10 arrested in France over deaths of 27 migrants in English Channel

PARIS (AA) – One person has been indicted by a court in Paris and nine others may soon be charged over the deaths of 27 migrants in the English Channel in November 2021.

French police arrested 13 men and two women for their involvement in what the UN migration agency had described as the “worst disaster on record” in the Channel.

Aged between 18 and 41, most of the suspects are Afghan nationals, while three are French. Three of the suspects are women.

Of the 15, one has been indicted for homicide and involuntary injuries endangering others, and assistance with the entry and stay of a foreigner in France in an organized gang.

Five were released without any charges and nine others will be taken before a judge who will decide whether to indict them or not.

A Paris court opened a judicial investigation into the tragic incident last December.

Just two people survived after a boat carrying 29 migrants sank off the French coast on November 24. Most of them were asylum seekers from Iraq, Afghanistan and Ethiopia.

Initial investigations revealed that French and British authorities did not respond to calls for help, passing on the responsibility of rescue efforts to each other.

Lamis Abdelaaty recently authored research published by Oxford University on the discriminatory treatment by European governments of refugees from Ukraine and those from middle eastern and African countries. She says, “Many people across Europe and the United States see these images of Ukrainian refugees and they see themselves, a family member and others who resemble themselves. Research shows that people tend to sympathize more with people they see as part of their own group, and that is part of the reason why we’re seeing such a different response to these refugees now. People fleeing Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq were not viewed as being like us; they’re viewed with suspicion and hostility.”