morecambe bay cockle pickers

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. "I adopted him as my son, but I am worried about his future," sobs his aunt. Li Hua was trafficked by 'snakeheads' from China via Moscow to the UK. Hundreds of workers lined the Bay's sands in search for cockles, stretching out for miles in dangerous proximity to the treacherous rising tides. Their uncle was too shocked by the size of the burden suddenly thrust upon him to grieve at the loss of his sister. [16][17], In 2010, artist Isaac Julien released his film Ten Thousand Waves about the disaster. The 23 deaths at Morecambe Bay highlighted the serious risks being taken by low-paid workers and the cavalier attitude of those supposedly responsible for them, but in Parliament efforts were already under way to tackle gangmasters. He already had four mouths to feed. He must be able to hear everything anyway, if not this time, then on countless previous occasions. Now living under witness protection, he told BBC Inside Out of his "despair" before help arrived. That last conversation with her son crushed much of her will to live; the hounding by the creditors finished her off. They have had to move. On surrounding plots of land, meanwhile, neighbours are erecting huge new villas with the money sent back by family members overseas. As the GLA admits, the fines for exploitative employers have been too low to be a deterrent: if an employer makes an annual profit of 100,000 and pays a fine of 500 for breaking GLA rules, he may well carry on regardless. "But my mother almost never stops crying. Registered in England No. [6] All the bodies were found between the cockling area and shore, indicating that most had attempted to swim but had been overcome by hypothermia. They realise we have problems," says Chen. In Fujian, a man is judged by the height of his home. A memorial garden for the victims of the Morecambe Bay cockling tragedy has been unveiled. ", There has been a little charity for her and several other families, from the Fuqing Overseas Workers organisation. Det Sgt Derek Tinsley said: "[The Li sisters] clearly have no remorse for the way in which they obtained this money and wasted no time in trying to spend it on their release from prison. 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And Lena Chen - a Chinese woman living in Britain - sends a small amount of money before each spring festival. One creditor, a cousin, has sued her in court, saying she must remarry to clear her debt. When 23 Chinese cockle pickers died at Morecambe Bay in 2004, the gangmaster was caught and convicted, bodies were repatriated, the disaster tidied away. Education - supposedly free - costs more than 2,000 yuan (132) a year. "Ha ha, smile!" "Maybe when the children are older, they can work and pay off our debts. In Westminster, Mr Sheridan has tabled an early day motion to mark 10 years from the tragedy. Mr Hua was speaking to the BBC under the protection of the government's UK Protected Persons Service. [3][4] The workers had been trafficked via containers into Liverpool, and were hired out through local criminal agents of international Chinese Triads. Even so, small expenses quickly mount up. They did not do anything illegal once they got to the UK. Read about our approach to external linking. A decade ago 23 Chinese cockle pickers drowned when they were trapped by sweeping tides while working in Morecambe Bay, Lancashire. The children looked lost, disbelieving. The Fujian style of mourning is somewhere between a lament and an undulating, almost melodic wail of misery. 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. Bags of cockles on Morecambe beach as the search mission goes on. He said: "I think a lot about those who didn't survive, particularly at Chinese New Year, because it happened around that time. I just can't. ITV received a Bafta for its coverage of the seven-month trial, which ended in march last year. Su owes more than other families because she had to pay the snakeheads twice: once to get her husband to Germany and then, when he found no work there, to get him to Britain. The 2004 Morecambe Bay disaster saw a group of Chinese cockle pickers drowned by rising tides as they worked gathering shellfish for criminal gangmasters. "Tens of thousands of illegal Chinese workers were living in the country," he said. Migrants such as Dong take the fast route into the global workforce, while tens of millions of peasants take the slow road, by labouring in Chinese factories making products for western consumers. Worries about the future contrast sharply with the upbeat mood in Fujian. We left our families to make a better life. "Sometimes I think if he hadn't died I would live a better life.". The Morecambe Bay victims were aged between 18 and 45, Jurors in the manslaughter trial were taken out on the sands in a hovercraft. On board the worlds last surviving turntable ferry. "It was very harrowing. Twenty years ago, the two-storey, red-brick building was probably the envy of the neighbourhood. "From time to time I wake up in the night with a panic attack and remember them. 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. Is climate change killing Australian wine? ", There is little I can say to comfort her. That afternoon, she ate with her grandson during his lunch break. On the lonely cockle banks of Morecambe Bay In Fujian and Zeeland they mourn their next of kin Gang masters with snake tattoos call money loans back in Broked hearted parents watch their children stow away To the lonely cockle banks of Morecambe Bay The tide is the very Devil and The Devil has its day On the lonely cockle banks of Morecambe Bay "We are really poor. A sculpture of a blood drop designed to honor those that have donated the precious liquid. 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. David Anthony Eden Sr. and David Anthony Eden Jr., a father and son from England, had allegedly arranged to pay a group of Chinese workers 5 per 25kg (9p per lb) of cockles. Member for Morecambe and Lunesdale (David Morris) on securing this timely debate. comments sorted by Best Top New Controversial Q&A Add a Comment . ", Her sick brother-in-law says he feels like an extra burden. A NORTH West Tory MP remained defiant today over an offensive joke about the Chinese cockle pickers who drowned in Morecambe Bay. Mr Hua said: "It was pitch black and I was desperate. it says. Bo Li and Yan Li tried to spend the laundered money three weeks after being released from prison, The Li sisters were arrested after trying to spend 20 notes that had been taken out of circulation. She supports a daughter with learning disabilities, an unemployed husband, an elderly father, a sister who became mentally ill after being raped, and, since February 5 2004, a nephew. If I am dead, I will never be able to repay them.". 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". 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. A family portrait in 2004 shows the couple smiling with their two children. "Usually all we have to eat is noodles and rice. "Someone told them that we had received compensation from the UK, but it is not true. As we drive away, I notice the propaganda slogan daubed on the walls of her house in big red characters: "Serve Economic Development. The men put the cash in a plastic container and buried it in the back garden, where it was later discovered by officers. Think the car is still there completely buried, but surfaces occasionally when the channels change. The sculpture was actually imagined before the tragedy occurred in 2004. The family is still in trouble. 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.". "We dealt with the people who were responsible for the deaths on the night. Yet, 10 years on, campaigners say workers are still . They didn't beat me, not even once.". It was first described to me in February 2004 as one of China's most beautiful and deeply distressing forms of art. Twenty-three Chinese cockle pickers drowned in Lancashire's Morecambe Bay in February 2004. Read about our approach to external linking. Like Atlas Obscura and get our latest and greatest stories in your Facebook feed. Mr Hua agreed to be interviewed and talk about the disaster almost 10 years on. It is really unfair. The interview over, I ask if I can take some pictures of the mother, grandmother and son. I ask Chen how the family will manage. But, unlike his father, he refused to accept that poverty was his lot in life. Since 2006, 201 licences have been revoked, but this is "the tip of an iceberg", he says. "They kept on and on at her. But she had to come back because her children's schoolwork was suffering in her absence. 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. 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. Ten years ago this week, 23 men and women lost their lives searching for cockles in Morecambe Bay. "I've been on those sands man and boy What happened that night was not only awful beyond words it was absolutely avoidable Even when the tide hit them, had they had anybody with them, like me, who knows the area, there was still a safe route off the cockle bed They could have walked to safety.". If anyone gets sick, it will be a total disaster for all of us. Xu Liying knows just how hard life can be without any support from society, the state or charity. Memories of the, UKmigrants no different to Brits abroad, says home office minister, Don't claim we didn't act on gangmasters after Morecambe Bay, Cameron to push for cap on European migrants in UK negotiations with EU, Seasonal migrant workers scheme closes to help British into work, Newfigures reveal dramatic increase in hate crimes against Polish people, UKmust end dependency on low-wage foreign labour, says Ed Miliband, Home Office 'did not predict huge surge in immigration visas for entrepreneurs', EdMiliband promises to close loophole allowing exploitation of foreign workers, Romanians and Bulgarians in the UK react to immigration furore. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Su Zhenqin has seen her life go backwards since the Morecambe deaths on the night of February 5 2004. Chen says she has sold her wedding jewellery and persuaded the creditors to stop charging 10% interest. Rescue teams continue their search over Morecambe bay, where many cockle pickers are feared dead after they were trapped by the rising tide in. But it is still not rich enough to keep people from leaving. But she is dragged into poverty by debt and dependants. "Shouldn't the boy go and play next door?" "My husband was good to me. When he returns home, he locks himself in his room. Unlike most of the families in Fujian, Yu knew that her husband was in trouble before she read about it in the newspapers because Guo had a mobile phone with him in Morecambe Bay. Registered office: 1 London Bridge Street, SE1 9GF. "We once lived in the hills, but it was too remote, too far away from the nearest school, so we moved," he says in a thick local dialect. I thought I might just as well wait to die. The cockles to be collected are best found at low tide on sand flats at Warton Sands, near Hest Bank. ", At last year's trial in Britain, the boy wrote to the judge. Li was lifted by violent waves as he struggled to swim against the tide. 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. The emergency services were alerted by a mobile phone call made by one of the workers, who spoke little English and was only able to say "sinking water" before the call was cut off. "Each family lends about 5,000 yuan (330). Mr Gradwell said while "significant sums" were pocketed by the gangmaster, the cockle pickers earned "a pittance". I really don't know what we can do.". Misery appears to be what he is used to. Mr Gradwell claimed other similar disasters could still occur because people are willing to exploit the poorest in society for their own ends. The authorities in Beijing have washed their hands of the matter. She condemns the snakeheads for luring her brother and his sister overseas, she accuses the Chinese authorities of inhumanity because they would not let her see the bodies before they were cremated, and she is dismayed that Britain is treating the dead more as criminals than as victims. "My family are all healthy and we are happy. The workers were all illegal immigrants, mainly from the Fujian province of China, and have been described as being untrained and inexperienced. The garden was designed and built by young volunteers from the Princes Trust and the fire service in Morecambe. "The situation is getting worse. A powerful statue sits on Scalestone Point, looking out over Morecambe Bay. Today, it is one of the oldest structures in a community of new factories and villas. Just after the disaster, our relatives helped us a little bit, but they could not carry on supporting us indefinitely. "I dare not tell my sons about our debts. He wants to quit school and start work so that he can begin repaying the debt. 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. Li Hua was the only worker to be rescued on the night of 5 February, 2004. Her orphaned nephew Xu Bin has inherited debts of more than 200,000 yuan (13,250). Only 21 bodies were recovered following the Morecambe Bay tragedy but police believe 23 people died. "Look at this house. [13][14], A 2006 documentary Death in the Bay: The Cocklepickers' Story, was commissioned by Channel 4 as part of The Other Side from local filmmaker Loren Slater, who was one of the first people on the scene. Activists are concerned about the impact of funding cuts on working conditions. Like us on Facebook to get the latest on the world's hidden wonders. Padgett said this about the sculpture, Its symbolism is intended to parallel humanitys openness to a larger dimension and the way cockle shells open as the tide comes in.. 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. The boy is lying on the bed, still flicking through a comic book. This barely covers half the interest payments. Although they don't say anything, I know they worry every day about debt. 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, 'My wife and six children joined Kenya starvation cult', On board the worlds last surviving turntable ferry. 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. VideoOn board the worlds last surviving turntable ferry, I didnt think make-up was made for black girls, Why there is serious money in kitchen fumes. You must go around the back of Red Bank Farm and it is a sharp left up on the on the banking, looking over the Bay. Our close friends and relatives understand that we cannot pay, but the others gossip about me.". Running time. "I stayed in my husband's home for a while. Ten Thousand Waves, featuring Maggie Cheung as Mazu, is a collaboration with the Chinese poet Wang Ping, whom Julien met in 2006 and brought to Morecambe Bay; she produced a poem that "became . The 2004 Morecambe Bay disaster saw a group of Chinese cockle pickers drowned by rising tides as they worked gathering shellfish for criminal gangmasters. Winner will be selected at random on 06/01/2023. But he gets up without grumbling and poses patiently next to his mother. Read about our approach to external linking. "It won't be easy," says David Tang, the London lawyer who represents the victims. An . Offer available only in the U.S. (including Puerto Rico). "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.". At a rough wooden table inside, she shows me the family photo album. 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.". Dependants Wife Chen Yanchun, son Song Xinyao, 17, and the family's two grandmothers Debt 240,000 yuan (15,900) Monthly income 500 yuan (33). Healthcare, which is more market-driven than in most capitalist countries, is a heavy burden. See. 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." 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". It contains 10 pictures. The hon. The Child-Eating Bunyip Haunts Australias Wetlands. Mr Hua said: "I could not believe I was being rescued and I was alive again.". 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. introduced after the 2004 tragedy has led to a reduction in the number of illegal cockle pickers in the Bay. Morecambe's RNLI crew worked for 22 hours during the search and rescue operation. 2023 BBC. Everything he says lives up to the archetype of the downtrodden peasant. 2023 BBC. The family has had to move. VideoOn board the worlds last surviving turntable ferry, I didnt think make-up was made for black girls, Why there is serious money in kitchen fumes. The gangmaster Lin Liangren has been sentenced to 14 years in prison. Twenty-one bodies were recovered within hours, a woman's skull was washed up six years on and one man has never been found. 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. Their father had died in an accident several years earlier, leaving the family deep in debt. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. The combination of rising flood waters and ferocious incoming tide meant the trapped cockle-pickers "didn't stand a chance", a sands expert said. All the victims were the main breadwinners for their families. [11], Gangmaster Lin Liang Ren was found guilty of the manslaughter of at least 21 people (two further cocklers were thought to have been killed, but their bodies were never found). All but two of the bodies have been found, identified and repatriated. The walls are cracked. ", At the bottom, he tags on a brief message to their two sons. Bo and Yan Li were jailed in 2009 for a scam linked to the deaths of the cockle pickers in Morecambe Bay in 2004. The main thing is to be able to look down on your neighbours. Most are of her wedding. The problem has got worse and the resources directed to it are totally inadequate.". Mr Gradwell claimed other similar disasters could still occur because people are willing to exploit the poorest in society for their own ends. I know it would influence them in a bad way. In March 2006, Ren was jailed for 14 years at Preston Crown Court. The Morecambe Bay cockle pickers tragedy: a survivor's story. The families' huge debts are now owed to relatives, friends and neighbours. And on his first day . Aerial shots of large-scale calligraphy counterpoint to the thermal imaging footage from the rescue services to Morecambe Bay. When the creditors come knocking - at least once a month for the past three years - he begs for more time. [2] Twenty-one bodies, of men and women between the ages of 18 and 45, were recovered from the bay after the incident. Tide kills 18 cockle pickers. Explore in 3D: The dazzling crown that makes a king. 2023 BBC. I heard it a lot that month, during two visits to the province to interview some of the families of the cockle pickers who had just died at Morecambe. "But we did not make any dent into these wider criminal gangs who traffic people around the world," he said. 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. 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. In this boring Europe, I miss you and mother and our relatives very much. The headlines from China were full of disbelief. "Is that near Morecambe?" "The Chinese workers were caught up in it," said local fisherman Gary Cheetham. Returning three years later, I find that he seems to have coped as well as can be imagined in the circumstances. The windows are broken. But he lost his life, and now Zhou has not only to look after their son and daughter, but also a sick brother-in-law. 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. This abandoned limestone quarry now provides visitors with multiple, breathtaking viewpoints. The victims' families - especially their children - are being punished, even though they broke no law themselves. But I have a few hundred thousand yuan worth of debts. A unique sculpture calls the outside of this steakhouse home. The media go wild, she says, about the inflow of migrants, but what they should be talking about is migrants' rights. After they have paid the rent and utilities, there is barely enough for food. At the moment, it is impossible. Always listen to your mother.". And tradition says the wife and children inherit the debt of the father. Birds have nested in the roof. But they drive her to distraction. 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. 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.
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