A 19-year-old South Sudanese teenager has denied piloting a large inflatable boat carrying 167 people across the English Channel, a crossing that set a new record for the number of individuals on a single vessel. Chan Mathok Atak appeared at Margate Magistrates' Court on Monday facing a charge of endangering another during a sea journey to the UK.
Prosecutor Lucie Fish informed the court that on July 23, a 42-foot rigid-hulled inflatable boat departed the French coast bound for Dover with 167 migrants on board. This figure surpassed the previous record of 128 people set earlier this month. The day of the crossing, July 23, saw a total of 172 people make the journey, ending an 11-day pause attributed to poor weather conditions.
The prosecution alleged that Atak was one of two individuals piloting the vessel. The French lifeboat service described the situation as 'alarming, unique and exceptional,' and the RNLI expressed astonishment at the number of people aboard. The boat itself was described as being of poor quality, overcrowded, and appearing to deflate upon interception by Border Force.
When asked to enter a plea, Atak stated, "I wasn't the pilot." District Judge William Nelson remanded him into custody, with his next appearance scheduled for August 24 at Canterbury Crown Court.
Refugee charity Care4Calais commented that the crossing route is becoming increasingly dangerous due to the rising number of people per boat. In parallel, the notes indicated that hundreds of small boat migrants have arrived in the UK during Prime Minister Andy Burnham's first week in office, with at least 881 arrivals in his initial seven days. This contrasts with 546 arrivals in the first seven days of Sir Keir Starmer's premiership and just 35 during Boris Johnson's first week as prime minister in July 2019. The figures have intensified pressure on Mr. Burnham to address immigration and border security.
Separately, French authorities are investigating the death of a man in his 20s, who was found stabbed on a beach in Berck-sur-Mer on Thursday. Witnesses reported the victim had been attacked by other migrants. It is feared that the perpetrators may have fled to the UK via a small boat. On the same day, a vessel carrying 165 migrants departed from the same beach and was later escorted into Dover. The National Crime Agency is cooperating with French police on this incident, with French partners leading the investigation into the circumstances of the death.