After the immobilization of a plane from Dubai at Vatry airport, in Marne, for suspicion of human trafficking, the situation there became tense.
Since Thursday, Paris-Vatry airport in Marne has been experiencing an unprecedented situation. More than 300 passengers of Indian nationality, initially en route from Dubai to Nicaragua, find themselves confined following suspicions of human trafficking. This Sunday, December 24, a large-scale audience is being prepared to determine their future.
Marne Civil Protection had to improvise emergency accommodation. “We have set up the accommodation center with 300 beds which have been assembled. We are ensuring the supply of food and hygiene products,” reports Christophe Jaloux, Civil Protection agent, on RTL, testifying to the scale of the ongoing humanitarian operation. The airport, now equipped with camp beds and portable toilets, is transformed into a temporary refuge for passengers.
Tension nevertheless rises among the confined passengers, with some expressing their discontent. “Overall, they are starting to get a little nervous. They have been confined in the airport for two days, obviously there are some tensions starting to arise,” he adds. The already complicated situation is made worse by the lack of freedom and uncertainty.
The authorities, who grounded the Legend Airlines Airbus A340 on anonymous information, suspect organized human trafficking. Among the 303 passengers, two Indians are currently in police custody, suspected of playing a particular role in this affair.
The airport is about to transform into a court for two days. Four liberty and detention judges will examine the situation of 130 illegal passengers. “The airport will be transformed for 48 hours into a vast court. Judges and clerks will continuously examine, on a case by case basis, the situations of these people,” declares Maître Pascal Guillaume, president of the Reims bar on France 3 Grand East. This exceptional legal procedure requires translators in several languages, reflecting the linguistic complexity of the group.
According to Julien Mouchette, a specialist in foreigners’ law, passengers not admitted to French territory face various possibilities: re-routing or requesting asylum, a fundamental right. Around fifty people have already made such a request. The coming days will be crucial in determining the outcome of this exceptional case, while the international community watches closely.
