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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. Amidst Europe-wide efforts to clamp down on irregular migration, are tough people smuggling policies seeing the wrong people pay a heavy price?

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27 minutes

On radio

Thursday 01:32GMT

Broadcasts

  • Thursday 01:32GMT
  • Thursday 08:32GMT
  • Thursday 19:06GMT
  • Saturday 16:32GMT
  • Saturday 21:06GMT
  • Sunday 05:32GMT
  • Sunday 14:06GMT
  • Sunday 23:32GMT