A South Sudanese man has been sentenced to more than two years in prison in Britain after admitting he piloted an overcrowded inflatable boat carrying 165 people across the English Channel from France.
Chan Mathok Atak, 19, was sentenced to 27 months at Canterbury Crown Court on Friday after previously pleading guilty to endangering another person during the July crossing.
At the time, the vessel carried a record number of people for a single small-boat Channel crossing to Britain. That record was surpassed in August, when 230 people made the journey in one boat.
Prosecutors said Atak steered the dinghy for at least 90 minutes while 164 other people were on board, including 31 children aged between 14 and 17.
The boat had no navigational or first-aid equipment, only one of its two engines was functioning, and the vessel was slowly deflating and taking on water before it was intercepted by Britain’s Border Force.
Atak’s lawyer, Audrey Cherryl Mogan, told the court that he was a young asylum seeker from South Sudan and had no role in deciding how many people boarded the vessel or the conditions in which they travelled.
Judge Sarah Counsell said there was no evidence that Atak organised the crossing, but said anyone who chooses to steer such a vessel assumes responsibility for the safety of those on board.
The National Crime Agency said the journey could have ended in multiple deaths had the vessel not been intercepted.
Atak’s sentencing comes as the number of people arriving in Britain by small boat has fallen from earlier levels, although Channel crossings remain a major political issue.
British governments have repeatedly sought to reduce the crossings through tighter enforcement and increased cooperation with French authorities, while anti-migration groups and opposition parties have pressed for tougher measures.
The issue has also triggered protests in parts of southern England, including demonstrations earlier this month in response to migrant arrivals.
Despite the dangers of the route and repeated fatalities in the Channel, people continue to attempt the crossing from northern France to Britain in small boats.
