Essex lorry deaths: Brothers on the run from 'people smuggling gang' not police, sources claim

The two brothers wanted by Essex police for questioning in relation to the deaths of 39 migrants are on the run from senior figures of a people smuggling gang, it is understood.

Ronan and Christopher Hughes have been in hiding since last week when Essex Police said they were persons of interest in connection to the manslaughter of 39 mostly Vietnamese nationals.

A security source has told The Telegraph that individuals high up in a gang believed to be linked to people smuggling had sought to intercept the Hughes brothers before they handed themselves into the Police Service of Northern Ireland.

It is not clear if the brothers are involved in any people smuggling gangs themselves, but it is understood they may have information connected to the alleged human trafficking incident which led to the 39 bodies found in a lorry in Essex.

The brothers have a haulage and logistics business in County Armagh. It is believed that they are currently over the border in county Monaghan in the Republic of Ireland.

The senior members of the people smuggling gang are said to be extremely violent individuals with links to dissident paramilitaries.

The Irish Independent reported on Sunday that An Garda Siochana [Irish police] warned a Northern Irishman detained in relation to the Essex deaths that there was a credible threat to his life.

Eamonn Harrison, 23. was arrested in Dublin Port on October 26 by An Garda Siochana. It is alleged that Mr Harrison was driving the truck that delivered the trailer carrying the 39 migrants to the Belgian port of Zeebrugge. That truck has been linked to a company owned by Ronan Hughes.

Mr Harrison was originally detained by An Garda Siochana in relation to a separate charge. He was arrested on foot of a European Arrest Warrant last Friday. British police want to extradite Mr Harrison on 41 charges including 39 counts of manslaughter, one count of conspiracy to commit human trafficking and one charge of conspiracy to assist in unlawful immigration.

Police Detective Chief Inspector Daniel Stoten travelled to Belfast last Friday to issue a public appeal to Ronan and Christopher Hughes to hand themselves in to authorities for questioning.

"I want to make a direct appeal - Ronan and Christopher, hand yourselves in to the Police Service of Northern Ireland. We need you both to come forward and assist this investigation.

"Although we have already spoken to Ronan Hughes recently by telephone, we need to have a conversation with him and his brother in person.

"Talking to Ronan and Christopher is crucial to our investigation and the sooner we can make this happen the sooner we can progress and continue with our investigation."

Mr Stoten confirmed that Ronan Hughes made contact with Essex police by telephone.

Maurice Robinson, 25, of Laurel Drive, Craigavon, was arrested after the bodies of eight women and 31 men were found in a refrigerated container at the Waterglade Retail Park in Grays on October 23. Mr Robinson is alleged to have picked up the trailer from the Essex port of Purfleet.

Eight arrested in Vietnam over Essex lorry deaths

Eight people have been arrested by Vietnamese police in connection with the 39 migrants found dead in a lorry in Essex.

They were held on Sunday on suspicion of organising people smuggling overseas.

The 31 men and eight women who were discovered in the back of the refrigerated truck in Grays are thought to have been Vietnamese.

A spokeswoman for the country's Ministry of Foreign Affairs called the incident a "serious humanitarian tragedy".

On Saturday, a remembrance service for the victims was held at the Church of the Holy Name and Our Lady of the Sacred Heart in Bow, east London, which has a large Vietnamese congregation.

Reverend Simon Nguyen said that the church has assisted with the investigation into the tragedy, including working with the police.

'Lost girls' scandal as private schools targeted to traffic Vietnamese children

Concerns have emerged about Vietnamese children who are entering Britain on student visas then disappearing.

Children as young as 15 have brought to the UK by suspected trafficking gangs through legitimate visas sponsored by private schools, an investigation by The Times found.

Boarding Schools' Association chief executive Robin Fletcher said in the past two to three years, boarding schools have been made aware of a "small number" of cases where there have been issues with students from Vietnam.

But the investigation carried out by the paper uncovered at least 21 Vietnamese children who have vanished from boarding schools and private colleges across Britain in the past four years.

The students arrive in Britain on Tier 4 child visas which are sponsored by independent schools.

"A small number of criminals and rogue agents have tried to exploit the system and use some schools to traffic children," said Mr Fletcher.

"On the very rare occasion this has happened our schools followed proper procedures, reporting to the Home Office and police, and worked with all agencies to track down and secure the welfare of the pupils involved.

"We have advised all our members to be vigilant when recruiting any students from Vietnam and have also worked with schools to inform the Home Office about any issues."

Some 666 independent schools have Home Office approval to sponsor overseas students for child visas.

Deaths should be 'wake up call' for Government

The "tragic" deaths of 39 people found in the back of a lorry in Essex should be "wake up call for the Government" to rethink its approach to illegal migration, MPs have said.

In a new report, published on Monday, the Foreign Affairs Select Committee warned that a policy focused on closing borders will drive migrants to take more dangerous routes and push them into the hands of smugglers.

The committee said the human cost of so-called "irregular" migration made international partnerships, including with the EU, "essential".

Committee chair Tom Tugendhat said until the UK left the EU it should return to the meetings where migration is discussed and plan the response to illegal migration together.

The Tonbridge and Malling MP added: "This case should serve as a wake-up call to the Foreign Office and to Government.

"The UK has been relatively isolated from the different migrant crises in recent years - but it's wrong to assume that we are protected from their impact."

The report, Responding to irregular migration: a diplomatic route, also raised concerns about deals to limit migration with countries such as Libya, Niger and Sudan as risking fuelling human rights abuses.

It warned that these deals could be used as leverage by partner governments such as Turkish President Erdogan's recent threat to "reopen the gates".

The committee said that although the Home Office leads on the UK response to irregular migration, this could lead to the "error of focusing on preventing migration to the exclusion of other goals such as preventing conflict and promoting stability and respect for fundamental human rights".

It called for more effort to negotiate future close cooperation on migration policy with the EU and an immediate return of UK officials to EU-level meetings where irregular migration is discussed.

Other recommendations included the expansion of legal pathways to apply for asylum outside Europe and robust monitoring and safeguards to ensure UK funding to migration programmes in Libya was not contributing to human rights abuses.