Between €1,500 and €4,000 Per Crossing: Ten Migrant Smugglers Face Justice After Boat Sinks
A network of smugglers, most of them hailing from Afghanistan, are currently on trial in Lille, northern France, for manslaughter. The boat they chartered in December 2022 capsized, killing four passengers.
An unprecedented trial opened in Lille on Monday, June 16: 10 migrant smugglers are being tried for manslaughter, for chartering an inflatable boat that sank while traveling from France to the United Kingdom. Among the 40 illegal immigrants on board, four drowned in the English Channel and four others disappeared. The hearing, which will last five days, will provide a better understanding of how the smuggling networks in northern France operate. Since the beginning of the year, at least 15 migrants have died in the English Channel, one of the world's busiest waterways, and where weather conditions are often difficult, according to an AFP (Agence France-Presse) count based on official figures. In 2024, a record 78 died in crossing.
In addition to manslaughter, the defendants are all accused of aiding the illegal entry, movement, or stay of a foreigner in France, participating in organized crime, and endangering others. Two of them are also being prosecuted for money laundering. In the dock…
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