Four ‘donkey flights’ ultimately taking passengers into US illegally had already left when French authorities intercepted the fifth at Vatry airport, said a report published by The Wire. The news outlet has said that after four flights had taken-off, another two were preparing to fly when the Nicaragua-bound flight was grounded by the French authorities under charges of ‘human trafficking’.
A person is said to be taking a ‘donkey route’ to illegally enter a country when they take multiple stops in other countries and then try to cross into destination country by travelling in cars, boats or even as a stowaway in containers. The ‘donkers’ or agents which promise to ensure entry of such people into a country are called ‘donkers’.
These ‘donkers’ have networks in many countries and they may facilitate illegal travel of the individuals through various countries before they reach the destination country. For example, people landing in Nicaragua may be made to travel through Central American countries before ultimately taking the gamble of trying to enter the United States illegally.
When French authorities grounded the plane over suspicions of human trafficking in Vatry, it had landed there for re-fuelling. The plane had come from United Arab Emirates. The authorities grounded the plane for several days after an anonymous tip-off about it carrying potential victims of human trafficking.
The plane was forced to return to India, and it landed at Mumbai airport on January 2. Two hundred seventy six of the original 303 people on the passenger list had returned.
Two people out of those who stayed back in France were questioned by French police for a possible human trafficking angle but they were later released as it was revealed that the passengers had boarded the plane of their free will.
AFP has reported that authorities in France are investigating the incident as a potential breach of immigration laws rather than human trafficking.
(With inputs from agencies)
