Plane Grounded In France: 10 Indians, Including Minors, Apply For Asylum

New Delhi: Ten passengers, including unaccompanied minors, who were among 303 Indians on board a plane grounded in France, have applied for asylum, AFP reported.

The Romania-based Legend Airlines plane has been detained at Vatry airport, around 150 kilometres east of Paris, since Thursday after it arrived from Dubai.

Officials took the step after receiving an anonymous tip-off that the Nicaragua-bound flight was carrying victims of human trafficking.

Of the 11 unaccompanied minors who were on the Airbus A340 jet, 6 have shown interest in applying for asylum, AFP quoted Aurore Opyrchal, a lawyer appointed to represent some of the passengers, was quoted as saying.

The stranded passengers, who reportedly planned to travel to Central America with the target of illegally entering the US or Canada, were put up at the airport’s entrance hall till Saturday.

Two passengers who have been in custody since Friday were detained for another 48 hours, the Paris prosecutor’s office said.

Authorities questioned the detainees to “verify” whether their role “may have been different than the others in this transport, and under what conditions and with what objectives.”

Hearings were scheduled for Sunday before a judge, who could extend Border Police’s detention order by eight more days, according to AFP.

Liliana Bakayoko, a lawyer for Legend Airlines, said all crew members were permitted to leave after questioning.

The Indian Embassy in Paris said it was working with the French government for an early resolution of the situation.

Consular officials have got access to the passengers, and are stationed at the airport.