An Airbus A340 from Vatry airport in France landed in Mumbai today in the wee hours of the morning.
It was under a four-day detention in France over allegations of human trafficking. The plane is carrying
276 passengers of which most are Indians. It had taken off from Vatry airport near Paris at 2.30 am local
time.

After landing in Vatry last Friday, it was found that there were 11 unaccompanied minors among 303
passengers. All the stranded passengers were provided with makeshift beds, meals along with hot
drinks, access to toilets and showers in the halls of the airport during the four-day detention there.
French authorities have confirmed that 276 passengers had boarded for the flight to Mumbai. The
remaining 27 individuals, including five minors, stayed back on French soil seeking asylum.

WHY WAS THE PLANE GROUNDED?

The flight that was a charter service from Dubai had landed at Vatry airport that is around 160 km from
Paris to refuel. It was then grounded after a tip-off the passengers were "likely to be victims of human
trafficking".
According to news agency AFP sources, the plane may be linked to a crime syndicate attempting to
smuggle individuals into the United States. The investigation is now under the jurisdiction of France's
anti-organised crime unit, JUNALCO.

At the moment, it is not known exactly how many Indians are among the 276 passengers or the
nationality of the other flyers.
The Nicaragua-bound Airbus A340 was carrying 303 passengers, most of them Indians, when it reached
Vatry airport near Paris last Friday. It was grounded there on its arrival after an anonymous tip-off that
the passengers could be potential trafficking victims.

The flight's connection to Nicaragua has come under suspect as the central American nation has seen a
surge in individuals seeking asylum in the United States. US Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) have
presented data to show that there has been a significant increase in Indians attempting to enter the US
illegally. 96,917 were recorded in the fiscal year 2023 representing a 51.61 percent jump from 2022.

It is a matter of concern that methods employed by some migrants are illegal and dangerous. Known as
'donkey flights', where individuals transit through third countries with lenient travel document
requirements to reach their final destinations, they can have fatal consequences, but immigrants are
either oblivious or willing to undertake the risks involved.
If proven, human trafficking carries severe consequences in France, with a potential sentence of up to
20 years.

 

WHY 27 PASSENGERS HAVE STAYED BACK IN FRANCE

27 passengers on board the alleged charter plane held in France for four days over suspected human
trafficking stayed back. The aircraft, meantime, has flown out and landed in Mumbai after obtaining
legal clearances.

A local official said these include 20 adults and five minors who have sought asylum in France. The
authorities have held back from identifying their nationality. Their applications would be processed at
the Paris airport.
Under international law, asylum seekers can't be sent back to their country of origin.