Should we have a safe and legal asylum route? A BBC investigation has found people pay thousands to get smuggled into the UK. Politicians disagree on how to deal with the issue.
BBC unmasks people smuggler ‘king’
Deadly crossings: Small boats packed with dozens of desperate people continue to make the perilous journey across the English Channel, as politicians remain deadlocked over how to stop the crossings and dismantle the smuggling gangs behind them. Glossary
Market - The system where people buy and sell goods (like food or shoes) or services (like transport). It is driven by supply and demand.
Smuggles - The act of moving goods or people illegally into or out of a country.
Kurd - A member of an ethnic group from a region called Kurdistan, which spreads across parts of Iraq, Turkey, Iran, and Syria.
Iraq - A country in the Middle East with a population of 43.5m.
Channel - The English Channel, also known as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates Southern England from northern France.
Corruption - When someone abuses their power for personal gain. It often involves bribery.
Asylum - When a state agrees to shelter somebody who is fleeing dangerous circumstances. The right to asylum is protected in international law by the 1951 Refugee Convention.
Perverse - Being deliberately unreasonable, awkward or illogical.
Refugees - Anyone fleeing conflict or persecution is defined as a refugee by the UN as a refugee, regardless of where they are from.