French Court Sentences 13 Men Over Deadliest English Channel Migrant Crossing

A French court has sentenced 13 men to prison for their involvement in the deadliest small-boat crossing of migrants from France to the United Kingdom.

The Paris court on Wednesday found six of the defendants guilty of involuntary homicide and sentenced them to between six and 10 years in prison. Prosecutors said the men organised the dangerous crossing of a small boat that was overloaded with 31 migrants, unsuitable for open-sea travel and lacking adequate life jackets.

The remaining seven defendants were convicted of lesser offences and received prison sentences of up to four years. One of the 14 men who stood trial was acquitted.

The migrants, most of whom were Iraqi Kurds, drowned after the boat capsized in the English Channel in November 2021 while attempting to reach Britain. Four bodies were never recovered, while two migrants survived.

The court said the smugglers had exploited vulnerable migrants for financial gain.

Seven military personnel are also under investigation over allegations that they failed to assist the migrants after the boat encountered difficulties. The personnel have denied wrongdoing.

The convictions come as France and the UK conclude a pilot migration agreement that allowed Britain to return migrants from France who were deemed not to have a legal right to remain in the UK. In exchange, Britain accepted an equivalent number of migrants whose asylum claims were considered likely to succeed.

The British Interior Ministry confirmed that new applications under the scheme were no longer being accepted, although reports suggested the UK government was considering extending the programme.

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