Six smugglers jailed for manslaughter over worst Channel small boats disaster

What the report says

A French court in Paris has convicted six people smugglers of involuntary homicide over the deaths of 31 migrants in the deadliest small-boat disaster ever in the English Channel. The case stems from a crossing on 24 November 2021, when the overloaded boat sank after distress calls were sent to French and British coastguards. The victims included a child aged seven and people from Iraqi Kurd, Afghan, Egyptian and Iranian Kurdish backgrounds. Only two men survived.

BBC World News reported that the trial found the defendants were part of two co-operating smuggling networks, one mainly Iraqi Kurdish and the other Afghan, that arranged the journey from the French coast. Prosecutors said the boat was unsuitable for sea travel and lacked proper life jackets. Sentences ranged from six to 10 years, while seven others received shorter terms and one person was acquitted. The court also issued arrest warrants for six defendants who appeared as free men.

The verdict came as a separate police inquiry continued into seven members of the French armed forces over alleged failures to respond to the emergency. Families of some victims attended the trial and gave testimony about the people who died, underscoring the personal impact of the case. More broadly, the ruling highlights the continuing risks of Channel crossings and the criminal networks that profit from them.