An Eritrean carpenter residing in Sudan was arrested in 2016 as part of a joint British-Italian operation. Three years later, a court in Sicily said he isn't the human trafficking kingpin they wanted.
A joint British-Italian operation targeting a human trafficking boss known as "the General" resulted in the arrest of Eritrean carpenter Medhanie Tesfamariam Berhe in what the Italian court described as a case of mistaken identity.
"He cried like a child when he was told that the judges had recognized it was mistaken identity and ordered his immediate release," said Berhe's lawyer Michele Calantropo.
Since his 2016 arrest, Behre has repeatedly denied he is Medhanie Yehdego Mered, who is wanted for running a trafficking network that spans from the Horn of Africa to the Middle East and Europe. He was extradited to Italy that year to stand trial.
British, Italian and Sudanese authorities mistook Berhe for the leader of a vast network trafficking migrants to EuropeImage: picture-alliance/AP/E. Morenatti
Mistaken identity
Bloods tests from Behre's mother and Mered's three-year-old child who resides in Sweden proved that the man arrested in 2016 was not "the General."
However, the court did hand Behre a five-year prison sentence and €100,000 ($113,000) fine for assisting in illegal migration. He was released on time served. But his lawyer said he would nonetheless appeal the conviction.
"The court has accepted our position," said Calantropo. "He is not 'the General.'"
More than a million refugees and economic migrants entered the EU in 2015. Since then, EU member states, such as Italy, have tried to stem the flow of migrants crossing the Mediterranean for European shores.
Some attempts have been made to quash what EU authorities have dubbed as human trafficking networks from North Africa, the Middle East and Turkey. The joint British-Italian operation targeting Mered was part of those efforts.
From escalating violence in the Middle East and Africa to incoherent asylum policy at home - DW looks at how the EU has found itself in the midst of a refugee crisis.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa
Fleeing war and poverty
In late 2014, with the war in Syria approaching its fourth year and Islamic State making gains in the north of the country, the exodus of Syrians intensified. At the same time, others were fleeing violence and poverty in countries such as Iraq, Afghanistan, Eritrea, Somalia, Niger and Kosovo.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa
Seeking refuge over the border
Vast numbers of Syrian refugees had been gathering in border-town camps in neighboring Turkey, Lebanon and Jordan since 2011. By 2015, with the camps full to bursting and residents often unable to find work or educate their children, more and more people decided to seek asylum further afield.
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A long journey on foot
In 2015 an estimated 1.5 million people made their way on foot from Greece towards western Europe via the "Balkan route". The Schengen Agreement, which allows passport-free travel within much of the EU, was called into question as refugees headed towards the wealthier European nations.
Image: Getty Images/M. Cardy
Desperate sea crossings
Tens of thousands of refugees were also attempting the perilous journey across the Mediterranean on overcrowded boats. In April 2015, 800 people of various nationalities drowned when a boat traveling from Libya capsized off the Italian coast. This was to be just one of many similar tragedies - by the end of the year, nearly 4,000 refugees were reported to have died attempting the crossing.
Image: Reuters/D. Zammit Lupi
Pressure on the borders
Countries along the EU's external border struggled to cope with the sheer number of arrivals. Fences were erected in Hungary, Slovenia, Macedonia and Austria. Asylum laws were tightened and several Schengen area countries introduced temporary border controls.
Image: picture-alliance/epa/B. Mohai
Closing the open door
Critics of German Chancellor Angela Merkel's "open-door" refugee policy claimed it had made the situation worse by encouraging more people to embark on the dangerous journey to Europe. By September 2016, Germany had also introduced temporary checks on its border with Austria.
Image: Reuters/F. Bensch
Striking a deal with Turkey
In early 2016, the EU and Turkey signed an agreement under which refugees arriving in Greece could be sent back to Turkey. The deal has been criticized by human rights groups and came under new strain following a vote by the European Parliament in November to freeze talks on Turkey's potential accession to the EU.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/A. Altan
No end in sight
With anti-immigration sentiment in Europe growing, governments are still struggling to reach a consensus on how to handle the continuing refugee crisis. Attempts to introduce quotas for the distribution of refugees among EU member states have largely failed. Conflicts in the Middle East and elsewhere show no signs coming to an end, and the death toll from refugee sea crossings is on the rise.
