As K Exton rightly points out (Letters, May 1) photographs and film of the of refugees coming via North Africa show mainly males.

If the pictures are of those saved in the most recent capsizing the reason will be that as reported the women and children in the group had been locked in the hold by the traffickers.

If they are of a typical group of refugees, the case histories show that families in Africa and other poverty-stricken areas scrape together enough money to send one of their sons with instructions to earn money to send home. This they do.

The value of the remittances sent from the UK to developing countries by such economic migrants is double the value of the UK foreign aid budget as described by Bob Waite (Letters, same date).

The amount remitted gives the lie to the cheap sneers that their motive for coming here is for an easy life.

Since they have to pay national insurance and cover their cost of living, their families have reason to be proud of them.

Maurice Vassie, Deighton, York.