Have compassion for the desperate
■ It made me sick to my stomach to read about the deaths of the 39 people in the back of a refrigerated lorry. It’s awful to think these migrants would risk everything to be smuggled into this country at the hands of evil people traffickers.
It is time to end this vile trade in human misery and punish the perpetrators by the harshest possible means. It is also incumbent on all of us to show compassion and humanity to those who are desperate enough to make these journeys.
Liz Francis, Sheffield
■ I was absolutely mortified when I read about those poor people locked in the back of an articulated lorry and left to die. The fear and suffering they must have endured is simply beyond belief.
The perpetrators of this sickening crime should be hunted down and given life in prison. They must never be free. It takes an evil mind to profit from the trafficking of desperate people. God bless all those who died and the families they left behind. Jennifer Phelps Somerton, Somerset
■ Priti Patel and Boris Johnson can spare us their crocodile tears over the deaths of 39 migrants. Relentless scapegoating of asylumseekers and refugees by the Tories and their allies in the media has closed legitimate roads into the UK and forced desperate people to seek alternative routes here, no matter how dangerous. The Tories have their blood on their hands.
Sasha Simic, North London
■ Everyone is appalled by the horrific deaths of 39 illegal migrants in a lorry in Essex. Some have been quick to blame the UK immigration system but we need sensible controls. If the best brains in politics try to improve our systems and policies that would be what UK people want, and meanwhile, we need to clamp down on people smugglers to prevent another disaster like this.
Dan Hartley, Solihull, West Mids
■ The news of the migrant deaths is really awful. The families affected will never be the same again.
Spare a thought as well for the police and medical staff who will recall what they witnessed forever.
I just hope the victims can be identified and the families told before they find out online.
Alison Green, Norwich
■ The sympathy from Priti Patel and Boris Johnson over the deaths in Essex is hypocritical. The Tories created a “hostile environment” which forced people to enter the country illegally. Now 39 people are dead and many more are in the hands of evil people smugglers. Derek McMillan
Worthing, West Sussex
■ The deaths of the 39 migrants is a dreadful tragedy. Imagine the horror of being trapped inside a container and witnessing people around you dying one by one, knowing you will be next. We need to have compassion for these poor people. It’s simply heartbreaking.
C Coxon, Brighton