Human Trafficking: Flight Grounded In France Lands In Mumbai With 276 Passengers, 25 Seek Asylum

A Romanian flight that was grounded in France for four days over suspicion of human trafficking has landed in Mumbai on Tuesday.

Out of the 303 Indian nationals who were scheduled to fly to Nicaragua from Dubai on a Legend Airlines flight, 276 passengers returned to India.

AP

25 passengers seek asylum?

While two of the people on board were destined by the French authorities in connection with human trafficking, some 25 others had refused to fly back to India and have sought asylum in France.

The passengers grounded in France had included a 21-month-old child and several unaccompanied minors.

The aircraft, an Airbus A340, landed in Mumbai shortly after 4 am, the official said. It had taken off from Vatry airport near Paris around 2.30 pm local time.

AFP

On arrival in Mumbai, they were questioned by immigration officials.

Technical stop that foiled trafficking plans?

The flight, which was operated by Romanian charter company Legend Airlines and bound for Nicaragua, had landed at Vatry on Thursday for a technical stopover en route from Dubai when French police intervened on suspicion of human trafficking.

After questioning the passengers for two days, French prosecutors on Sunday gave the go-ahead for the plane to leave.

AP

French authorities launched a judicial investigation into the conditions and purpose of the trip, with a unit specialising in organised crime investigating suspected human trafficking. Nicaragua has become a popular destination for those seeking asylum in the US.

What Legend Airlines said

The two people who were initially detained were released Monday after appearing before a judge, and they have been named as ‘’assisted witnesses'' in the case, a special status under French law that allows time for further investigation and could lead to eventual charges or to the case being dropped.

According to Legend Airlines, which operates just four flights, the chartered aircraft that was detained in France was booked by a client, who was also responsible for verifying the details of the passengers.

AP

Nicaragua, the new entry point for US?

While the exact details of the flight are still unknown, it is widely assumed that the passengers were flying to Nicaragua in Central America with the aim of entering the US illegally.

Flights to Nicaragua or third countries where obtaining travel documents is easy have come to be known as 'dunki' flights.

The use of charter flights to aid migrants in getting to their dream destination "is a relatively new phenomenon," Manuel Orozco, director of migration issues at the Washington-based Inter-American Dialogue, told AFP.

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