On 23 October 2019, 39 persons were found dead in a lorry in Essex in the United Kingdom. On the 7 November, the Ministry of Public Security of Việt Nam and UK authorities confirmed that all the victims were Vietnamese nationals.

On behalf of the European Union and its Member States, the EU Delegation in Việt Nam would like to express the deepest and sincerest condolences to all the families and friends of the victims. The European Union and its Member States are actively working to tackle criminal networks of illegal immigration and trafficking in human beings.

The EU has also been working together with Vietnamese authorities to support victims of human trafficking. We stand ready to further cooperate with the Vietnamese government on these issues.