French court jails people-smugglers who sent small boats to UK

A French court has convicted 18 people for their involvement in a human trafficking network that smuggled thousands of migrants to the UK across the English Channel.

The group, which had been under investigation since 2022, was found responsible for arranging more than 10,000 small-boat crossings over a two-year period.

According to the UK’s National Crime Agency, it made around €100,000 per crossing. Most of the convicted individuals come from Iraq – with some from Iran, Poland, France and the Netherlands – and were handed prison sentences ranging from two to ten years. The presumed leader was sentenced to 15 years and fined €200,000.

Since the start of this year, more than 30,000 migrants have arrived in the UK by boat from France (more than last year’s total), and at least 60 have drowned trying.

Today, Keir Starmer will discuss his plans to combat “organised immigration crime” with European leaders in Hungary.