A 19-year-old from South Sudan has pleaded guilty to endangering lives at sea after piloting an overcrowded rigid inflatable boat (RIB) carrying more than 160 migrants across the English Channel. Chan Atak admitted his role in the perilous journey, which originated from the French mainland and entered British waters on July 23.
During a hearing at Canterbury Crown Court, Judge Sarah Counsell stated that Atak had "pleaded guilty to a serious offence." A previous court appearance at Margate Magistrates’ Court had already highlighted the dangerous conditions on the boat, noting its poor quality and overcrowding.
Atak, who required an Arabic interpreter during proceedings, is scheduled to be sentenced on September 11. He faces potential jail time and deportation.
This incident follows a similar case last month where an Afghan man was sentenced to two years in prison for endangering others after steering an overcrowded dinghy for two hours. That man, identified as Basir Ramatullah, also known as Baseer Ahmad, pleaded guilty to the same charge in relation to a sea crossing on May 2.
The legislation under which Atak is being prosecuted came into effect in January as part of new border security measures. According to Home Office figures, the migrants on Atak's boat were part of over 2,300 individuals who arrived in the UK illegally via the Channel in July.