The sentence of five years in prison for assistance with irregular stay is maintained. However, the Douai appeals court in the North acquitted an Afghan smuggler of manslaughter Thursday after the death of a migrant in the Strait of Pas de Calais, we learned from his lawyer.
The 31-year-old smuggler was sentenced in December by the court in Boulogne-sur-Mer, Pas-de-Calais, to five years in prison for manslaughter and irregular stay assistance, after the death of this Iranian woman in the North Sea, during a clandestine crossing to England in August 2019.
"No more link with the death of this young Iranian woman"
"The Court of Appeal comes to remove any legal link between this man and this tragedy: he is indeed a smuggler, involved and punished for assistance with an irregular stay, but there is no longer any link with the death of this young Iranian "Explained his lawyer, Emmanuel Riglaire.
At first instance, the Afghan denied any involvement in the organization of the passages, but admitted having "helped load boats into the vehicle" to finance his crossing.
Over 2,700 migrants attempted to cross the strait
Another smuggler, a Dutch national, had been sentenced at first instance to three years in prison. He did not appeal.
Since the end of 2018, attempts to cross have multiplied in the Channel despite the danger linked to the density of traffic, strong currents and low water temperature. In 2019, 2,758 migrants trying to cross the Channel were intercepted, four times more than in 2018, according to the maritime prefecture.
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