The families of 39 migrants who were found dead inside a frozen lorry trailer in Essex, England, are reportedly not receiving any financial assistance from both the British and Vietnamese governments for the repatriation of their perished loved ones.
According to The Guardian, deputy chair of Can Loc district's committee for the people in the Ha Tinh province, Bui Huy Cuong, revealed that both Vietnamese and British governments have expressed uncertainty on financial assistance for the victims' families.
Cuong said on Tuesday that the Vietnamese foreign ministry said families should be informed accordingly that both governments will not cover the costs for repatriating the Essex lorry bodies from the United Kingdom to the country.
Instead, the ministry reportedly said funding will only be offered for the bodies' trip "home from the airport." Cuong added that while the Vietnamese government was willing to pay for repatriation in advance, the victims' families would later have to repay the costs.
"Many families have to take out loans to pay for their children, and these costs make their lives very hard," Cuong pointed out. It is unclear whether the British government has offered any official financial assistance to the bereaved families.
Among the family members who expressed concerns about bringing home the remains of his daughter, Pham Thi Tra My, was Pham Van Thin. The grieving father said government officials gave him a document confirming that neither Vietnam nor the U.K. will cover costs.
Pham was offered with two options for repatriating the remains of his daughter, whose text message before her death read, "I'm sorry mum ... I'm dying because I can't breathe." The government reportedly offered two loan options for covering the transfer costs.
As part of the agreement that Pham signed, the family has to reimburse the Vietnamese government 30 days after his daughter's burial. He added that the government will not add any form of interest to the debt.
Meanwhile, investigations on what could be the biggest British mass-murder case are still underway. Earlier this week, it was revealed that suspected mastermind of the Essex lorry tragedy, Ronan Hughes, purchased two mobile phones four days before the bodies were discovered.
According to The Sun, the latest discovery is proof that Hughes was within the area in Thurrock, Essex at the same day the bodies were found. A source said police believe Hughes was "on the ground overseeing the whole human trafficking operation."
Essex Police are still hunting down Hughes and his brother, Christopher, who are both believed to have direct links to the case. There whereabouts are unknown but it is believed that they have returned to Northern Ireland, their hometown.