Paris court jails six smugglers over 2021 Channel migrant disaster
A Paris court has found six men guilty of manslaughter over the November 2021 Channel drowning that killed more than 30 migrants, handing down prison sentences of six to ten years.
A Paris court has found six men guilty of manslaughter over the drowning of more than 30 migrants in the Channel in November 2021, the worst migrant disaster on record in the narrow seaway separating France and Britain.
The court said the six smugglers were directly or indirectly responsible for the tragic journey, showing “complete indifference” to human life out of sheer greed. Sentences for the six ranged from six to 10 years in prison. Seven other men were found guilty of lesser smuggling charges, including organised-gang people smuggling and criminal conspiracy, with sentences from six months suspended to four years; one man was found innocent.
The migrants perished after their overloaded dinghy deflated while crossing one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes. A French fishing vessel alerted emergency services after spotting bodies floating off the French coast near Calais. Twenty-seven victims were recovered, at least four others were never found, and only two men survived.
The victims were mainly Iraqi Kurds, but also included Afghans, Ethiopians, an Egyptian, a Somali national, an Iranian Kurd and a Vietnamese national. The youngest known victim was a seven-year-old girl.
Members of the French military are currently under formal investigation for failing to help the migrants when they were in danger.
Sources
- Paris court convicts six men of manslaughter over migrants disaster in Channel — Reuters
- Paris court convicts six men of manslaughter over migrant disaster in Channel — The Straits Times
- Six men convicted of manslaughter in Channel migrant disaster — Times Live
- Six men found guilty of manslaughter in Paris over deadliest small boat Channel crossing — Manx Radio
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