French magistrates have filed preliminary charges against five maritime rescue personnel over the deaths of 27 people who drowned while trying to cross the English Channel in a flimsy dinghy in November 2021.
The five soldiers are among nine people being probed over the deaths on 24 November 2021.
They are accused of failing to help people in danger, judicial authorities said. Fifteen calls from the boat were ignored, according to a French media investigation.
The five, three women and two men, serve at a French maritime surveillance and rescue centre for the English Channel, the authorities said. The centre's missions include coordinating search-and-rescue operations.
They were released on Thursday, after questioning.
France's code on military justice strongly restricts holding soldiers in detention.
Preliminary charges allow magistrates further time to investigate. Magistrates have previously filed preliminary charges against 10 other people suspected of manslaughter and assisting the illegal entry of migrants.
Who's responsible?
Utopia 56, an organisation representing the migrants, welcomed news of the indictment.
"We are naturally pleased that the enquiry is advancing," Charlotte Kwantes told RFI. "But beyond the responsibility of individuals to respond to their hierarchy, we want to shed light on the responsibility of both the French and British authorities in this tragedy."
The migrants on board the small craft were mainly Iraqi Kurds – men, women and children aged between seven and 46.
An investigation by Le Monde daily last year, based on recordings, found that the passengers first alerted officials in France's Channel rescue centre during the night, saying their boat was deflating and the engine had failed. The group sent their location via WhatsApp, but the authorities failed to respond.
It took 10 hours for rescue teams to intervene, when fishermen sounded the alarm.
The sinking was the deadliest migration accident on the dangerous stretch of sea that separates France and Britain.
It drew attention to smuggling networks that prey on migrants.
In June last year, French police arrested 15 people, mainly from Afghanistan. They are accused of running a smuggling ring connected to the deadly incident.
It led to a major diplomatic spat between France and Britain over who is responsible for migrants trying to cross the Channel.
People continue to risk their lives on the perilous waters. More than 45,000 asylum seekers crossed the Channel in 2022 – a record – largely from Afghanistan, Iran and Albania. Around 8,000 were rescued in French territorial waters.
