Fourteen people will go on trial in France over the deaths of at least 27 migrants in November 2021 in the deadliest recorded small-boat crossing of the Channel, prosecutors said Tuesday. The defendants, linked to people-smuggling networks, are accused of playing a role in the sinking in which at least 27 people, mainly Iraqi Kurds, died when their inflatable dinghy sank in the early hours of November 24, 2021. Four others are still believed to remain missing, AFP reported. The sinking remains the deadliest recorded small-boat crossing of the Channel, a route used by thousands of migrants each year to reach Britain from France. The 14 individuals, most of them born in Afghanistan and Iraq, face charges including manslaughter and criminal conspiracy, the national organized crime prosecutor's office said, for roles ranging from drivers to those who organized the crossing. Most deny any wrongdoing, with some Iraqi Kurdish defendants saying they were migrants rather than people smugglers. It was not immediately clear when the trial would start. In a separate probe linked to the sinking, at least seven French military personnel are under investigation for failing to help a person in danger. A UK inquiry in February found some of the deaths would have been "avoidable" if British and French authorities had acted sooner to rescue those onboard. Despite several distress calls, the boat was found by a French fishing vessel nearly 12 hours after the first pleas for help were made. By that time, most of the people on board, including seven women and two children, had drowned. France has long been a launchpad for migrants hoping to cross the Channel and start a better life in Britain. Efforts by Britain and France to curb the crossings have largely failed, with some 41,000 people making the journey last year, the second-highest annual total after nearly 46,000 crossings in 2022.
