300 Indians stranded at a French airport show a new route of illegal immigration
About 300 Indian nationals heading to Nicaragua were stopped at a French airport for a third day on Saturday, revealing a new pattern of previously unknown illegal immigration to the US. The dramatic police operation arose from a tip-off that the people on board might be victims of human trafficking, authorities said.
Among the people on board were children and families. The youngest passenger is a 21-month-old child and among the children are several unaccompanied minors, according to the local civil protection agency.
According to the Paris prosecutor's office, two of the passengers were arrested as part of a special investigation into suspected human trafficking by an organized criminal group. Prosecutors would not comment on the type of trafficking alleged, or whether the final destination was the United States, which has seen a surge in Indians crossing the Mexico-U.S. border this year.
Extensive investigation into human trafficking
French authorities have hung white tarpaulins from the windows of the small airport in Vatry, in the Champagne region, to ensure the privacy of passengers held inside. The unmarked A340 plane, grounded since Thursday, can be seen parked near the terminal. Other flights were canceled or diverted as the airport became the focus of a vast investigation into human trafficking, of which so far little is known
The 15 crew members of the Legend Airlines charter flight – en route from Fujairah Airport in the United Arab Emirates to Managua, Nicaragua – have been questioned and released, a lawyer for the Romania-based airline said.
A surreal holiday weekend scene has been unfolding at Vatry Airport since Thursday. The flight stopped to refuel and was stopped by French police based on an anonymous tip that it might be carrying victims of human trafficking, the prosecutor's office said.
The probe, unusual and sudden, put air transport in crisis: the police cordoned off the airport and flights were interrupted, according to the administration of the Marne region. The airport is mainly used for charter and cargo flights.
According to a Marne administration official, police seized the passengers at the airport, where they spent two nights in cots while the investigation continued. The official said the passengers initially remained in the plane, surrounded by police on the tarmac, but were then moved to the airport's main lounge to sleep.
Rescue workers, a doctor and local volunteers are on site and passengers are being provided with regular meals, medical care and access to toilets and showers, said Patrick Jaloux, head of the regional civil protection service. A special section of the terminal has been equipped for families. But the investigation continues.
Indian consular representatives are stationed at the airport and are working with the French government "for the welfare of Indians" and for a "speedy resolution of the situation," the Indian embassy in France wrote on X on Saturday.
Legend Airlines' lawyer, Liliana Bakayoko, said the company is cooperating with French authorities, denies any role in possible human trafficking and "has not committed any infringement."
A “partner” company that chartered the plane was responsible for verifying each passenger's identity documents and reported passport information to the airline 48 hours before the flight, Bakayoko told The Associated Press.
The customer had chartered several flights with Legend Airlines from Dubai to Nicaragua and some other flights have already made the trip without incident. He would not identify the customer, saying only that it is not a European company.
The crew members, of different nationalities, "are quite traumatized," he said. “They wrote me messages saying they wanted to see their families for Christmas.”
Why Nicaragua
The flight is suspicious because it puts the Emirates in contact with Nicaragua, and the flights are repeated, it is not something one-off. Why connect two such particular destinations with a direct flight, with the Central American country which is known for not participating in international conventions against human trafficking and which is one of the bases from which migrants depart for the USA and Canada. At the basis, therefore, there is a large international trafficking of human beings
Thanks to our Telegram channel you can stay updated on the publication of new Economic Scenarios articles.
The article 300 Indians stranded in a French airport show a new route of illegal immigration comes from Economic Scenarios .
This is a machine translation of a post published on Scenari Economici at the URL https://scenarieconomici.it/300-indiani-bloccati-in-un-aeroporto-francese-mostrano-una-nuova-via-di-immigrazione-clandestina/ on Mon, 25 Dec 2023 10:51:25 +0000.