Key facts
- Jasmeet Wadhwa, 32, died in April while attempting to cross the Channel from France to the UK.
- His body has been held by French authorities for five months.
- Wadhwa was fleeing Taliban persecution in Afghanistan with his mother, Harbans Kaur Wadhwa.
- Nagmeldin Adam, 33, also died on the same boat and his body is also being held.
- Relatives of the deceased staged a protest outside the Dunkirk courthouse.
- Harbans Kaur Wadhwa's application to join family in the UK was rejected by the Home Office.
A British family is in a protracted struggle with French authorities to retrieve the body of Jasmeet Wadhwa, who died in April while attempting to cross the English Channel. Wadhwa, 32, and Nagmeldin Adam, 33, perished on a dinghy journey from France to the UK, fleeing persecution from Afghanistan and Sudan respectively. Their bodies have been held by French officials for five months, prompting a protest by relatives outside the Dunkirk courthouse.
Jasmeet Wadhwa and his mother, Harbans Kaur Wadhwa, embarked on a perilous two-month journey under the control of people smugglers, reaching northern France in March. Adam's journey was also fraught with hardship, including detention in Libya. At least 16 people have died attempting the Channel crossing this year.
Relatives, including Jasmeet's cousin Ivnit Singh Wadwa, traveled from the UK to France to participate in the demonstration, expressing deep frustration with the French judicial system's delay in releasing the bodies for burial. The family has launched a social media appeal, emphasizing the humanitarian aspect of their plea to allow a grieving mother to see her son one last time.
Meanwhile, Harbans Kaur Wadhwa's application to enter the UK legally under a specific scheme was rejected by the Home Office due to an unsatisfactory identity document. The Home Office has been approached for comment regarding this decision.