Jailed Asylum-Seeking Boat Pilots Appeal In Test Cases

More than a dozen asylum seekers who were jailed for steering dinghies across the English Channel are fighting to have their convictions overturned.

- Lizzie Dearden

The Home Office labelled the men people smugglers after they were prosecuted for assisting unlawful migration and the government is now pushing to increase the punishment for the crime from 14 years to life imprisonment.

Following a landmark case won by an Iranian asylum seeker in April, The Independent understands that 12 men are taking their cases to the Court of Appeal.

Judges will convene a “special” court next month, where legal arguments will be made over four test cases and the resulting ruling will be applied to all linked appellants.

Three involve Iranian asylum seekers, while the fourth man is Kuwaiti.

All were arrested after being observed steering dinghies across the Channel and the Home Office publicised their convictions.

The hearing will start at the Court of Appeal on 14 December for at least two days.

The earliest case is that of Iranian Samyar Bani, who was prosecuted in June 2019 and jailed for six years.

Local media reported that a defence lawyer told the court the case was a “situation I have never heard of before” and: “He is as much of a victim as others who have found their way to our shores.”