In August 2023, a boat carrying people seeking safety broke apart while crossing the English Channel, killing seven. Authorities took the survivors into custody, including Ibrahim, a refugee and modern slavery survivor from Sudan. Today, he is behind bars, accused of being a “smuggler” because he was forced to steer the boat. His case is no anomaly. It reflects a growing trend of governments reframing people on the move as criminals. All the while obscuring the state-created conditions that leave them with no safe alternatives.

“I’m not being treated like a human being” 

Ibrahim fled Sudan just weeks before horrific massacres perpetrated by a paramilitary group targeting the Massalit, the minority group he belongs to. Like many displaced people, he crossed into Chad hoping for safety. Instead, he was kidnapped, held for ransom, beaten, and forced into labor when his family could not pay.

He eventually escaped and made his way to Calais, where he sought a route to the UK. But with safe route available, the Channel crossing—dangerous, costly, and controlled by violent networks—seemed like his only option. Smugglers demanded money he didn’t have. When he refused, he was threatened with death.

Ibrahim told InfoMigrants: 

 They were talking very loudly…they started firing shots. They asked us to carry the boat with the others. When we refused, they started hitting us and said, ‘If you don’t carry the boat, we’ll kill you here.’

Now he is facing charges for “co-piloting” the boat. He is treated no differently than the armed networks that coerce people like him into steering under threat. Despite corroborating testimony, he has spent over two years in custody and risks ten more if convicted.

Tell me more