Drowning of Jumaa al-Hasan: the French police implicated

On the night of the 2nd of March, 2024, Jumaa al-Hasan, a 27-year-old Syrian migrant, drowned in Gravelines (northern France) while attempting to board a boat to cross the English Channel. Supported by survivor testimonies and a 3D reconstruction, our investigation reveals the responsibility of the French police in his death.

On the evening of March 2, 2024, Jumaa al-Hasan, a 27-year-old Syrian migrant, drowned in Gravelines, in northern France, while attempting to reach the United Kingdom.

For over a year, together with the research group Liminal and journalists from the Hors Cadre collective, we investigated the circumstances of this drowning. On the other side of the Channel, we located several witnesses who, that night, saw Jumaa al-Hasan drown before their eyes. Their testimonies, cross-referenced with various other pieces of information and official documents, allowed us to reconstruct the sequence of events in a 3D digital model.

The reconstruction points to the role of the police in Jumaa al-Hasan’s death, as well as the failure of the rescuers on site to provide assistance to a person in distress.

Jumaa al-Hasan’s body was found by a passerby two weeks after the events. A judicial investigation is underway. As of today, none of the police officers present on the night of the drowning have been questioned by investigators.