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Caught at the Helm

Are Greece's tough people smuggling policies seeing the wrong people pay the price?

Katy Fallon tells the story of the refugees and other migrants ensnared in Greece鈥檚 legal crossfire. Greek authorities routinely prosecute those found near the controls of boats carrying people trying to reach Europe, but human rights monitors assert that it is vulnerable passengers, not real smugglers, who are ending up behind bars.

Katy reveals a system where chaotic trials last a matter of minutes but can result in prison sentences of hundreds of years. And she meets Akif Rasuli, a young Afghan man compensated for wrongful imprisonment after spending almost three years behind bars. Amid Europe-wide efforts to clamp down on irregular migration, are tough people-smuggling policies seeing the wrong people pay a heavy price?

(Photo: Migrants sit in a dinghy as they are towed by rescue teams off the coast of Greece. Credti: Reuters)

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27 minutes

Last on

Sun 27 Oct 2024 23:32GMT

Broadcasts

  • Thu 24 Oct 2024 01:32GMT
  • Thu 24 Oct 2024 08:32GMT
  • Thu 24 Oct 2024 19:06GMT
  • Sat 26 Oct 2024 16:32GMT
  • Sat 26 Oct 2024 21:06GMT
  • Sun 27 Oct 2024 05:32GMT
  • Sun 27 Oct 2024 14:06GMT
  • Sun 27 Oct 2024 23:32GMT