Fourteen men accused of facilitating a migrant crossing that ended in one of the deadliest tragedies in the English Channel are standing trial in France.
The proceedings opened on Tuesday in Paris, with 114 civil parties, including relatives of those who died, taking part in the case. The defendants are accused of involvement in a smuggling operation that arranged the journey from northern France to the United Kingdom.
The tragedy occurred on November 24, 2021, when an inflatable boat carrying migrants and asylum seekers encountered difficulties while crossing the Channel. At least 31 people are reported to have died, while two survivors were rescued and several others remained unaccounted for.
The victims were predominantly Iraqi Kurds, with others from Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Egypt and Vietnam. Their ages ranged from seven to 46.
French investigators allege that smuggling networks involving Afghan and Iraqi Kurdish groups organised the crossing. The accused face charges that include manslaughter and facilitating illegal immigration as part of an organised criminal group.
Nine of the defendants were present when the trial began, including one who is being held in custody. Two others are being tried in absentia after authorities were unable to locate them.
Prosecutors told the court that the vessel used for the crossing was unsuitable for the journey, describing it as an uncertified and unsafe inflatable boat that was overcrowded and did not have sufficient life jackets.
According to court documents, a French fishing vessel alerted authorities after reporting seeing bodies in the water near the British coast.
One of the survivors, Issa Omar, described the final moments of the journey in a statement read to the court. He recalled the passengers attempting to remove water from the boat before it suddenly overturned.
The tragedy has also prompted scrutiny of the response by authorities on both sides of the Channel. A UK inquiry published in February concluded that some of the deaths could have been prevented and found that a French naval vessel did not respond to an alert from the UK coastguard. Despite numerous distress calls being made to French and British rescue services, the vessel was not located until almost 12 hours later.
The trial is expected to continue for approximately three weeks.
