Mother, I Want to Come Home:
Kien’s Story
Coming from a rural village in central Vietnam, Kien dreamt of a life out of poverty for him and his parents. When he heard there was construction work available in the UK, he and his family saw hope.
They borrowed 1.2 billion dong – around £40,000 – to fund his journey, believing he could repay the debt within a few years. After that, the money he earned would transform their lives.
But when Kien arrived in the UK the reality was very different. He was left waiting for months before being taken to a workplace. It was not the construction site he had been promised, but an indoor farm where he was forced to tend illegal plants.
Just three weeks later, Kien was arrested. With no legal status or fixed address, he was remanded into custody to await trial.
From custody, he called his mother in Vietnam. He told her everyone at home should not worry and that he was doing fine. Before hanging up, he cried out:
“Mother, I want to come home!”
Shortly after, feeling there was no way out, Kien tragically took his own life. Not a penny of the family’s debt had been repaid.
In their grief, Kien’s parents reached out to Locate International. They needed answers – was their son really dead? And if so, could he be brought home to them?
Our specialist in Vietnamese trafficking and missing person cases, Dr Chung Pham, worked tirelessly and in less than three weeks, she was able to confirm the family’s worst fears and arrange for his remains to be repatriated to Vietnam.
Kien was finally reunited with his loved ones.
Dr Chung Pham
Sadly, not all missing persons cases have a happy ending, but it is important that we can provide closure to families who seek our help in finding out what has happened to their loved one.
If you need help or support relating to Vuong Dinh Kien
If you are worried about a missing loved one, please reach out to us on the form below. We are an independent, trusted charity with extensive experience helping families in difficult and sensitive circumstances. It is a completely free of charge service.
We are here to help, not to judge you or your loved one. You can contact us without fear – we will treat your information in strict confidence.
You do not need to speak English to contact us. Dr Chung Pham, our Vietnamese Ambassador, is available to support you and can personally take on your case.