Macron’s rivals could ‘exploit’ migrant crisis says Dr Ehsan

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The individuals were found guilty of participating in a network that helped migrants cross into the UK by sea this summer. The police estimated that their participation in smuggling nearly 530 migrants across the channel between June and August, made them a total turnover of 1.3 million euros (£1.1 million)

In a court hearing in Boulogne-sur-Mer, the three men were given prison sentences ranging from one to four years in length.

The sentencing took place on Monday, December 7.

The men were not masterminds of the smuggling network but played a key role.

Minister Gerald Darmanin spoke out about the issue, writing on Twitter: “We must fight against smugglers who exploit human misery.

“Since January 1, we have arrested more than 1,400 of them and 41 criminal organisations have been dismantled.”

The individuals were arrested by police while driving around Calais. Upon their arrest, police found in their car buoys and a person ready to cross the Channel.

The police also found numerous videos on phones relating to their actions.

In some of the footage, migrants who made the crossing thanked the men for their help.

While another video, which was shared on the video-based social media platform TikTok, shows one of the men on a boat, praising the beauty of the view and talking about his clients who managed to cross.

During the trial, the man who appeared in the video defended himself by saying: “Have you ever seen a smuggler filming himself?”

The president of the court responded: “It looks like promotion, when we see you, it looks easy and pleasant.”

The police also seized a notebook from the group’s vehicle which contained more than 150 names, some of which are marked with the term “baby”.

Next to each of the names in the notebook is a sum: 174,000 euros in total.

At Monday’s hearing, the deputy prosecutor referred to the men’s position in the network, calling them “handlers”.

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She said that being a smuggler is like being a member of a big company.

One of the lawyers argued against the use of the word “smuggler”, suggesting it doesn’t mean anything anymore.

Numerous times during the hearing, the defendants burst into tears and denied their actions and said they did not organise anything.

However, according to France Bleu, the court president responded to one of the group by saying: “Whatever the reasons, you got people on boats that you didn’t take. That is being a smuggler.”

The Prefecture of Pas-de-Calais addressed the news of the group’s prison sentences in a tweet on Monday, noting that smuggling networks remained a “top priority” for them.

The tweet reads: “The fight against criminal smuggling networks, which exploit vulnerable migrant populations by exposing them to extremely dangerous sea crossings to the UK, is a top priority.”

The three men – a Syrian and two Iraqi Kurds – were sent to jail just ten days after 27 migrants drowned attempting to cross the Channel after their boat sank in the Calais area.

The migrants were attempting to cross the channel in an inflatable dinghy.

French prime minister Jean Castex described the incident as a “tragedy”.

He said: “My thoughts are with the many missing and injured, victims of criminal smugglers who exploit their distress and injury.”

Additional reporting by Maria Ortega

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