Migrants from Vietnam are now paying double the typical price for what smugglers are calling an “elite” Channel crossing service to the UK.
This service is specifically aimed at Vietnamese nationals and offers a faster and more streamlined experience compared to other options, with an alleged price tag of £2,600 per person, according to a BBC investigation.
The high-end service is reportedly organised by Vietnamese smuggling gangs and advertised as a safer alternative in an increasingly dangerous journey across the Channel.
One smuggler, known as Bac, described how migrants travel from Vietnam to Europe, beginning with a stop in Hungary before moving to France, where they wait for good weather conditions to make the crossing.
This smuggling system is meant to reduce the time Vietnamese migrants spend in migrant camps on the French coast.
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The number of Vietnamese migrants attempting to cross the Channel has been rising with arrivals increasing from 1,306 in 2023 to 2,248 in just the first half of 2024.
The French police have claimed that Vietnamese migrants tend to stay separate from other groups in the camps and are highly organised.
The migrants reportedly have a more structured camp setup and even better food.
Claire Millot, a volunteer with the NGO Salam, which supports migrants in Dunkirk, also told the BBC that the Vietnamese groups “keep to themselves and are much more discreet than others”.
In 2024, no Vietnamese migrants were reported among those who died in the Channel crossings until October when one was declared dead. This is despite the fact that this year has been the deadliest in terms of casualties.
However, experts have warned that despite the claims of a safer crossing, the route still remains dangerous.
The BBC‘s investigation also revealed that smugglers often use excessive control, sometimes even refusing to let migrants leave their camps without payment.
Smugglers often promise a quick and safe journey but later issue threats and impose extra restrictions.
Many of the migrants who choose to make the journey are also in debt and smugglers can trap them in dangerous cycles of forced labour.