A plane grounded in France over human trafficking concerns lands in Mumbai with 276 passengers on board
How many passengers returned to India?
According to local officials, when the flight landed at France’s Vatry Airport on Thursday, there were 303 Indian passengers on board, including 11 minors. Of these, 25 people, including two minors, have expressed their desire to apply for asylum and are still on French territory, according to French authorities.
Those who remained were transferred to a special area at Paris’s Charles de Gaulle Airport for asylum seekers, the Associated Press news agency reported.
Meanwhile, two others were detained and brought before a judge in France. A French news channel said they were later released and placed in the status of auxiliary witnesses.
Why did the plane stop in France?
The flight, operated by the Romanian company Legend Airlines, was heading to Nicaragua and landed in Vatry on Thursday for a technical stop on its way from Dubai when French police intervened. They received an anonymous tip that the plane could be carrying human trafficking victims. For the next three days, the plane and its passengers remained in France, where authorities launched a judicial investigation to find out the purpose of the flight.
According to reports, the French national unit against organized crime, JUNALCO, took over the investigation to examine suspected cases of human trafficking. The airline, for its part, denied any role in possible human smuggling.
Marne region officials said that the reception hall at Vatry Airport was transformed into a waiting area and single beds were provided for passengers.
What did the Indian authorities say?
The Indian Embassy in France on Monday thanked the French government and Vatry Airport authorities for their hospitality and quick resolution of the situation that allowed the Indian travelers to return home.
“I thank the French government and Vatry Airport for the quick resolution of the situation that enabled the Indian passengers to return home and the warm hospitality. Also for working closely with the embassy team, and being present throughout the site to ensure their well-being and smooth and safe return,” the Indian Embassy in France wrote in a post on X. “I thank the agencies in India as well.”
Why Nicaragua?
News reports indicate the travel may have been planned to reach the Central American country, where they could attempt to enter the United States or Canada illegally.
According to a PTI report, as many as 96,917 Indians tried to enter the US illegally in 2023, with Nicaragua being a popular destination for those seeking asylum in the US.
However, Legend Airlines lawyer Liliana Bakayoko said some passengers did not want to return to India because they had paid for a tourist trip to Nicaragua, the AP reported.
– With agencies’ input
