'Human Traffickers' jailed for killing 8 Asylum Seekers

'Human Traffickers' who caused the deaths of 8 Turkish asylum seekers have received jail sentences of up to ten years. Seven people have been sentenced by a Belgian Court for their part in what the court said was the 'unintentional manslaughter' of eight asylum seekers

On Saturday 8th December 2001 eight Turkish refugees were found dead inside a container at the Irish port of Waterford. It is believed that the refugees had been locked in the container for at least nine days. They were discovered after the driver heard faint noises from inside. The deceased were a four-year-old boy and a boy and girl of 10, four men and a woman. They were among a group of 13 refugees concealed in a container of furniture which arrived from Belgium at Waterford's international sea freight terminal, Belview. Five survivors, four men and a woman, aged between 17 and 35, were taken to Wexford General Hospital in a semi-comatose state.

Bekim Jogaj and Ozgur Doganbaloglu were each sentenced to 10 years in prison and fined 10,000 dollars for organising the smuggling ring. A father and son were sentenced to six and eight years, the other three received two year sentences.

Charges against the driver of the container were dropped after the court concluded that he had no knowledge of what had happened.

Background:

'Coffin ships' return to Ireland

The Emigration Stone

]]]]]]]]]