Chasing the Good Life
Written by Allison Au-Yeung

On October 28th, I was reminded of the merciless face of globalization in a CBC article titled: Driver of truck found with 39 bodies appears in U.K. court, to enter plea.(1) The article describes the discovery of 39 bodies at the Waterglade Industrial Park in Grays, London. Transported by a refrigerated truck, their deaths were a result of international human trafficking.(1) Although the victims’ identities have yet to be confirmed, forensics found a majority to be of Vietnamese descent; many families from Nghe An and Ha Tinh provinces have come forward with disturbing last messages from their missing children.(1)
Unfortunately, the willingness of Vietnamese youth and adults to attempt an illegal immigration to the UK comes to no surprise. The juxtaposition between Vietnam’s low standards of living and the perceived luxuries enjoyed by developed countries drive thousands to journey to the UK in search of a new life. This economic disparity is manufactured by the labour demands of globalization.(2,3) Additionally, over the last few decades, opportunities for illegal immigration have exponentially increased due to the global cooperation of illegal organizations.(4) As exemplified by the incident in Grays, trafficking services enlist and coordinate groups from various countries to transport its clients; the transporting truck was a rental from Northern Ireland, and the container from Belgium.(5) Such global cooperation has been catalyzed by globalization, which increases interconnectivity among nations.
A growing desire to pursue the ‘good life’, and the cooperation of illegal organizations to facilitate human trafficking are both results of globalization which must be addressed. I believe the so-called front-runners for human rights, including Canada and the United States, must abandon their ethical agendas and practice a cosmopolitan mindset, for the sake of humanity.
References:
1. Oct 28 TR· P, October 28 2019 8:41 AM ET | Last Updated: Driver of truck found with 39 bodies appears in U.K. court, to enter plea Nov. 25 | CBC News [Internet]. CBC. 2019 [cited 2019 Oct 31]. Available from: https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/truck-driver-charged-39-bodies-u-k-in-court-1.5337716
2. Bored and broke, Vietnam migrants risk lives for riches in Europe | New Straits Times | Malaysia General Business Sports and Lifestyle News [Internet]. [cited 2019 Oct 31]. Available from: https://www.nst.com.my/world/world/2019/10/533645/bored-and-broke-vietnam-migrants-risk-lives-riches-europe
3. The Truth About The Idealized Life On Social Media [Internet]. The Odyssey Online. 2015 [cited 2019 Oct 31]. Available from: http://theodysseyonline.com/western-carolina/the-truth-about-the-idealized-life-social-media/252916
4. Does globalization mean we will become one culture? — BBC Future [Internet]. [cited 2019 Oct 31]. Available from: https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20120522-one-world-order
5. 39 bodies were found in a truck in England. Here’s what we know about the timeline [Internet]. CNN. [cited 2019 Oct 31]. Available from: https://www.cnn.com/2019/10/25/europe/uk-truck-deaths-timeline-gbr-intl/index.html