Key facts
- Chan Mathok Atak, 19, from South Sudan, was jailed for two years and three months for piloting a dinghy carrying 165 migrants.
- Atak admitted endangering others during the July 23 crossing.
- The dinghy had one of two engines working and was taking on water before interception.
- The boat lacked navigational or first aid equipment.
- Judge Sarah Counsell stated that only an immediate custodial sentence was justified.
- Atak is liable for automatic deportation upon completion of his sentence.
A 19-year-old South Sudanese national has been sentenced to two years and three months in prison for piloting a dinghy carrying a then-record 165 migrants across the English Channel. Chan Mathok Atak pleaded guilty to endangering others during the July 23 crossing from France to Britain.
Prosecutors told Canterbury Crown Court that Atak piloted the overcrowded inflatable dinghy for at least 90 minutes while it carried 164 other people, including 31 children aged 14 to 17. The boat had only one of its two engines working, was taking on water, and lacked navigational or first aid equipment before being intercepted by Britain's Border Force.
Atak's lawyer stated he was an asylum seeker who did not organize the journey or have control over the conditions. However, Judge Sarah Counsell accepted there was no evidence Atak organized the trip but emphasized that "those who chose to steer such vessels assume responsibility for the safety of those on board." The judge added that the action "undermines public confidence in the immigration system and places considerable strain on already stretched public resources." Atak is liable for automatic deportation upon completion of his sentence.
The record for the most migrants travelling to Britain across the Channel by small boat was broken again last month, when 230 people made the journey. The National Crime Agency described Atak's actions as "unimaginably reckless" and stated they could have easily resulted in many deaths.