France - November 2024

In the wake of a national scandal concerning a horrific mass rape, the government announced new measures to combat gender-based violence on 25 November. To improve identification of drug-facilitated sexual assaults and expand support to victims, drug test kits will be reimbursed through the national health insurance programme on a trial basis. Additionally, an awareness campaign, led by the M’endors pas (“Don’t sedate me”) association, will also be launched. An additional 377 hospitals will adopt the current system allowing victims of violence to file a complaint with the police or public prosecutor’s office via the hospital’s emergency or gynecology department by the end of 2025, making it easier for victims to seek justice. The government further committed to increase universal emergency aid for victims of domestic violence from 13 to 20 million euros, and create new shelters for women by the end of 2025. The scandal has sparked protests against gender-based violence across France.  

Sources: France24, AP, Le Monde, RFI, FranceInfo

On 5 November, a court in Lille found 18 people guilty of smuggling migrants in illegal crossings from France to the United Kingdom via small boats. One of the network’s leaders was sentenced to 15 years in prison and a EUR 200,000 fine, while others received sentences ranging from two to 10 years’ imprisonment.  In 2024 alone, more than 56 migrants have died attempting the crossing, underscoring the dangerous conditions of these journeys often in boats exceeding their capacity. Authorities have ramped up efforts to dismantle migrant smuggling networks in recent years, and the judiciary has imposed severe sentences for those convicted. The investigation confirmed the network was one of the main organisers of migrant crossings to the UK between 2020 and 2022, organising an estimated 10,000 small boat crossings, making this a significant step in the fight against organised crime.  

Sources: RFI, Le Monde, BBC, European Council on Refugees and Exiles