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.
Kurd - A member of an ethnic group from a region called Kurdistan, which spreads across parts of Iraq, Turkey, Iran, and Syria.
Pseudonym - A false name used to protect a person’s identity.
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.
EU - European Union. An economic and political union of 27 countries.
Hard-right - Refers to the more extreme or radical wing of the right-wing political spectrum.
Left-wing - A range of beliefs that are the opposite of right-wing ideas. People on the political left usually believe in collective responsibility and the good of society. They often, though not always, support higher taxes and a more active, interventionist government.
Go Underground - To go into hiding or start living and working in secret to avoid being found by the police or the government.
Black Economy - The part of the economy where people work and earn money that is not reported to the government, meaning they do not pay tax on it.