20 Kurds convicted of smuggling in a European court

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – 20 Kurds were found guilty for human smuggling in a Bruges court in Belgium on Wednesday.

“The court has convicted 20 people for human smuggling under aggravated circumstances and the part they played in the criminal organization,” Amelie Van Belleghem, spokesperson for the Bruges court, told Kurdistan 24’s correspondent Barzan Hassan. 

Belleghem also revealed that the 30-year-old ringleader of the gang, Hiwa Rahimpour, was sentenced to 11 years in prison and fined 80,000 euros. 

A year ago, Rahimpour was arrested in London following a sting operation involving the collective efforts of Germany, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom.

Belgian police announced that Rahimpour has in total smuggled more than 10,000 migrants into Britain from France.

“Rahimpour and his gang were [charging] £6,000 each to smuggle migrants from France to the UK. It is estimated that they made £200,000 from sending each boat of illegal immigrants from France to the UK,” the Bruges court noted and added, “Apart from the leaders of the organization, there were also people involved with the decision-making process of the criminal organization and other groups of defendants, who purely acted while loading nautical material and were convicted for doing this within a criminal organization.”

Smuggler networks in the Kurdistan Region frequently exploit desperate, impoverished residents who, for a steep price costing several thousands of US dollars, are promised safe delivery to Europe. In reality, the method of transportation relies on hazardous, makeshift dinghies occupied well beyond their capacities that are prone to sinking. 

In addition, the European Union often rejects asylum applications of Kurdish migrants due to a lack of security threats in the Kurdistan Region.