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| Refugee crisis: Son of Vietnamese 'boat people' shares story of how Britain treated asylum seekers in the 1980s | Refugee crisis: Son of Vietnamese 'boat people' shares story of how Britain treated asylum seekers in the 1980s |
| (4 months later) | |
| As calls continue to grow for the UK to take in more of the hundreds of thousands of refugees fleeing to Europe, the son of a “boat person” who arrived in England in the 1980s has shared his story. | As calls continue to grow for the UK to take in more of the hundreds of thousands of refugees fleeing to Europe, the son of a “boat person” who arrived in England in the 1980s has shared his story. |
| Tat Wa Lay’s mother reached British shores in 1984 with nothing but her four children and the clothes on their backs, alongside 90 other asylum seekers from Vietnam. | Tat Wa Lay’s mother reached British shores in 1984 with nothing but her four children and the clothes on their backs, alongside 90 other asylum seekers from Vietnam. |
| Unable to speak English, she expected "hostility and racism" as they arrived in their new home on a council estate, he wrote on Facebook. | Unable to speak English, she expected "hostility and racism" as they arrived in their new home on a council estate, he wrote on Facebook. |
| “And then this happens. A young scruffy looking man steps up, takes off his coat and handed it to the freezing cold refugees. | “And then this happens. A young scruffy looking man steps up, takes off his coat and handed it to the freezing cold refugees. |
| “A gesture so touching, that everybody later followed. | “A gesture so touching, that everybody later followed. |
| “People then went home to fetch clothes they didn't need and handed it to the refugees and ensured they were all fed and watered.” | “People then went home to fetch clothes they didn't need and handed it to the refugees and ensured they were all fed and watered.” |
| The family was among up to 800,000 Vietnamese "boat people" who fled the country in the two decades after the end of the Vietnam War. | The family was among up to 800,000 Vietnamese "boat people" who fled the country in the two decades after the end of the Vietnam War. |
| The exodus, fuelled by government repression including the use of "re-education camps" and extrajudicial executions, saw many die of drowning, disease and starvation, as well as at the hands of pirates. | The exodus, fuelled by government repression including the use of "re-education camps" and extrajudicial executions, saw many die of drowning, disease and starvation, as well as at the hands of pirates. |
| Mr Tat, who now lives in Ho Chi Minh, shared his mother’s story on Facebook in a post that went viral, being shared more than 110,000 times and “liked” by almost 180,000 people by Wednesday afternoon. | Mr Tat, who now lives in Ho Chi Minh, shared his mother’s story on Facebook in a post that went viral, being shared more than 110,000 times and “liked” by almost 180,000 people by Wednesday afternoon. |
| He wrote it on Saturday, after David Cameron vowed that Britain would take in “thousands more” Syrian refugees as outrage continued following the death of three-year-old Aylan Kurdi. | |
| Mr Tat said his family would always remember the generosity of their British neighbours. | Mr Tat said his family would always remember the generosity of their British neighbours. |
| “My mother has never forgot that moment, when she was able to use a coat to wrap her boys so they could stop shivering,” he wrote. | “My mother has never forgot that moment, when she was able to use a coat to wrap her boys so they could stop shivering,” he wrote. |
| “My brother can still remember the warmth that coat gave him and it stays in his heart to this day. | “My brother can still remember the warmth that coat gave him and it stays in his heart to this day. |
| “It's these things that British people do, that make them truly British.” | “It's these things that British people do, that make them truly British.” |
| He wrote that because England took his family in, they were “able to give so much back”. | |
| Three of his relatives are now doctors in the NHS, with one working at Southmead Hospital in Bristol, while others have opened a total of 27 restaurants, takeaways and nail bars. | Three of his relatives are now doctors in the NHS, with one working at Southmead Hospital in Bristol, while others have opened a total of 27 restaurants, takeaways and nail bars. |
| “We never stole your jobs, we created our own and gave some to you,” Mr Tat added. | “We never stole your jobs, we created our own and gave some to you,” Mr Tat added. |
| “Please take a moment to think about all the Syrian refugees and think to yourself, what makes you British?” | “Please take a moment to think about all the Syrian refugees and think to yourself, what makes you British?” |
| The emotional post inspired thousands of responses, with some people sharing their own life stories as refugees in Britain, Australia and other countries around the world. | The emotional post inspired thousands of responses, with some people sharing their own life stories as refugees in Britain, Australia and other countries around the world. |
| Among the commenters was someone who “had problems” with Mr Tat’s family and other refugees when he was growing up in Bristol. The former neighbour got in touch to apologise. | Among the commenters was someone who “had problems” with Mr Tat’s family and other refugees when he was growing up in Bristol. The former neighbour got in touch to apologise. |
| Speaking to the BBC from Vietnam’s largest city, where he has moved temporarily to teach English, Mr Tat said he had no idea of the impact his post would have. | Speaking to the BBC from Vietnam’s largest city, where he has moved temporarily to teach English, Mr Tat said he had no idea of the impact his post would have. |
| “I just wanted to reach out to all the people who have a negative opinion about the current refugee crisis,” he added. | “I just wanted to reach out to all the people who have a negative opinion about the current refugee crisis,” he added. |
| “I guess I wanted to change their mindset, to tell them that refugees are really not bad people and that we have so much to give back to the society. | “I guess I wanted to change their mindset, to tell them that refugees are really not bad people and that we have so much to give back to the society. |
| “I also wanted to promote kindness. I am totally overwhelmed.” | “I also wanted to promote kindness. I am totally overwhelmed.” |
| This newspaper has started a campaign for the UK to welcome a fair share of refugees. | This newspaper has started a campaign for the UK to welcome a fair share of refugees. |
| Click here to sign The Independent's petition | Click here to sign The Independent's petition |
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