The release of the 25 passengers detained on suspicion of human trafficking at Vatry airport in France has been revoked just under 48 hours after they were initially freed. The French appellate court reversed the release on December 28th, stating that the initial judge’s decision to suspend their detention was based on the belief that the Border Police director at Roissy-Charles de Gaulle airport had not submitted it within the required time frame, which the magistrate ruled as an incorrect rejection of the prefectural requests.
The magistrate determined that the deadline for submitting a request to the judge for freedom and detention had not yet expired when the submission was made on December 26, 2023 at 8:00 AM, putting it within the proper timeframe. Consequently, the magistrate ordered an extension of their detention for 8 days in the waiting area of Roissy-Charles de Gaulle airport.
Despite their irregular situation in French territory, the passengers had been allowed to freely move on Tuesday but have since been dispersed. The prefectural authority has the authority to place them back in the waiting area based on the court’s rulings during any individual inspections.
Of the 25 passengers, five minors were placed in the care of the department’s child protection services. These individuals make up only a small fraction of the 303 passengers who had boarded the aircraft in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, en route to Managua, the capital of Nicaragua. The aircraft was immobilized for four days at Vatry airport in Marne during a refueling stop.
An anonymous tip suggesting human trafficking led to a large-scale mobilization of authorities over the Christmas weekend. A temporary waiting area was created at the small airport to confine the passengers. Ultimately, the accusation of “organized human trafficking” was not upheld at this stage, as the 303 Indians had allegedly boarded the aircraft voluntarily. The aircraft was able to take off on Monday bound for Bombay, India, with 276 Indian passengers on board.
