France 'jails 100 Britons' for Calais people smuggling
'More and more English smugglers' are getting caught trying to bring desperate people into Britain
Up to 100 British nationals have been jailed in France for attempting to smuggle people into the UK from the port of Calais, local prosecutors say.
Julie Colaert, the deputy prosecutor for the Calais region's main court, said she has seen "more and more English smugglers" in the last two years. She said the figure is only an estimate, as it is illegal to record crimes by nationality in France.
"Trafficking gangs are employing them to take people across in their own cars," she told the BBC. "The migrants pay a lot of money because it's sold as guaranteed passage to the UK."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Most recently, a man from Lancashire was sentenced to 12 months in prison for concealing two Iraqi men in the boot of his car. Basir Haji was caught at the Calais ferry terminal and admitted agreeing to smuggle them into Britain for £500. "I'm in debt. That's why I did it. I've been playing a lot of money in the casino," he said.
Mafia-run trafficking gangs are changing the way they operate, increasingly targeting students with financial difficulties, and bar owners and shopkeepers whose businesses are struggling, says the BBC.
Drivers taking people across the Channel can earn up to £2,800 per trip, but are often caught despite being told that the risks are minimal. Smugglers can face anywhere from six months to two years in prison.
News of the arrests comes as aid agencies warn of "catastrophic conditions" at the camps in Calais, where migrants lack basic sanitation, food and water. The crisis is expected to worsen in the summer months.
"It is much worse than it was before," said Martine Devries, from Médecins du Monde, told the Daily Telegraph. "There are more people and they are becoming more desperate and are taking more risks.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
The CIA is openly recruiting foreign spies in other countries
In the Spotlight The agency is posting instructions in multiple languages for people to contact them
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
'People want to understand food — but only to a point'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
How do cash-back apps work and are they worth it?
The Explainer Put a percentage of the amount you spend back in your pocket
By Becca Stanek, The Week US Published
-
Home Office worker accused of spiking mistress’s drink with abortion drug
Speed Read Darren Burke had failed to convince his girlfriend to terminate pregnancy
By The Week Staff Published
-
In hock to Moscow: exploring Germany’s woeful energy policy
Speed Read Don’t expect Berlin to wean itself off Russian gas any time soon
By The Week Staff Published
-
Were Covid restrictions dropped too soon?
Speed Read ‘Living with Covid’ is already proving problematic – just look at the travel chaos this week
By The Week Staff Last updated
-
Inclusive Britain: a new strategy for tackling racism in the UK
Speed Read Government has revealed action plan setting out 74 steps that ministers will take
By The Week Staff Published
-
Sandy Hook families vs. Remington: a small victory over the gunmakers
Speed Read Last week the families settled a lawsuit for $73m against the manufacturer
By The Week Staff Published
-
Farmers vs. walkers: the battle over ‘Britain’s green and pleasant land’
Speed Read Updated Countryside Code tells farmers: ‘be nice, say hello, share the space’
By The Week Staff Published
-
Motherhood: why are we putting it off?
Speed Read Stats show around 50% of women in England and Wales now don’t have children by 30
By The Week Staff Published
-
Anti-Semitism in America: a case of double standards?
Speed Read Officials were strikingly reluctant to link Texas synagogue attack to anti-Semitism
By The Week Staff Published