French justice has ruled. Twenty-five Indian passengers from the plane grounded at the end of last week in Marne who requested political asylum in France were released on Tuesday by the judge, said the Bobigny public prosecutor’s office (Seine-Saint-Denis).
Their release was decided by the liberty and detention judge for formal reasons. The latter estimated that “the director of the Border Police at Roissy-Charles de Gaulle airport had not contacted him within the deadline with a view to obtaining an extension of their retention in the waiting zone for 8 days », Explained the Bobigny prosecutor’s office. “They are therefore free to act and act even if they are in an irregular situation on French territory,” said the prosecution regarding these Indian nationals who requested political asylum in France.
An anonymous tip had launched the trail of human trafficking
The administrative authority appealed these decisions, added the prosecution. Among the 25 passengers, five minors were entrusted to the department’s child welfare system and placed in care. These people represent only a small part of the 303 passengers who boarded a plane of the Romanian company Legend Airlines in Dubai (United Arab Emirates).
They hoped to reach Managua, the capital of Nicaragua, but the stopover for refueling at Vatry airport, in Marne, resulted in the plane being grounded for four days. An anonymous tip, suggesting human trafficking, led to a long mobilization of the authorities over the Christmas weekend. A temporary waiting area was even created from scratch in this small airport to confine passengers.
The qualification of “trafficking in human beings by an organized gang” was ultimately not accepted at this stage, because the 303 Indians apparently boarded this plane voluntarily. The two people placed in police custody, suspected of being smugglers, were released by the courts. The plane was able to take off again on Monday towards Bombay, with 276 Indian passengers on board.