The defendants, linked to people-smuggling networks, are accused of playing a role in the sinking in which 27 people, mainly Iraqi Kurds, were confirmed dead when their inflatable dinghy sank in the early hours of November 24th, 2021. Four others are still unaccounted for. The sinking remains the deadliest recorded small-boat crossing of the Channel. The 14 individuals, most of them born in Afghanistan and Iraq, face charges including manslaughter and criminal conspiracy, the national organised crime prosecutor’s office said, for roles ranging from drivers
to those who organised the crossing. The investigating judge accuses the majority of the defendants of taking part in “the launching of a low-quality small boat, not certified, unfit for navigation on the high seas, overloaded and lacking suitable life jackets,” according to the committal order seen by AFP. Most deny any wrongdoing, with some Iraqi Kurdish defendants saying they were migrants rather than people smugglers. It was not immediately clear when the trial would start. In a separate probe linked to the sinking, at
least seven French military personnel are under investigation for failing to help a person in danger. A UK inquiry in February found some of the deaths would have been ‘avoidable’ if British and French authorities had acted sooner to rescue those onboard. Despite several distress calls, it was nearly 12 hours after the first pleas for help before the boat was finally found by a French fishing vessel. By that time, most of those on board, including seven women and two children, had drowned. Some
41,000 people made the journey last year, the second-highest annual total after nearly 46,000 crossings in 2022.
France trial 14 Channel sinking, 27 dead Iraqi Kurds, November 24 2021, manslaughter conspiracy, inflatable dinghy overloaded, unfit for navigation, distress calls 12 hours, French military personnel investigation, avoidable deaths UK inquiry, 41000 crossings 2023, 46000 crossings 2022