IN-Asian trade in illegal immigrati

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Subject: IN-Asian trade in illegal immigration is uncovered 

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Independent News
Asian trade in illegal immigration is uncovered=20
By Ian Burrell, Home Affairs Correspondent=20


27 December 1999=20

Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur have been identified as the key staging posts =
in a multi-million- pound operation to smuggle economic migrants into =
Britain.=20

Barbara Roche, the minister responsible for immigration, said last night =
that the scale of the human trafficking identified by British officials =
stationed at overseas airports was "absolutely incredible".=20

Sophisticated forgers based in the Thai and Malaysian capitals are =
offering a high-grade service in false passports and counterfeit British =
visas, she said. The forgeries are provided to criminal "facilitators" =
based in China, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, who are offering packages =
to Britain for about =A37,000.=20

Mrs Roche said the trade in smuggling people, the extent of which came =
to light when the authorities mounted an international operation against =
the traffickers last month, was "big business. People should be in no =
doubt that there are gangs preying on very vulnerable people who want a =
better way of life but who are in no way people who qualify for asylum =
under the 1951 United Nations convention."=20

The scale of the human trafficking problem from Southeast Asia came to =
light last month when Britain launched Operation Foursight, a joint =
initiative with the United States, Canada and Australia, all of which =
also have problems with illegal immigration from the Far East.=20

The operation, centred on nine airports in the region, led to the =
interception of 272 travellers carrying false documents. Almost half of =
them were stopped at Bangkok.=20

The exercise highlighted the value of Britain's network of airline =
liaison officers (ALOs), who are based at airports overseas and advise =
airline staff on the validity of documents carried by passengers.=20

Mrs Roche said Britain's team of ALOs had been extended from five last =
year to 16, and a further four would be appointed in the new year.=20

Almost half of the economic migrants identified in last month's =
operation came from China, mostly from Canton province.=20

The manager of the ALO network ,Tony Berry, who is based at Heathrow =
airport, said Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur and, to a lesser degree, Hong Kong =
had become the key stop-off points for the trafficking gangs on =
increasingly circuitous routes into Britain.=20

Once they have collected their forged documents, the migrants are then =
directed via the Gulf states or the so-called 'Stan states - Uzbekistan =
and Kazakhstan - to London.=20

Mr Berry said: "The group may actually have a courier travelling with =
them, who arranges all the documentation and makes sure they have the =
tickets for the next stage of the journey."=20

He said the forgers have developed ways of replacing photographs in =
passports in a way that is almost undetectable. They have also found a =
means of counterfeiting the hard-to-copy plastic element on British =
visas.=20

British officials have complained to their Thai and Malaysian =
counterparts about the counterfeiting black markets that have developed =
in their capital cities.=20

Mr Berry said that any travellers on false documents who claimed to be =
asylum-seekers would be directed to the nearest office of the United =
Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.=20

Mrs Roche is also concerned by the numbers of illegal immigrants being =
smuggled into London in railway freight containers that arrive at =
Wembley via the Channel Tunnel.=20

She said the migrants, mainly Romanians, were often deeply traumatised =
by the journey, made in "appalling conditions" hidden among packages of =
freight.=20



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<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><SPAN class=3Dh2>Independent =
News</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><SPAN class=3Dh2>Asian trade in illegal =
immigration=20
is uncovered </SPAN><!-- /HEAD --></DIV>
<P><!-- BYLINE --><SPAN class=3Dbyline>By Ian Burrell, Home Affairs =
Correspondent=20
</SPAN><!-- /BYLINE -->
<P><!-- OTHER --><SPAN class=3Dboldtext></SPAN><!-- /OTHER -->
<P><!-- DATE --><SPAN class=3Dbyline>27 December 1999</SPAN><!-- /DATE =
-->=20
<P><!-- MAIN --><SPAN class=3Dplaintext>Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur have =
been=20
identified as the key staging posts in a multi-million- pound operation =
to=20
smuggle economic migrants into Britain.=20
<P>Barbara Roche, the minister responsible for immigration, said last =
night that=20
the scale of the human trafficking identified by British officials =
stationed at=20
overseas airports was "absolutely incredible".=20
<P>Sophisticated forgers based in the Thai and Malaysian capitals are =
offering a=20
high-grade service in false passports and counterfeit British visas, she =
said.=20
The forgeries are provided to criminal "facilitators" based in China, =
India,=20
Pakistan and Sri Lanka, who are offering packages to Britain for about =
=A37,000.=20
<P>Mrs Roche said the trade in smuggling people, the extent of which =
came to=20
light when the authorities mounted an international operation against =
the=20
traffickers last month, was "big business. People should be in no doubt =
that=20
there are gangs preying on very vulnerable people who want a better way =
of life=20
but who are in no way people who qualify for asylum under the 1951 =
United=20
Nations convention."=20
<P>The scale of the human trafficking problem from Southeast Asia came =
to light=20
last month when Britain launched Operation Foursight, a joint initiative =
with=20
the United States, Canada and Australia, all of which also have problems =
with=20
illegal immigration from the Far East.=20
<P>The operation, centred on nine airports in the region, led to the=20
interception of 272 travellers carrying false documents. Almost half of =
them=20
were stopped at Bangkok.=20
<P>The exercise highlighted the value of Britain's network of airline =
liaison=20
officers (ALOs), who are based at airports overseas and advise airline =
staff on=20
the validity of documents carried by passengers.=20
<P>Mrs Roche said Britain's team of ALOs had been extended from five =
last year=20
to 16, and a further four would be appointed in the new year.=20
<P>Almost half of the economic migrants identified in last month's =
operation=20
came from China, mostly from Canton province.=20
<P>The manager of the ALO network ,Tony Berry, who is based at Heathrow =
airport,=20
said Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur and, to a lesser degree, Hong Kong had become =
the key=20
stop-off points for the trafficking gangs on increasingly circuitous =
routes into=20
Britain.=20
<P>Once they have collected their forged documents, the migrants are =
then=20
directed via the Gulf states or the so-called 'Stan states &#8211; =
Uzbekistan and=20
Kazakhstan &#8211; to London.=20
<P>Mr Berry said: "The group may actually have a courier travelling with =
them,=20
who arranges all the documentation and makes sure they have the tickets =
for the=20
next stage of the journey."=20
<P>He said the forgers have developed ways of replacing photographs in =
passports=20
in a way that is almost undetectable. They have also found a means of=20
counterfeiting the hard-to-copy plastic element on British visas.=20
<P>British officials have complained to their Thai and Malaysian =
counterparts=20
about the counterfeiting black markets that have developed in their =
capital=20
cities.=20
<P>Mr Berry said that any travellers on false documents who claimed to =
be=20
asylum-seekers would be directed to the nearest office of the United =
Nations=20
High Commissioner for Refugees.=20
<P>Mrs Roche is also concerned by the numbers of illegal immigrants =
being=20
smuggled into London in railway freight containers that arrive at =
Wembley via=20
the Channel Tunnel.=20
<P>She said the migrants, mainly Romanians, were often deeply =
traumatised by the=20
journey, made in "appalling conditions" hidden among packages of =
freight.=20
</SPAN><!-- /MAIN -->
<P><!-- SIGNOFF --><SPAN=20
class=3Dbyline></SPAN><!-- /SIGNOFF --></P></FONT></BODY></HTML>

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