A teenager accused of piloting a dinghy carrying more than 160 migrants across the English Channel has denied endangering lives at sea. Chan Mathok Atak, 19, of Sudanese origin, appeared at Margate Magistrates Court and pleaded not guilty to the charge.
Atak, who used an Arabic interpreter during the hearing, was remanded into custody. He is scheduled to appear next at Canterbury Crown Court on August 24.
Prosecutors stated that a rigid hulled inflatable boat departed the French coast last Thursday, heading towards Dover with the migrants. Border Force intercepted the vessel, and Atak is alleged to have been one of two individuals controlling its speed and direction. The boat was described as being of poor quality, overcrowded, and appeared to be deflating upon interception. Images showed the vessel, approximately 13 meters (42 feet) long, being towed into Dover by Border Security Command.
The offense of endangering lives at sea was introduced by the government to prosecute individuals accused of steering small boats across the English Channel. In June, two men became the first to be convicted of this crime, receiving sentences of over two years each.
The previous record for the number of people arriving in a single vessel was 128. While overall migrant arrivals this year are down approximately 45% compared to the previous year, Home Office figures indicate an increase in the number of migrants per boat.