According to French media, a court in Paris sentenced four Afghan citizens to jail for participating in human trafficking, while five others received less severe punishments.
French media reports that a court in Paris has sentenced nine Afghan nationals, aged between 21 to 39, for participating in human trafficking schemes across the English Channel. Four of the convicts have received jail sentences, while five others received less severe punishments.
According to Le Monde, the authorities found the group guilty of illegally bringing in 53 persons, primarily Vietnamese and Afghani migrants, into the UK by boat in 2021. Fines of up to 30,000 euros and jail sentences of up to 6 years with a suspension have been levied on the convicts. The court sentenced one of the nine individuals who were found guilty of organizing the crossings to six years in jail and ordered him to leave France upon completion of his sentence. In addition, three others received five-year jail terms and a 25,000 euro fine, while five youngsters received lesser punishments.
London and Paris are jointly making efforts aimed at addressing the growing issue of unauthorized boat crossings to the UK. The southeast coast of England witnessed over 45,000 migrant arrivals in only one year, marking a significant increase from the 28,000 found the previous year, according to British authorities.