Individuals given prison sentences of up to 14 years for charges relating to sinking of boat carrying migrants and refugeesA court in Egypt has sentenced 56 people to prison terms of up to 14 years over a boat that capsized last year, killing more than 200 onboard. The incident occurred off the Egyptian coast on 21 September 2016 and about 170 passengers were rescued. The boat sank in the Mediterranean off Burj Rashid, a village in Beheira province, northern Egypt, where the sea and Nile river meet. A month after the boat sank, Egypt’s parliament passed legislation setting out prison terms and fines for those found guilty of smuggling migrants and refugees, acting as brokers or facilitating journeys. In Libya, people traffickers have operated with relative ease, but many migrants and refugees also depart from Egypt.

Source: The Guardian March 26, 2017 13:41 UTC