France has ordered 14 people to stand trial over the deaths of at least 27 immigrants in the deadliest small-boat sinking ever recorded in the English Channel, the country’s national organised crime prosecutor’s office has said.
The accused, linked to people-smuggling networks, are alleged to have played a part in the disaster on November 24, 2021, when an overloaded inflatable dinghy capsized off the coast of Calais, northern France. Most of those who drowned were Iraqi Kurds.
They face charges including manslaughter and criminal conspiracy, covering roles that ranged from driving immigrants to organising the crossing. Most of the defendants were born in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Most have denied wrongdoing, and some of the Iraqi Kurdish defendants have said they were immigrants themselves rather than smugglers. It was not immediately clear when the trial would begin.
The bodies of 17 men, seven women, two teenagers and a seven-year-old girl were recovered after the boat went down between French and British waters. Four other people remain missing and only two of those on board survived.
Investigators have said the networks treated the crossings as a business, with broadcaster France Info reporting that the suspects had taken on different roles in the pursuit of large profits. Migrants were reported to have paid around €3,000 each for a place on the boats.
In a separate investigation, seven French military personnel have been placed under formal investigation for failing to assist people in danger. They include five staff from the Regional Operational Surveillance and Rescue Centre (CROSS) at Gris-Nez and two sailors.
French authorities were accused of ignoring around 15 distress calls as the dinghy began to sink, and the case has strained relations between Paris and London over which side should do more to halt the crossings.
A British public inquiry into the disaster has been hearing evidence in parallel with the French proceedings. London has agreed to send Paris hundreds of millions of euros to step up patrols and other deterrent measures along the northern French coast.
The Channel remains one of Europe’s busiest irregular migration routes, with tens of thousands of people attempting the journey from northern France to England each year.
