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", The scars of Morecambe's cockling disaster, North Western Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority, AI chatbots 'may soon be more intelligent than us', Russia troop deaths hit 20,000 in five months - US, Palestinian hunger striker dies in Israel prison, The 17 most eye-catching looks at the Met Gala, 'My wife and six children joined Kenya starvation cult', On board the worlds last surviving turntable ferry. In the early negotiations with Mr Chang, the local gang boss, Li was told the journey would take only a few weeks and that, at the end of it, he would be guaranteed work in a factory or restaurant. Then she went upstairs and swallowed a bottle of rat poison. Offer subject to change without notice. The creditors have taken over the dead couple's house, using it as a storeroom for their goods. But, unlike his father, he refused to accept that poverty was his lot in life. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. "The Chinese workers were caught up in it," said local fisherman Gary Cheetham. Mr Sheridan wants to see its remit extended into industries including social care and construction. ", The creditors have also suffered, she says. Like Atlas Obscura and get our latest and greatest stories in your Facebook feed. Money, though, is clearly the main driving force in a country where communist values have long since given way to a dog-eat-dog culture. The 2004 Morecambe Bay disaster saw a group of Chinese cockle pickers drowned by rising tides as they worked gathering shellfish for criminal gangmasters. Even so, small expenses quickly mount up. He said the team on the hovercraft covering Arnside in Cumbria began their "normal search patterns" when they made the grim discovery of the bodies. They need to be repaid. For its part, the GLA accepts exploitation exists in other industries and insists it could be more of an "effective deterrent" with extra resources. I was just lucky.". "It was very harrowing. In the Channel 4 documentary Benefits Street, viewers saw a group of Romanian workers who were owed wages by their gangmaster, who also held their passports. Inside Out talks to Li Hua, the only cockle picker to be rescued alive from the Morecambe Bay cockling tragedy 10 years ago, "But the water was flooding so quickly some were dragged right away under the water.". I ask. The authorities in Beijing have washed their hands of the matter. Li Hua knew very little about England before leaving his home village in China, beyond what hed read about and seen on television and yet he already made of it in his imagination something magnificent and welcoming. The tragic deaths of twenty-three young Chinese cockle pickers in Morecambe Bay on the Lancashire coast have been attributed to the machinations of global capitalism. Only 21 bodies were recovered. But let something go wrong - an accident, illness or injustice - and the clock whirs back to the 19th century and a worse-than-Dickensian nightmare of instant ruin, hopeless poverty and chilling social indifference. All the victims were the main breadwinners for their families. "I was on my own And then a helicopter came," he said. Everyone was panicking, they got out of the vehicle and tried to swim. He would rather start work early so that he can start making payments on the debt that he will inherit as soon as he comes of age - a responsibility that few children of his age have to bear. Lin Guohua is at the bottom of the heap. "Some are polite. Is climate change killing Australian wine? Follow us on social media to add even more wonder to your day. Mick Gradwell, who has retired from Lancashire Police, said: "You're thrown into investigating international organised crime gangs, snakeheads, triads, international human trafficking. Widow Lin Meiqin, who lives in China's Fujian province, has never remarried after her husband Lin YouXing died in the bay at the age of 38. We were not warned about the tides, never once, Albanians caught in cannabis farm raid acquitted as trafficking victims, Snakehead gangs fuel organised crime in UK. "It was very harrowing. 2004 mass drowning in Morecambe Bay, England, "Skull found in Morecambe Bay 'belongs to cockle-picker', "Cockle pickers were swimming the wrong direction", "Man Convicted in Shellfish Pickers' Deaths", "Cockler deaths jury shown film of survivor's rescue", "Victims of the sands and the snakeheads", Cocklers tragedy highlights need for high safety standards, "Exhibition: 'Memento', Ed Pien, 24 April - 4 July 2009", BBC report, Cockler gangmaster gets 14 years, The Cod Fisheries: The History of an International Economy, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Morecambe_Bay_cockling_disaster&oldid=1151986537, February 2004 events in the United Kingdom, Illegal immigration to the United Kingdom, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 27 April 2023, at 13:17. Mon Nov 15 2004 - 00:00. Their mother, Chen Aiqin, went to work in Britain because she thought it was her family's only chance to escape poverty. Twenty years ago, the two-storey, red-brick building was probably the envy of the neighbourhood. "I worry about their future," says the uncle. Soon after he turned 19, he went to England. ", At the bottom, he tags on a brief message to their two sons. The events of that night left indelible memories for everyone involved - from the sole Chinese survivor and witness - to the lifeboat crew who found themselves confronted by a "sea of bodies". Read about our approach to external linking. Under this government's war on regulation and "red tape", migrant workers continue to be subjected to exploitation at work. All rights reserved. Our close friends and relatives understand that we cannot pay, but the others gossip about me.". Having heard so many wailing relatives in other houses, I was struck by the silence in this one. "My plan is to work in Kentucky Fried Chicken or McDonald's. ", She shows me round her home. Mr Hua said: "It was pitch black and I was desperate. Inside Out is broadcast on Monday 3 February at 19:30 GMT on BBC One North West and nationwide for seven days thereafter on the iPlayer. Mr Guy said: "At that stage they effectively came into a sea of bodies. But they are not stupid. I hope he is able to escape deep into the comic books he reads as his mother tells me of a disaster followed by a tragedy followed by years of hopelessness. More than 1,000 days after the accident, they haven't paid back a single yuan of the original 80,000-yuan (5,300) loan. Mr Hua said: "It was pitch black and I was desperate. "I don't know how I will be able to pay for him if he succeeds. The boy is lying on the bed, still flicking through a comic book. But she had to come back because her children's schoolwork was suffering in her absence. 2023 BBC. To put her two children through school, she has borrowed more money, taking her debt to more than 300,000 yuan (19,900) . The hon. On a winter's night in February 2004, Li was among 24 cockle pickers cut off by an icy tide as it cut across Morecambe Bay. Eighteen cockle pickers have died after becoming trapped by rising tides in Lancashire's Morecambe Bay. We do not have a lot of money but we are happy to go through each day peacefully and I am very thankful And glad to be alive," Mr Hua added. [16][17], In 2010, artist Isaac Julien released his film Ten Thousand Waves about the disaster. The organisation was set up to protect vulnerable workers in the shell fish, agriculture, food and food packaging labour markets but MPs and academics are campaigning for it to be given more powers. It wasn't the creditors this time. On board the worlds last surviving turntable ferry. On 5 February, Chinese cockle pickers were at work in the dark but facing the incoming tide. The cockles to be collected are best found at low tide on sand flats at Warton Sands, near Hest Bank. "We cannot afford gas so I have to go up to the hill to get wood," she sobs. eBook ISBN 9780429457357 ABSTRACT This case study describes an initiative titled Operation SeaQuest that was launched in the aftermath of a tragic incident in which 23 Chinese cockle pickers were drowned by the incoming tide in Morecambe Bay in Lancashire, United Kingdom. In Fujian, a man is judged by the height of his home. She shows me two photos of the father, Xu Yuhua, and mother, Liu Qinying, taken a week or so before the disaster. Widow Lin Meiqin, who lives in China's Fujian province, has never remarried after her husband Lin YouXing died in the bay at the age of 38. I am terrified that one typhoon could bring the walls crashing down on top of us." Charitable appeals have made little progress. We do not have a lot of money but we are happy to go through each day peacefully and I am very thankful And glad to be alive," Mr Hua added. Two of the victims were women; the rest were mostly young men in their 20s and 30s, with only two being over 40 and only one, a male, under 20. United Kingdom. He said: "I think a lot about those who didn't survive, particularly at Chinese New Year, because it happened around that time. That anger grew as it became clear how desperate the victims' lives had been. Research led by Durham University last year found evidence that the numbers of people trafficked for labour exploitation would soon exceed those brought to the country for sexual exploitation. Video, On board the worlds last surviving turntable ferry, Met Gala 2023: Stars celebrate Karl Lagerfeld, Shooting suspect was deported four times - US media, Yellen warns US could run out of cash in a month, King Charles to wear golden robes for Coronation, HSBC says 1 bank buyout boosted profit by $1.5bn, More than 100 police hurt in French May Day protests. Jonathan Watts hears the stories of eight victims' families plunged into debt and despair, Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning, 2023 Guardian News & Media Limited or its affiliated companies. "I thought I might just as well wait to die. The area of Morecambe Bay where 21 cockle pickers died is seen in this illustration released by Lancashire Police Credit: Reuters. Just after the disaster, our relatives helped us a little bit, but they could not carry on supporting us indefinitely. Chief executive Paul Broadbent said it was making progress to ensure "exploitation in all its forms was eradicated and people can work for a good honest wage and get paid that wage". I was on my own and then a helicopter came.". Bowkett, from Welford Road in Shirley, was given a six-month community work order and issued with a four-month curfew which bans him from leaving his home between 20:00 and 06:00 GMT. Li Hua was trafficked by 'snakeheads' from China via Moscow to the UK. Congleton MP Ann Winterton stunned an audience at a dinner when . The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. But 5,000 miles away in Fujian province, on the south-eastern coast of China, lives are still being sucked into the sands. Among those who perished were an 18-year-old man and a husband and wife,. "When the GLA was first introduced we were hopeful that it would be extended into other sectors but that's proven not to be the case," he said. But now she is furious at those who have left her alone with such a burden. "It is his debt now. He may have been one of those who tried to call the emergency services; their panicked, mixed-up English pleas for help were replayed at the trial. "It is not fair for the children. That afternoon, she ate with her grandson during his lunch break. Ren was sentenced to 12 years for manslaughter, 6 years for facilitating illegal immigration (to be served concurrently with the manslaughter sentence), and 2 years for conspiracy to pervert the course of justice (to be served subsequent to the manslaughter sentence). The creditors haven't started to harass him yet because they know he is just a kid, but they will when he grows up. Is climate change killing Australian wine? In fact, these migrant workers came to the UK to escape the poverty created by socialism in China and were working under a regime of stateregulated access to the cockle beds. The Morecambe Bay victims were aged between 18 and 45, Jurors in the manslaughter trial were taken out on the sands in a hovercraft. Typically in such situations, they have each lent 5,000 to 10,000 yuan (330-660) to a family to pay the cash that the snakeheads demand as soon as the migrant has been smuggled to his or her destination. "Building up hidden communities and building a life below official recognition.". As they stare into the camera, I notice the painfully inappropriate English slogan emblazoned on her T-shirt. Most populous nation: Should India rejoice or panic? Unable to read the warning signs on the beach, the victims were trapped while picking cockles by fast-moving tides on the notoriously treacherous sands. Gangmaster Lin Liang Ren would drive the workers to Morecambe from Liverpool and visit casinos while the men and women toiled through the night. In 2006, the average rural income in the province was 4,450 yuan (270 pounds) a year, one-third higher than the Chinese norm - but little more than 1% of most British salaries. If we're to learn the lessons of the Morecambe Bay tragedy, we need to invest in improving conditions. Published 7th Feb 2004, 00:00 BST. Benson, like many local fishermen, believes it was the negligence not only of the gangmasters but also of the authorities that was responsible for the tragedy: "In the summer of 2003, I rescued 50 to 60 Chinese folk who were stranded while cockling for a gangmaster That should have been a warning." Su Zhenqin has seen her life go backwards since the Morecambe deaths on the night of February 5 2004. He said: "The water covered the wheel and the vehicle couldn't move. When their gangmaster, Lin, was convicted of criminal negligence the judge at Preston crown court said the accused was motivated by greed to shockingly exploit his countrymen with no heed for their safety. All four were convicted of money laundering at Birmingham Crown Court on September 20. Everything he says lives up to the archetype of the downtrodden peasant. "I can barely pay the fees for his high-school education. The other quietly grasps my hand and implores me to help. The gang Li called them snakeheads demanded an initial cash payment (the equivalent back then of 10,000) and it was explained to him that he. The deaths 10 years ago of 23 Chinese cockle pickers who were searching for a "better life" has had a lasting effect on all those associated with the disaster in Morecambe Bay. Think the car is still there completely buried, but surfaces occasionally when the channels change. He said: "The water covered the wheel and the vehicle couldn't move. All were working illegally, picking cockles for hours on end to send money back to their families. In any case, she says, her son no longer wants to go to school. "I have no plan. He said he "kept waving" at the helicopter. Having already cut back its staff (only 37 investigators cover Britain), and with more job cuts expected, the GLA is struggling to carry on operating. When the creditors come knocking - at least once a month for the past three years - he begs for more time. He went to Europe to make up for that: if he had succeeded, everyone would have benefited. "We will probably never know where the money was hidden for the last few years but we are convinced it was kept from the original people-trafficking operation and other related crime.". The man and his wife survive on handouts from their three other sons. Barbara Storey, chair of SOS Polonia, a Polish community organisation in Southampton, said: "Abuse in gang labour is still common in the industries where migrants find work." Chen's mother wails when she sees me and falls to her knees to beg for help. . I had a warm and happy family even though we weren't rich. It was unbearable," recalls Lin in a matter-of-fact voice as her own mother sobs at her side. He said: "If there's any fitting memorial to the poor people that died it would be that we can legislate or do our best to make sure no one dies in a similar situation. "Is that near Morecambe?" He makes no first impression, creates no fuss, just sits quietly waiting for his chance to speak while others are pulling at the heartstrings. There are some outlets just 10 minutes from here and I hear they pay OK, about three or four yuan [20-25p] an hour. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Instead of immigration vans, raids and endless spot checks, we need resources to be redirected into penalising exploitative employers and protecting workers. The only decorations on the walls are some Christian posters and a portrait of her dead husband, Lin Guoguang. But because the victims were all illegal migrants, their dependants have received no compensation, meagre charity, and endured such appalling harassment from debt collectors that several have been driven from their homes and at least one woman has killed herself. Lin Liang Ren was jailed for 14 years in 2006 after being found guilty of manslaughter and helping the cockle pickers break immigration laws. "Look at this house. The authorities were so pleased with the outcome of Operation Lund (as the case was called) that investigators won last year's top criminal justice award. It is not enough to live on, let alone pay interest. Tide kills 18 cockle pickers. He added: "What's changed since Morecambe Bay? And there had been fierce cockle wars between local gangmasters from Scotland and Wales since eight years before It was just chaos and it became very difficult to work in thetrade.". They have done nothing wrong. Now the creditors never stop bothering us." Lawyers in London are pressing a claim for money from Britain's criminal compensation fund, but if a payment comes at all it could take years. 2023 BBC. But 5,000 miles away in Fujian province, the tragedy has only deepened. [3] Fourteen other members of the group are reported to have made it safely to the shore, making 15 survivors in total. In January 2005, just short of a year after her son's death, Shi decided to join him. At least 21 Chinese cockle pickers drowned in treacherous weather conditions in Hest Bank, Lancashire, on the night of 5 February 2004. His evidence helped convict Lin Liang Ren of 21 counts of manslaughter, facilitating illegal immigration and perverting the course of justice. The detective who led the investigation into the tragedy said the deaths had "lived with him" ever since. Chinese cockle pickers who died in Morecambe Bay, northwest England in 2004. The family has had to move. The widow's house is easy to spot in Shangjiang village. A decade ago 23 Chinese cockle pickers drowned when they were trapped by sweeping tides while working in Morecambe Bay, Lancashire. His mother, Shi Aizhu, took that call. They have had to move. The Fujian style of mourning is somewhere between a lament and an undulating, almost melodic wail of misery. How can the Chinese and the UK governments say that it is not their responsibility? A tribute to the Morecambe Bay Chinese cockle pickers and the talent of Christy Moore. No purchase necessary. Almost a year on, it has collected only 20,000, including 5,000 that ITV donated after its recent Bafta. "Maybe when the children are older, they can work and pay off our debts. Gang labour is common in the building trade, and poor health and safety under gangmasters has led to many injuries and, in some cases, deaths. I was just lucky.". Photograph: Don McPhee for the Guardian, en years ago this week, 23 men and women lost their lives searching for cockles in Morecambe Bay. He cooks noodles for the family, helps his mother with the piecework, and trims his dreams to fit the new reality. Sometimes, relatives help out so that her children do not starve. The only contribution we made to the families is that because we did recover the people we gave them some closure - rather than people being lost at sea.". "Three years ago, we were poor but our lives were tranquil. On 5 February, Chinese cockle pickers were at work in the dark but facing the incoming tide. She now lives at her uncle and aunt's home in the hills. His wife joined him after local snakeheads told her that migrant men find mistresses if they are separated from their spouses for too long. A sculpture of a blood drop designed to honor those that have donated the precious liquid. I don't want another. In March 2006, Ren was jailed for 14 years at Preston Crown Court. "Someone told them that we had received compensation from the UK, but it is not true. Dependant Son Xu Bin, 17 Debt More than 200,000 yuan (13,250) Monthly income 1,200 yuan (80). When he died it was such a loss. "We dealt with the people who were responsible for the deaths on the night. But he gets up without grumbling and poses patiently next to his mother. Most are of her wedding. They used houses and shops in Shirley in Solihull, and Dudley to run their operation, it said. Bolton: Concerns over Chorley New Road 'hump' after repairs, Boy with epilepsy campaigning for access to medicinal cannabis, Man racially abused police officer after being hit over head with vodka bottle, WATCH: Vicar of Bolton delivers final service with 'deep gratitude', National Lottery on the hunt for Prestons community heroes, Preston local elections 2023: Watch debate on Guild Hall, Animate Cinema and council cuts, AI chatbots 'may soon be more intelligent than us', Russia troop deaths hit 20,000 in five months - US, Palestinian hunger striker dies in Israel prison, The 17 most eye-catching looks at the Met Gala, 'My wife and six children joined Kenya starvation cult', On board the worlds last surviving turntable ferry. it says. In sharp contrast, the dead man's mother is almost silent. Her husband's death meant instant ruin. Effective regulations would benefit both migrant and local workers. This month he takes university entrance exams, but his mother says she cannot afford the application fee, let alone the costs of tuition if he gets a place. She comes outside to see us off. (modern), A woman searching for cockles in Fujiyan. Thanks to satellites and modern communications, the bad luck bounced across the globe almost instantly. It was their gangmaster, however, and a wider web of criminals, that truly profited while paying scant regard to the cockle pickers' safety on the sands. The court heard three weeks after the sisters were released from prison in 2011, they were arrested in Bath after trying to pass off 20 notes that had been withdrawn from circulation. Because of a lack of resources its budget was cut by 17% between 2011 and 2014 the GLA's ability to investigate and prosecute employers is limited. It is a tale of globalisation, of events on one side of the world rippling to the other and back, each time with tragic consequences. Hundreds of workers lined the Bay's sands in search for cockles, stretching out for miles in dangerous proximity to the treacherous rising tides. "There's the same number of unlicensed gangmasters as there is licensed, in the food-processing industry, for instance. During the subsequent investigation and trial, it emerged that the labourers were inexperienced, spoke little or no English and were unfamiliar with the area. After he turns 18 next year, we won't be able to keep him in education." The uncle, Chen Minyi, said he could not afford to keep them both, so the son stays with another aunt. A decade ago 23 Chinese cockle pickers drowned when they were trapped by sweeping tides while working in Morecambe Bay, Lancashire. But she feels a constant pressure. Yet many of the underlying causes, and especially the role of gangmasters, remain unresolved. Fifteen other labourers from the same group managed to return safely to shore.[2]. We left our families to make a better life. They were each jailed for two years at Birmingham Crown Court on Friday. "Each family lends about 5,000 yuan (330). Like us on Facebook to get the latest on the world's hidden wonders. My son knew that he would never find a bride unless we had our own home, so he went to England to earn enough money to buy one.". Ten of us used to live here," says Chen. Market reforms have produced stunning economic growth and many new millionaires, but they have also eroded access to healthcare and education for the poor. "The families who lent us the money are also poor. In March 2006, Ren was jailed for 14 years at Preston Crown Court. The Morecambe Bay cockle pickers tragedy: a survivor's story. Mr Hua agreed to be interviewed and talk about the disaster almost 10 years on. Inside Out talks to Li Hua, the only cockle picker to be rescued alive from the Morecambe Bay cockling tragedy 10 years ago, "But the water was flooding so quickly some were dragged right away under the water.". Please, Main image: Morecambe Bay. I wish I could earn something now to ease their burden, but I can't leave my children alone.
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