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SOUTH SUDANESE MAN JAILED IN UK AFTER PILOTING BOAT CARRYING 165 MIGRANTS ACROSS CHANNEL
A 19-year-old South Sudanese man has been sentenced to 27 months in prison in the United Kingdom after admitting that he piloted a small boat carrying...
By Wavers Multimedia
Chan Mathok Atak was sentenced at Canterbury Crown Court on Friday after pleading guilty to endangering another person during the July crossing.
The journey involved 164 other passengers, including 31 children between the ages of 14 and 17.
DANGEROUS JOURNEY ACROSS THE CHANNEL
Atak was behind the controls of the inflatable dinghy for at least 90 minutes during the crossing.
The vessel was carrying far more people than its size could safely accommodate and was operating without basic safety equipment.
The boat had no navigational equipment or first-aid supplies, while only one of its two engines was working.
It also began losing air and taking on seawater before Britain's Border Force intercepted it.
COURT HEARS ATak DID NOT ORGANISE THE JOURNEY
During the sentencing hearing, the court heard that there was no evidence Atak had organised the crossing.
His lawyer, Audrey Cherryl Mogan, described him as a young asylum seeker from South Sudan and argued that he was not responsible for the number of people on the boat or the conditions in which they travelled.
However, the court found that taking control of the vessel carried responsibility for the safety of everyone on board.
Judge Sarah Counsell said people who choose to steer such boats assume responsibility for those travelling with them.
CHANNEL CROSSINGS CONTINUE
Atak's case comes amid continued attempts by migrants to reach Britain from France in small boats.
Although the number of arrivals has recently fallen, crossings remain a major issue for the UK government and continue to generate debate over immigration policy and border enforcement.
Official UK figures for the week ending September 6 recorded 625 people arriving in Britain in eight small boats, while authorities reported that 282 people had been prevented from making the journey.
The broader figures show that around 33,000 people were detected arriving in the UK by small boat in the year ending June 2026.
RECORD CROSSING NUMBER HAS ALREADY BEEN EXCEEDED
The July crossing involving Atak carried 165 people, making it a record at the time.
That figure was later surpassed when 230 people travelled to Britain in a single small boat crossing last month.
The continuing use of overcrowded vessels has raised concerns about the danger faced by people attempting the journey, particularly when boats are poorly equipped or encounter difficult conditions at sea.
SENTENCE FOLLOWS INTERCEPTION AT SEA
The National Crime Agency said Atak's actions could have resulted in multiple deaths had the vessel not been intercepted.
His 27-month sentence follows a growing focus by British authorities on people who take control of small boats used for Channel crossings.
For the passengers involved in the July journey, the crossing ended when Border Force intervened before the deteriorating vessel could complete the journey on its own.