top cx logo
cx logo
Explorearrow down
search icon

Woman let off after helping migrant lover get to UK

A former Front National candidate who helped her Iranian migrant lover cross the Channel to Britain has escaped punishment by a court in Boulogne-sur-Mer.

Béatrice Huret, 44, who recently published a co-written account of her experiences – Calais mon amour – states in the book: “I had a pretty good idea that what I was doing wasn’t very legal, even if it was perfectly moral which was the only thing that mattered to me”.

Ms Huret, a one-time FN local election candidate, had become involved in helping migrants at the Calais ‘Jungle’ after the death of her husband, who is said to have previously influenced her to support his far-right views.

She has said her attraction to her lover Mokhtar, who she met while volunteering in the camp, was ‘love at first sight’. The 36-year-old teacher said he was fleeing persecution by the Iranian regime.

Stay informed:
Sign up to our free weekly e-newsletter
Subscribe to access all our online articles and receive our printed monthly newspaper The Connexion at your home. News analysis, features and practical help for English-speakers in France

She helped him by buying an inflatable boat on leboncoin.fr and helping him embark with two other migrants from a creek near Calais. They were later picked up by coastguards from Hastings as the boat was starting to fill with water and sink.

Public prosecutor Camille Gourlin told the court that “solidarity is praise-worthy but not at any price and under any conditions”.

Despite being asked to impose a year’s suspended sentence, the court gave no punishment while finding Ms Huret technically guilty of aiding Mokhtar to cross to the UK illegally.

Mokhtar is now living in Sheffield and has obtained refugee status.

Resident or second-home owner in France?
Benefit from our daily digest of headlines and how-to's to help you make the most of life in France
By joining the newsletter, you agree to our Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy
See more popular articles
The Connexion Help Guides
featured helpguide
Healthcare in France*
Featured Help Guide
- Understand the French healthcare system, how you access it and how you are reimbursed - Useful if you are new to the French healthcare system or want a more in-depth understanding - Reader question and answer section Aimed at non-French nationals living here, the guide gives an overview of what you are (and are not) covered for. There is also information for second-home owners and regular visitors.
Get news, views and information from France