A 19-year-old South Sudanese asylum seeker has been sentenced to two years and three months in prison in the United Kingdom after admitting to piloting an overcrowded boat across the English Channel.
Chan Mathok Atak was sentenced at Canterbury Crown Court after pleading guilty to endangering others during the July 23, 2026 crossing from France to Britain.
The boat carried 165 people, including 31 children aged between 14 and 17. At the time, the crossing was the largest number of people recorded on a single small boat travelling across the Channel, although that figure was later surpassed when 230 people reportedly made the journey on one vessel in August.
Prosecutors told the court that Atak was one of two people who took turns steering the vessel. He reportedly piloted the boat for at least 90 minutes during the crossing.
The court heard that the vessel was approximately 14 metres long and had serious safety problems. Only one of its two engines was working, while the boat was also reportedly losing air and taking on water before it was intercepted by the UK’s Border Force.
Authorities said the vessel did not have navigation or first-aid equipment, raising concerns about the safety of the large number of people on board.
Judge Sarah Counsell said the offence was serious enough to warrant an immediate custodial sentence. She also noted that people who choose to steer such vessels assume responsibility for the safety of those travelling on them.
However, the court heard that there was no evidence that Atak had organised the journey or that he stood to profit from it.
His lawyer, Audrey Mogan, asked the court to consider his age and personal circumstances. She described him as a young asylum seeker who had fled violence in South Sudan and travelled through several countries before seeking protection in the UK.
The defence also argued that Atak was not responsible for the number of people on the boat or its condition and safety equipment.
The case is one of several prosecutions under a new UK law targeting people who pilot small boats in circumstances that endanger passengers. The legislation was introduced in January 2026 as part of Britain’s efforts to address dangerous Channel crossings.
The National Crime Agency said Atak’s actions created a serious risk to those aboard the vessel and that the situation could have resulted in deaths had the boat not been intercepted.
Following the sentencing, the court warned that Atak, as a foreign national, could in principle face automatic deportation after completing his prison sentence.
The case has renewed attention on the dangers faced by people attempting to cross the English Channel in overcrowded small boats, as well as the UK’s increasingly strict legal response to those who operate the vessels.
Source: Thepressradio.com
