French Court Convicts 18 Human Traffickers, Jails Ringleader for 15 Years

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said this week that smuggling humans should be viewed as a ‘global security threat similar to terrorism.’

A group of Kurdish migrants from Iran and Iraq who failed in their attempt to reach the UK by boat walk back to the town of Ambleteuse in France on May 19, 2024. Bernat Armangue/AP

A French court has found 18 people guilty of smuggling illegal immigrants across the English Channel to the UK.

Fourteen of the 18 defendants are from Iraq, with the others being French, Polish, Dutch, and Iranian.