Six Iraqi and Afghan traffickers found guilty over drowning of 31 migrants on Channel dinghy

A Paris court found six men from Iraq and Afghanistan guilty of manslaughter for the drowning of 31 migrants on a crowded dinghy in the English Channel five years ago. Seven others, including a Pakistani national, were convicted of lesser smuggling charges. Two men, who had distanced themselves from the smugglers, were allowed to serve their sentences at home with electronic monitoring.

The victims were primarily Iraqi Kurds, with others from Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Egypt, Somalia, Iran, and Vietnam. Twenty-seven bodies were recovered, with at least four still missing. The makeshift boat was deemed unsuitable for the journey due to its rudimentary equipment and engine failure. The trial revealed that Iraqi and Afghan smuggling networks collaborated in northern France to transport migrants to the UK.

Sentences for the six men found guilty of manslaughter ranged from six to 10 years in prison. The court emphasized the need to hold responsible individuals accountable for the tragedy and the exploitation of human vulnerability.