San Francisco Frontiers - France court jails migrant smugglers over 2022 Channel deaths

France and Britain have vowed to crack down on people smugglers who heap migrants on flimsy dinghies to make the dangerous Channel crossing in exchange for thousands of dollars.

In the latest such case to go to court in France, a small boat departed France early on December 14, 2022, carrying people from Afghanistan, Albania, India and Senegal.

Four people died and four went missing after the dinghy burst a few kilometres (miles) from the English coast.

Only one of the bodies was identified -- that of an Afghan man.

Rescuers saved 39 people from drowning.

A court in the French city of Lille sentenced three men to eight years behind bars.

They included an Afghan being tried in absentia and thought to be the mastermind of the smuggling operation.

It handed the rest seven-year sentences over the disaster.

They included two Afghan brothers accused of financing the operation and another Afghan who admitted to summoning passengers for the crossing, although he claimed he did it after being threatened.

The court ordered all to pay 50,000 to 100,000 euros ($58,000 to 117,000) in fines, and to leave French territory at the end of their sentences.

A tenth man, who is being held in Belgium, is to be tried at a later date.

A British court has already sentenced a Senegalese minor who steered the boat to nine years in jail, French prosecutors said.

During the trial earlier this month, the prosecutor said the dinghy involved in the accident had been "completely unsuitable for navigation on high seas".

She said the defendants had been benefitting from a "highly lucrative" illegal trade, with migrants paying on average 3,500 euros ($4,000) for the crossing.

- Loud bang -

According to the investigation, several people heard a loud bang that sounded like the dinghy had been punctured before the departure.

The smugglers told the passengers not to worry and that the boat was the only one available for the crossing.

But the sea was rough and there were not enough life jackets for all the passengers.

Those who died were not wearing any, according to the testimony of survivors.

After one or two hours, the boat filled with water and panicked passengers stood up to get the attention of another ship.

But the hull of the capsizing boat burst under the weight of the water.

All the passengers fell into the freezing sea.

The 2022 accident was one of the deadliest in the Channel in recent years.

In November 2021, another deadly incident killed 27 people off the French coast, in a case that has not yet gone to court.

At least 17 people have died attempting the Channel crossing this year, after a record 78 lost their lives last year.

As part of efforts to stem migrant crossings, French authorities intervene on land to try to prevent boats leaving.

They also intervene at sea but only to rescue passengers if a boat asks for help.

Paris says it is now considering also stopping migrant boats in its shallow coastal waters, though the move raises both safety and legal issues.

C.Lewis--SFF