The traffickers have gone underground but they'll come back, villagers and brokers say, with the deaths of 39 migrants in a truck in Britain unlikely to deter the country's vast pool of rural Vietnamese from making perilous journeys abroad.

The dead are yet to be formally identified, but many are feared to be Vietnamese from the impoverished central provinces where the pull of a better life outweighs the risk of passage west.

Trafficking networks reach deep into these remote communities.

Brokers arrange flights -- often into Russia -- and plot the route into the UK on trucks, where many villagers end up working on cannabis farms tucked into suburban houses or in nail salons.

For now, the networks have vanished from the remote central Vietnamese towns stained by dread that their loved ones are among the British truck dead.&nbsp;

But they "are not going to disappear" said one broker in Hong Linh district in Ha Tinh province, where several of the missing come from. "They might just temporarily stop."

Towns in this part of the country are largely bereft of young people -- many have already left for overseas.&nbsp;

The money they send home has been used to fund house renovations and buy cars and motorbikes in a part of the country where most people are farmers and fishermen.

The ones that remain still harbour dreams of going overseas, enticed by success stories which ricochet across these quiet, cut-off communities.

"I want to go abroad when I finish school next year," said 17-year-old Tran Manh Thang in Hong Linh, whose father is a farmer. &nbsp;

"It's easy to earn money and I can have a better life."

He says he will try to go to South Korea first and from there set his sights on Europe, where he hopes to work as a waiter.&nbsp;

"It's nicer in Europe, from what I see on the internet and hear from neighbours," he said.&nbsp;

'They were unlucky'

While the UK deaths are a warning, young villagers "still have the exact same options and the same beliefs that they had before," according to independent trafficking expert Mimi Vu.

"They're still poor, they still lack access to opportunities in Vietnam."

There is a grim precedent for dangerous journeys.&nbsp;

During the Vietnam War, people mostly in south Vietnam boarded boats to escape the violence that engulfed the country.

Horror stories of deaths en route to safety filtered back from the hundreds of thousands of so-called boat people.

"That didn't stop people from still trying to send their families out," Vu said.&nbsp;

Many these days head for Britain, able to hide their illegal status inside its large Vietnamese community and black economy.

Even for those who have come back from the UK -- deported for working illegally in cannabis farms or caught living in the country illegally -- life overseas still appeals.&nbsp;

Speaking to AFP on condition of anonymity, one migrant deported from Britain in 2008 after he was caught growing weed said the allure of money in the UK outsizes the risks.&nbsp;

"For sure people will still keep going," the 41-year-old told AFP, requesting anonymity.&nbsp;

The UK truck dead "were unlucky and it was very unfortunate," he said, but "it doesn't mean anyone else will die".

The traffickers have gone underground but they'll come back, villagers and brokers say, with the deaths of 39 migrants in a truck in Britain unlikely to deter the country's vast pool of rural Vietnamese from making perilous journeys abroad.

The traffickers have gone underground but they'll come back, villagers and brokers say, with the deaths of 39 migrants in a truck in Britain unlikely to deter the country's vast pool of rural Vietnamese from making perilous journeys abroad. The dead are yet to be formally identified, but many are feared to be Vietnamese from the impoverished central provinces where the pull of a better life outweighs the risk of passage west. Trafficking networks reach deep into these remote communities. Brokers arrange flights -- often into Russia -- and plot the route into the UK on trucks, where many villagers end up working on cannabis farms tucked into suburban houses or in nail salons. For now, the networks have vanished from the remote central Vietnamese towns stained by dread that their loved ones are among the British truck dead. But they "are not going to disappear" said one broker in Hong Linh district in Ha Tinh province, where several of the missing come from. "They might just temporarily stop." Towns in this part of the country are largely bereft of young people -- many have already left for overseas. The money they send home has been used to fund house renovations and buy cars and motorbikes in a part of the country where most people are farmers and fishermen. The ones that remain still harbour dreams of going overseas, enticed by success stories which ricochet across these quiet, cut-off communities. "I want to go abroad when I finish school next year," said 17-year-old Tran Manh Thang in Hong Linh, whose father is a farmer. "It's easy to earn money and I can have a better life." He says he will try to go to South Korea first and from there set his sights on Europe, where he hopes to work as a waiter. "It's nicer in Europe, from what I see on the internet and hear from neighbours," he said. 'They were unlucky' While the UK deaths are a warning, young villagers "still have the exact same options and the same beliefs that they had before," according to independent trafficking expert Mimi Vu. "They're still poor, they still lack access to opportunities in Vietnam." There is a grim precedent for dangerous journeys. During the Vietnam War, people mostly in south Vietnam boarded boats to escape the violence that engulfed the country. Horror stories of deaths en route to safety filtered back from the hundreds of thousands of so-called boat people. "That didn't stop people from still trying to send their families out," Vu said. Many these days head for Britain, able to hide their illegal status inside its large Vietnamese community and black economy. Even for those who have come back from the UK -- deported for working illegally in cannabis farms or caught living in the country illegally -- life overseas still appeals. Speaking to AFP on condition of anonymity, one migrant deported from Britain in 2008 after he was caught growing weed said the allure of money in the UK outsizes the risks. "For sure people will still keep going," the 41-year-old told AFP, requesting anonymity. The UK truck dead "were unlucky and it was very unfortunate," he said, but "it doesn't mean anyone else will die".

'Easy money and a better life': Vietnamese undeterred by UK truck tragedy

UK authorities have been able to ascertain that the trailer that contained 39 people who were later found dead in Essex had arrived in Purfleet on the river Thames from the Belgian port of Zeebrugge.

Officials have long since pointed blame to organised crime syndicates within Belgium with Zeebrugge highlighted as a key embarking point for "clandestine arrivals" in a 2016 UK border force threat assessment.

The container found at an industrial park in grays in the early hours of Wednesday. Is thought to have been brought into Zeebrugge the afternoon before - and then arriving in Purfleet at around midnight.

Purfleet was also identified back in 2016 as one of the less busy UK Ports. Favoured by criminal smuggling gangs, forced to pursue alternatives due to improved controls and security in France.

The head of the Zeebrugge port has said that they couldn't detect the 39 people when they went through the Belgian port.

police have sought time to interrogate the suspect… on suspicion of murdering the 39 Chinese nationals - eight women and 31 men… the police at the moment have requested the media not to disclose his identity

Essex police have said that it was the largest murder investigation in the force's history.

formal identification of the 39 people believed to be Chinese nationals. Could be a lengthy process with due post-mortems of each of the deceased only after which can their identities be then revealed.

china's ambassador to the UK &nbsp;Liu Xiaoming tweeted that the embassy had read the reports of the deaths "with heavy hearts" and was in close contact with British police.

Meanwhile, police officers signed a book of condolences for the Chinese victims at the Thurrock council in Essex.

For years, illegal immigrants have attempted to reach Britain stowed away in trucks. Often from the European mainland in 2000, the biggest such tragedy yet, 58 Chinese were found dead in a tomato truck in at the port of Dover.

Belgium's federal prosecutors, who handle cases of terrorism and organised crime, said on Thursday they had opened an investigation into the transport.

UK authorities have been able to ascertain that the trailer that contained 39 people who were later found dead in Essex had arrived in Purfleet on the river Thames from the Belgian port of Zeebrugge.

UK authorities have been able to ascertain that the trailer that contained 39 people who were later found dead in Essex had arrived in Purfleet on the river Thames from the Belgian port of Zeebrugge. Officials have long since pointed blame to organised crime syndicates within Belgium with Zeebrugge highlighted as a key embarking point for "clandestine arrivals" in a 2016 UK border force threat assessment. The container found at an industrial park in grays in the early hours of Wednesday. Is thought to have been brought into Zeebrugge the afternoon before - and then arriving in Purfleet at around midnight. Purfleet was also identified back in 2016 as one of the less busy UK Ports. Favoured by criminal smuggling gangs, forced to pursue alternatives due to improved controls and security in France. The head of the Zeebrugge port has said that they couldn't detect the 39 people when they went through the Belgian port. police have sought time to interrogate the suspect… on suspicion of murdering the 39 Chinese nationals - eight women and 31 men… the police at the moment have requested the media not to disclose his identity Essex police have said that it was the largest murder investigation in the force's history. formal identification of the 39 people believed to be Chinese nationals. Could be a lengthy process with due post-mortems of each of the deceased only after which can their identities be then revealed. china's ambassador to the UK Liu Xiaoming tweeted that the embassy had read the reports of the deaths "with heavy hearts" and was in close contact with British police. Meanwhile, police officers signed a book of condolences for the Chinese victims at the Thurrock council in Essex. For years, illegal immigrants have attempted to reach Britain stowed away in trucks. Often from the European mainland in 2000, the biggest such tragedy yet, 58 Chinese were found dead in a tomato truck in at the port of Dover. Belgium's federal prosecutors, who handle cases of terrorism and organised crime, said on Thursday they had opened an investigation into the transport.

Essex lorry deaths: UK points to Belgium

British police have yet to confirm that the 39 people found dead in a truck near London were Chinese nationals, the Chinese embassy in London said Friday.

A Chinese consular official travelled to Essex on Thursday, a day after emergency workers discovered the bodies inside the refrigerated container of a vehicle parked in an industrial area.

Police in the UK has said, "all are believed to be Chinese nationals". The truck had arrived on a ferry from Belgium.

"British police said they were verifying the identity of the victims and could not confirm whether they were Chinese," a Chinese embassy spokesperson said on its website.

The Chinese consular official, Tong Xuejun, told state broadcaster CCTV on Thursday that he had met with British police.

"We will urge the British police to further find out the truth. We will keep the media informed... of the latest progress of the incident," Tong said.

The local police force, who have arrested the truck's driver on suspicion of murder, said eight of the dead were women and 31 were men.

It is Britain's largest murder probe in more than a decade.

The deaths echoed the discovery of 58 Chinese immigrants hidden in a Dutch truck in the English port of Dover in 2000. Only two survived.

British police have yet to confirm that the 39 people found dead in a truck near London were Chinese nationals, the Chinese embassy in London said Friday. A Chinese consular official travelled to Essex on Thursday, a day after emergency workers discovered the bodies inside the refrigerated container of a vehicle parked in an industrial area.

British police have yet to confirm that the 39 people found dead in a truck near London were Chinese nationals, the Chinese embassy in London said Friday. A Chinese consular official travelled to Essex on Thursday, a day after emergency workers discovered the bodies inside the refrigerated container of a vehicle parked in an industrial area. Police in the UK has said, "all are believed to be Chinese nationals". The truck had arrived on a ferry from Belgium. "British police said they were verifying the identity of the victims and could not confirm whether they were Chinese," a Chinese embassy spokesperson said on its website. The Chinese consular official, Tong Xuejun, told state broadcaster CCTV on Thursday that he had met with British police. "We will urge the British police to further find out the truth. We will keep the media informed... of the latest progress of the incident," Tong said. The local police force, who have arrested the truck's driver on suspicion of murder, said eight of the dead were women and 31 were men. It is Britain's largest murder probe in more than a decade. The deaths echoed the discovery of 58 Chinese immigrants hidden in a Dutch truck in the English port of Dover in 2000. Only two survived.

China says no confirmation yet on UK truck victims' nationality

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'Easy money and a better life': Vietnamese undeterred by UK truck tragedy

Essex lorry deaths: UK points to Belgium

China says no confirmation yet on UK truck victims' nationality