French court sentences 13 men over deadliest small-boat crossing to UK

What the report says

A French court in Paris has sentenced 13 men for their roles in a deadly migrant smuggling case linked to a 2021 English Channel crossing from northern France to the United Kingdom, according to Al Jazeera. The case involved a small boat that prosecutors said was overcrowded, unsafe for open water and lacked adequate life jackets. The crossing ended in tragedy when the vessel capsized in November 2021.

Al Jazeera reported that six of the defendants were found guilty of involuntary homicide and received prison terms ranging from six to 10 years. Seven others were convicted of lesser offences and were given sentences of up to four years. One of the 14 people on trial was acquitted. The court said the smugglers had acted out of greed and profited from the vulnerability of migrants seeking to travel to Britain.

The victims were mostly Iraqi Kurds. Thirty-one migrants died, four bodies were never recovered, and two men survived, according to the report. Al Jazeera also noted that seven military personnel remain under investigation over allegations that they failed to assist the survivors, though they deny wrongdoing. The ruling comes as France and the UK were ending a pilot migration scheme that allowed some returns between the two countries, underscoring continued political pressure over Channel crossings and smuggling networks.