French Judiciary tasked with determining destiny of 300 alleged trafficking victims from India

About 300 Indian citizens, including children and families, en route to Central America, have been held at Paris-Vatry Airport since Thursday. A police operation was initiated following a tip on suspected human trafficking. Judges in France were expected to decide on Sunday whether to extend their detention at the small airport in Champagne country. The urgency is due to the legal limitation of keeping foreigners in a waiting area for more than 96 hours. If not extended, the passengers will be free to leave the country.

Unprecedented legal proceedings underway

The situation involves a unique legal scenario in France, with judges determining the fate of the detained passengers. Legal proceedings, including multiple hearings, are taking place simultaneously to address the urgent matter. The passengers are being held following a tip about a potential human trafficking scheme, and the police operation was triggered to investigate this suspicion.

ALSO READ: Deadly storm claims lives: 13 killed in Coastal City tragedy in Argentina

The passengers were on a Legend Airlines charter flight from Fujairah airport in the United Arab Emirates to Managua, Nicaragua. Two passengers were detained in connection with a special investigation into suspected human trafficking by an organized criminal group. The French Civil Aviation Authority is working to secure permissions for the plane to take off, aiming to resolve the situation by Monday morning.

Increasing Indian migration through Mexico

The surge in Indians crossing the Mexico-U.S. border has raised concerns. The Mexican Immigration Agency reported a significant increase in Indian migrants from fewer than 3,000 in 2022 to over 11,000 from January to November this year. The U.S. government has designated Nicaragua as one of the countries failing to meet minimum standards for eliminating human trafficking. The situation highlights the complex challenges of migration routes and the efforts to combat human trafficking.

ALSO READ: Biden grants pardons en masse, clearing records for thousands with marijuana convictions