Just black everywhere.3 hours of doing so. It was so cold, felt like I could not pick my legs up. When we got close to the boarder, we would get food: bread and water. And then we were waiting for transport coaches to take us to the next “gathering stage”. At that stage, the food and conditions were much better. At that gathering stage, we were divided into groups to get into a car to go to Poland. 4 people in the front seat and 3 small people at the back. Squished together for god knows how many hours. They would not stop to allow us to go to the toilet. After we arrive in Poland, we would be divided to go to our next destination. People who travel to Germany, travel to Germany, people who travel to UK, must go through France first.
We then are all to meet in a large group to be ordered to get into our “lorry container”. That is all organised by the European people. Vietnamese just organise the service, pick us up and collect money at each location but the logistics are organised by the Europeans. They go check the plate number of the lorries to indicate which lorry is going to which country. They then break open the locks of the lorries and we hop in. They don’t care if it’s cold or not. They don’t care if it’s refrigerated, if there is no space or if we die.
Of course, sometimes this method doesn’t work and certain people who were meant to go to Germany end up somewhere else. It is then their own responsibility to hop on a train without a ticket to come back to this destination.
We usually have to pay 500k VND for the whole trip and how it is divded is we process the application and arrive in Russia. We then pay 50% when we get to Poland, the next destination is France where 90% is paid and then the UK is the remaining 10%.
When we get to the France we have to stay in a camp known as the Calais Camp with many people. But the mafias are nice to us there. I think because they get the biggest cut from Vietnamese travelling the the UK.
We live in the camp with people from Syria, Albania and probably from many more countries. But we don’t have a voice there. We only have money. People get shot here all the time. It’s like a war between mafias. Like a war for territories I think. Whoever comes invades the territories gets shot and thrown into the river.
Funny thing late at night they would drink beer and get high on weed and play around with their large guns. They would play around and pointed the gun straight into my head.. I would fake laugh but I died a little inside XD.
So we stay in the camp whilst the mafias are in search of potential lorries/vans or ships that are going to our destination. Once they find some, we are called in groups and they break the locks and we hop in.
After breaking the locks, one ring leader hops on the lorry, and the second one bends on his knees for us to hop on to him and climb into the lorry. We are to do this quietly just in case there is a driver at the front of the driver’s seat. Sympathy for my fellow Vietnamese who made too much noise when he jumped on the lorry only to be pulled down by the leg on the the floor and beat up very brutally “you like hee hee ha ha now?” feel so sorry for him XD.
So we enter the lorry and are told to be quiet to not get caught. So we lay there waiting and waiting. But the lorry doesn’t move. Then the engine goes on and then it goes off. And a few times like this. This lasts a few hours. We hear few people talk after which the door of the lorry opens and the mafia is there clenching his teeth and smiling widely with two French police cars at the back of him.
Surprisingly, they let us go back to the camp. Apparently this was no surprise to them as they have seem this view dozens if not hundreds of times. So we were led back to the camp.
The next day I heard about the “VIP” journey. So I understand, the VIP journet is when the driver actually knows that he is transporting the immigrants and he gets a cut from our money. The VIP is also another 300k VND. But I was so tired and couldn’t take the chances anymore so I called my parents about it and they assured me they would manage to prepare the money for the VIP journey.
So the next day, I heard there was an opportunity to jump on the VIP route so I went straight for it.
We were in a smaller group this time – 4 people. I saw the mafia talk to the driver saying something, didn’t understand much and then saw him handing him some money.
We get into a truck and there are cabins. We lay in the cabin silently. We go though the boarders ,the security without any obstacles. We finally get to the UK! SO EXCITING. Once we arrive at a destination, there’s another person (assuming also from the mafia) who picks us up and gets us into housing. We are not to leave the housing until we pay off the money from our VIP journey.
So my relatives from the UK get this delivered after my parents prepared this in Vietnam and they let me go. I then arrive at my relatives, get training in a nail bar and work there too.
I am a paperless immigrant in the UK and the story is as simple as that.
There are other ways people can cross boarders. Some are fortunate enough to get a VISA. The ones who afford it and have a proper education come as a student and stay illegally. There are many stories. This is mine.
I hope this story does not go anywhere as I would not like anything to happen to me.
But.. I am not a “container person”"
