Trafficking gangs can't be allowed to profit from death

JUST LAST week, hundreds of African migrants are feared to have drowned when their overloaded boat sunk under the noses of the Greek coastguard.

- Richard Acheampong

Such incidents have led to the Mediterranean being labelled the biggest mass grave in the world, a sea of blood.

It is another tragedy that underlines a harsh reality: the perilous journeys undertaken by many thousands of migrants are orchestrated by ruthless criminal networks. These gangs exploit often vulnerable individuals, luring them with false promises and charging exorbitant fees for a chance of a better life. Tragically, many lose their lives whether in the Med or the English Channel - during such treacherous crossings.

As a first-generation migrant to Britain, I've witnessed the challenges surrounding migration first-hand. For nine years, I was under immigration Control. Having arrived in the UK in June 1998 as a student from Ghana, I hadn't planned to stay, but a horrific road accident saw me stuck in hospital for seven months. In retrospect, it was serendipitous.

I used the time to study and, having finished my master's degree in 2001, set up my first business soon after. I qualified as a solicitor and today I'm licenced to practise both in the UK and Ghana.