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English Channel Smuggling Ring Sentences
A large migrant smuggling ring operating in the English Channel has resulted in lengthy prison sentences for 18 members, highlighting the dangers of irregular migration across the Channel.
French
France
Human Rights ViolationsFranceCrimeRefugees And MigrationSentencingMigrantsSmugglingChannel
EuropolEurojust
Mirkhan Rasoul
- What was seized during the operation?
- The other seventeen defendants received sentences ranging from one to twelve years, along with fines and bans from France. Nine defendants were sentenced in absentia, with arrest warrants issued.
- What is the next step for the defendants?
- At least 60 deaths have been recorded in 2024 due to the dangerous crossings of the English Channel, highlighting the risks associated with this perilous journey. The defendants have ten days to appeal their sentences.
- What sentence did the ringleader receive?
- The ringleader, Mirkhan Rasoul, received the harshest sentence: fifteen years with two-thirds mandatory imprisonment and a ban from French territory. He was also fined 200,000 euros and is accused of orchestrating the operation from a French prison cell.
- How many deaths have been recorded in 2024 from the crossings?
- Over 50 searches resulted in the seizure of numerous items used in the smuggling operation, including life vests, inflatable boats, and boat engines. The operation involved international collaboration between France, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands and the UK.
- What were the sentences given to the members of the migrant smuggling ring?
- Eighteen members of a large migrant smuggling ring operating in the English Channel were sentenced to prison terms of up to fifteen years. The network, primarily comprised of Iraqi-Kurds, facilitated crossings from northern France to England between 2020 and 2022.