A French court has sentenced an imam to two years of jail for providing migrants with inflatable boats to reach Great Britain through the English Channel.
The man, a 39-year old political refugee from Iran, fainted as the criminal court announced on Monday his immediate incarceration. Another 29-year old Senegalese man who attended the Mosque where the imam preached was also sentenced to 18 months in prison.
The two were also banned from living in or visiting Nord and Pas-de-Calais, for five and three years respectively.
The news comes as more than 70 people were intercepted on Saturday as they attempted to cross the English Channel from France to Great Britain. British Home Secretary Sajid Javid has called the phenomenon, which has seen 140 migrants cross the Channel in April 2019 alone, “deeply concerning”.
Source: EN
