A French court has convicted six people traffickers of involuntary homicide following the deadliest small-boat disaster in the English Channel, which claimed 31 lives in November 2021. The defendants received prison terms ranging from six to ten years after a four-week trial in Paris, according to the BBC.
The vessel sank in the early hours of 24 November 2021 after issuing distress calls to both French and British coastguards. Among the dead were mainly Iraqi Kurds, as well as Afghans, Egyptians and Iranian Kurds. A seven-year-old child was among the victims. Only two men survived the disaster.
Fourteen people faced trial in connection with the tragedy. Seven received lesser sentences of up to four years, whilst one defendant was found not guilty. The court issued six arrest warrants following the verdict, as most defendants had appeared as free men during proceedings.
Two criminal networks worked together
The trial established that the convicted men belonged to two separate people-smuggling operations – one Iraqi Kurd, the other Afghan – which collaborated to organise the cross-Channel journey. Prosecutors said the migrants had been sent to sea in a vessel “that was of poor quality, uncertified, unsuitable for navigation at sea, overloaded, and without correct life jackets”.
Police used phone tracking to identify network members. Those convicted of lesser charges were accused of sheltering migrants, transporting them across France to the unofficial camp near Calais, and assisting on the night of departure.
The heaviest sentence, ten years, was handed to Obaidullah Maroofkhel, who ran the Afghan network. He was tried in absentia alongside one other defendant. Harem Ahmed Abawaker, described as a close aide to the alleged leader of the Iraqi Kurd network, received eight years. The supposed head of that network, named only as Bashdar, did not stand trial; he remains in custody in Iraq.
Families gave testimony in court
In an unusual step, several family members travelled from Iraqi Kurdistan to attend the trial and gave evidence about how their loved ones came to board the fatal crossing.
Zana Marmand Muhammed told the court his younger brother Twana “wanted to go to England to find a job and because the geopolitical situation with us is dangerous. No-one in the family wanted him to leave, but we could not dissuade him.”
Nabi Mustafa Mina, whose 19-year-old son Zanyar died in the disaster, recounted his attempts to stop the journey. “I said I would help him to get married, I would give him my house, I would divide my salary in two. But no, he said he wanted a better life, that he would get by somehow. I ran out of arguments,” he said.
The families explained they had paid deposits at a bank in Iraqi Kurdistan and then tracked their relatives’ journeys through Turkey, Italy and France. One of the last messages from Twana showed him photographed at the Eiffel Tower.
One survivor, Issa Omar, submitted a statement through his lawyer saying he “would have liked to appear before the judge but I do not have the strength. Since the wreck I have the impression that part of me disappeared beneath the waves.” His lawyer Matthieu Chirez said Omar had “clung to floating bodies, to a life-jacket. He survived by keeping his eyes open so as not to go to sleep, and swimming to keep his heart beating”.
Speaking after the verdict, lawyer Matthieu Chirez said the decision “comes as a relief for all the civil plaintiffs because it confirms the penal responsibility of the traffickers”. He added that the trial had “humanised the families of victims”.
A separate investigation is examining seven members of the French armed forces for allegedly failing to assist the migrants. The individuals, either at a regional sea rescue centre or aboard a naval vessel, are accused of ignoring distress calls. A decision on whether to recommend them for trial is expected in the coming months.
What this means for Poles in the UK
The case highlights ongoing challenges with illegal Channel crossings and people-smuggling operations that continue to put lives at risk. For Polish nationals in the UK, this verdict underscores the dangers of irregular migration routes and the criminal networks that exploit vulnerable people.
Poles living in Britain who have family or friends considering migration to the UK should be aware that only legal routes – such as work visas, family reunification schemes or asylum applications made through proper channels – offer safe passage. The UK and France recently scrapped their “one in, one out” migrant exchange scheme, which had seen just over 1,000 people switch countries in a year, after both governments concluded it was not effective in dismantling trafficking operations.
Anyone with information about people-smuggling activity can report it confidentially to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or via the UK’s Modern Slavery Helpline on 08000 121 700. The Home Office website provides guidance on legal immigration routes and asylum procedures.
