The Indian Embassy in France informed on Friday (22nd December) that they have secured consular access to Indian nationals detained at a French airport. The development came after a Nicaragua-bound flight carrying 303 passengers, mostly Indians, was held by French authorities when it landed at the airport in Vary city near Paris. As per reports, the passengers are suspected to be victims of “human trafficking“.
The Paris Vatry Airport has been put on lockdown after the detention of the Airbus A340-300 flight operated by Romanian company Legend Airlines, with all departures and arrivals cancelled.
According to the prosecutor’s office, an anonymous tip signalled that the flight was carrying people who could be victims of human trafficking. Additionally, two people were arrested in this suspected case of “human trafficking” on Friday, as per local authorities.
Taking to X, the Indian Embassy in France stated that it had reached out to the authorities and secured consular access. Ensuring the well-being of passengers, it added that it is investigating the situation.
The post read, “French authorities informed us of a plane with 303 people, mostly of Indian origin, from Dubai to Nicaragua detained on a technical halt at a French airport. The embassy team has reached & obtained consular access. We are investigating the situation, also ensuring the wellbeing of passengers.”
French authorities informed us of a plane w/ 303 people, mostly Indian origin, from Dubai to Nicaragua detained on a technical halt at a French airport. Embassy team has reached & obtained consular access. We are investigating the situation, also ensuring wellbeing of passengers.
— India in France (@IndiaembFrance) December 22, 2023
On Friday, local French media reported that French authorities stated the Airbus A340 plane, which took off from Fujairah airport in the United Arab Emirates carrying 303 Indian passengers, was grounded in France on Thursday over suspected ‘human trafficking.’ The flight landed in Vatry at around 3 p.m. on Thursday, December 21, after 8 hours of flight. It was supposed to take off again towards Managua, capital of Nicaragua, after refuelling in Paris-Vatry.
French authorities said, “During this technical stopover, at the request of the judicial authority, the Air Transport Gendarmerie Brigade (BGTA) intervened and the aircraft, an A340, was immobilized. The reception hall at Vatry airport has been transformed into a waiting area with individual beds in order to provide passengers with the best possible reception conditions.” They said that “303 passengers of Indian nationality are on board. Some are suspected of being illegal immigrants.”
The French anti-organised crime unit JUNALCO had taken over the investigation, as reported by the ‘Le Monde’ newspaper. Apart from Investigators from a specialised French organised crime unit, border police, and aviation gendarmes are also working on the case. While Indian Embassy said that the people in the flight are ‘mostly Indians’, Le Monde said that all 303 people are Indians.
In a statement, the office of the Paris prosecutor said that special investigators are questioning all those aboard and two people are in custody pending further examination.
According to the prefecture in the northeastern department of Marne, the flight A340 which is operated by a Romanian company named Legend Airlines, “remained grounded on the tarmac at Vatry airport following its landing” on Thursday. The Vatry airport is 150 kilometres east of Paris and it serves mostly budget airlines.
As per reports, the prefecture said that the plane had landed in France for refuelling and was carrying 303 Indian nationals who had probably been working in the UAE. The travel may have been planned by the Indian passengers to reach Central America from where they can attempt to enter the United States or Canada illegally.
After the flight was grounded, passengers were initially kept on the aircraft, but later they were allowed to disembark and provided with individual beds to sleep in the terminal building on Thursday night. Police have cordoned off the airport. French authorities said that “Identity checks are being carried on the 303 passengers and on the cabin crew.”
Meanwhile, the aircraft operating company, Legend Airlines, through its lawyer denied any involvement in the trafficking. The firm’s lawyer, Liliana Bakayoko told French news channel BFMTV that the firm is ready to cooperate with the French authorities and hoped the plane could be on its way in the next couple of days.
She said that Legend Airlines “intervenes as a carrier” and the flight was carried out for “a client of the company”.
According to the lawyer, the airline verified “the conformity of the documents presented by the client, who must demonstrate that these people have the right to go to Nicaragua, and have valid passports”. However, she added that the company cannot check the criminal records of the people transported.
She added, “303 people is not a number that raises alarm. They are not locked in a truck without ventilation and food. The airline is unhappy. It is a significant economic loss, but their image also suffers.”
As per the Flightradar website, Legend Air has a small fleet of four aircraft.
In accordance with French law, French border police have the authority to detain a foreign national for an initial period of up to four days upon landing in France if they are prevented from proceeding to their intended destination. This duration can be extended to eight days with judicial approval, and in exceptional circumstances, another eight days can be granted, reaching a maximum detention period of 26 days.
Additionally, Human trafficking attracts a potential sentence of up to 20 years in France.
It is important to note that the UN, along with various national and international agencies, has highlighted numerous cases of individuals being trafficked under the allure of better opportunities in foreign countries, especially in Western nations. When these individuals fail to secure visas to their intended destinations, they often resort to attempting illegal entry into these nations, exposing themselves to life-threatening risks and becoming vulnerable to human traffickers.
