Iraqi Kurdish migrant smugglers get 15-year prison terms in France

PARIS,— A French criminal court on Tuesday sentenced eight men, including two Iraqi Kurds identified as organizers of the smuggling route, to prison terms ranging from three to fifteen years for their roles in the 2023 Channel disaster that killed seven migrants attempting to reach the United Kingdom.

The defendants were found guilty on charges that included involuntary manslaughter connected to the capsizing of an overloaded boat.

The group on trial consisted of two Iraqi nationals, six Afghans and one Sudanese man. Prosecutors said the accused helped manage a migrant-smuggling network responsible for arranging illegal passages from northern France toward British shores.

The proceedings were part of continuing efforts by French authorities to dismantle criminal groups operating between France, Germany and the UK.

The two 45-year-old Iraqi Kurds received the longest sentences of twelve and fifteen years.

Investigators described them as the principal coordinators responsible for organizing routes and logistical support that ultimately contributed to the fatal journey in which seven Afghans drowned after the vessel’s engine reportedly failed.

The remaining convicted defendants, aged 23 to 45, received penalties consistent with what prosecutors requested.

A ninth man, a Sudanese national from Darfur, was acquitted following a request by the prosecutor’s office, which argued he should be recognized as a victim rather than treated as a participant in the operation.

Authorities said he had been placed on the boat under circumstances that did not justify criminal responsibility.

During the ruling, the presiding judge stated that the defendants exploited people facing significant vulnerability and seeking passage to Britain.

The judge said that those convicted of manslaughter created the conditions that led to the deaths and exposed the other passengers to immediate danger before rescue teams could intervene.

Most of the defendants denied involvement in the crossing or in the network behind it. The Sudanese man who was acquitted addressed the court about the tragedy but denied operating the vessel.

Investigators determined that sixty-seven people had been placed on the boat when it overturned in August 2023.

All seven fatalities were Afghan nationals, while sixty other passengers were rescued through a combined response from French and British emergency services.

The investigative file presented to the court described the smuggling operation as a structured system with organizers in both France and Germany.

Officials said an Iraqi-Kurdish group based in Germany handled logistics, while an Afghan group oversaw migrant recruitment.

France and the United Kingdom have introduced cooperative measures aimed at reducing irregular migration to Britain and targeting the smuggling networks involved.

French courts continue to handle similar cases, including one earlier this year in Lille, where a separate group of Afghans and Iraqi Kurds received prison terms following a 2022 capsizing that resulted in eight deaths.

(With files from AFP)