Dutch police have announced that they have identified the identities of two Afghan asylum seekers whose bodies were discovered on the island of Texel in 2023. According to police, the identification process was carried out through DNA testing, in cooperation with relevant authorities in France and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).
According to the report, the discovery of a mobile phone containing a French SIM card in the pocket of one of the victims provided an important lead for the investigation. This allowed police, with the assistance of journalists and humanitarian organisations active in the English Channel region, to continue efforts to establish the identities of the victims.
Further investigations confirmed that the bodies belonged to two Afghan nationals, aged 20 and 27. The two asylum seekers had gone missing while attempting to cross the English Channel between France and the United Kingdom, and no information about their fate had been available since.
Erwin Sintenie, a spokesperson for Dutch police, said: “This is deeply painful news for their families, but we are relieved that after such a long time we have been able to provide them with answers about the fate of their loved ones.”
The bodies of the two Afghan asylum seekers were found separately on 6 October 2023 by two local residents along the coast of Texel. Because their identities were unknown at the time, they were buried as unidentified individuals.
Officials from the International Committee of the Red Cross also stated that, despite their profound grief, the families of the two asylum seekers have found some relief in finally learning what happened to their loved ones.
Writer:Salima Aryaei
