Migrant pilot jailed for two years and three months over Channel crossing
A 19-year-old South Sudanese man has been jailed for piloting an overcrowded dinghy carrying 165 migrants across the Channel.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
A 19-year-old asylum seeker from South Sudan has been sentenced to two years and three months in prison for piloting a large inflatable boat carrying 165 migrants across the English Channel. Chan Atak pleaded guilty to endangering another during a journey by sea after the crossing on 23 July, which at the time was the largest number of people ever recorded on a single small boat crossing.
The vessel, dubbed a mega dinghy, was 14 metres long and four metres wide, about the size of a bus. On board were 31 children, the youngest aged just 14. The court heard that the boat had only one functioning engine, was beginning to deflate when intercepted by Border Force, and lacked firefighting and navigation equipment. Batteries were stored next to fuel canisters, creating a serious fire risk.
During the sentencing at Canterbury Crown Court, Judge Sarah Council told Atak: "When you take responsibility at the helm of a boat, you take on the responsibility of its passengers." She noted the voyage took more than 24 hours and that the passengers, many of them vulnerable, were put in obvious danger. Atak was also made eligible for automatic deportation after completing his sentence.
The court heard that Atak had paid people smugglers 200 euros to make the crossing himself and had witnessed horrors during the war in South Sudan. His defence lawyer said he had not organised the trip, and the judge acknowledged his young age and immaturity. However, he was found to have been operating the one functional engine, and drone footage showed him at the helm. When Border Force intercepted the boat, he had removed a distinctive jacket and crouched among the passengers, later denying he had been piloting it.
Home Office officials said the sentence sent a clear deterrent message. The record for the largest crossing has since been broken, with boats carrying up to 230 people. Charities have warned that such large vessels are increasingly dangerous, while overall small boat arrivals are down by 40 per cent compared to last year, at their lowest level since 2022.
On screen
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Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, mapped by channel. Ordered by how many channels carried each claim.
| Claim | Channel 5 | BBC One | ITV | Sky News |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A judge warned Atak that he faces deportation after his sentence. | · | |||
| The boat carried 165 passengers, including 31 children. | · | |||
| Atak is a 19-year-old asylum seeker from South Sudan. | · | · | · | |
| Atak paid 200 euros to people smugglers for the crossing. | · | · | · | |
| Border Force confirmed passengers came from Africa and Asia, including Turkey and India, and the youngest was 14. | · | · | · | |
| Since July, the record for boat crossings has been broken, with boats carrying up to 230 people. | · | · | · | |
| Small boat migrant arrivals are down 40% compared to last year, the lowest level since 2022. | · | · | · | |
| The boat lacked firefighting and navigation equipment, and one engine was not working. | · | · | · |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
BBC focused on the details of the case, including the size of the boat, the number of children on board, and the judge's warning about responsibility and deportation. It presented the story as a top news item with a reporter on the ground, giving a straightforward factual account.
- “Chan Matok Atak is 19 and an asylum seeker from South Sudan.”
- “the judge told Atak that when you take responsibility at the helm of a boat, you take on the responsibility of its passengers.”
Sky News highlighted the record-breaking nature of the crossing, the dangerous conditions on board, and the irony that Atak was both a trafficker and a trafficked person. It also included reactions from charities and the Home Office, and noted that the record has since been surpassed.
- “Chan attack 19, from South Sudan pleaded guilty to endangering another during a journey by sea to the UK after a crossing on the 23rd of July.”
- “he was essentially a people trafficker and trafficked at the same time.”
5 News focused on the visual evidence of the crossing, the judge's explanation of the sentence, and the broader political context including protests and falling numbers. It quoted the judge directly and mentioned the Home Office's stance on smuggling gangs.
- “19 year old Chan Atak from South Sudan led more than 160 people from France in July.”
- “Your action she said put others in danger.”
ITV reported the court proceedings in detail, emphasising the extreme risk posed to passengers and the judge's consideration of Atak's age and mitigation. It included a quote from an official welcoming the sentence as a deterrent and stressed the automatic deportation aspect.
- “Chan Atak was filmed steering a 14-metre long dinghy which had started deflating and only had one working outboard engine.”
- “Atak put these individuals, many of them vulnerable men, women and children, at extreme risk as a result of this crossing, so we really welcome the sentence.”
Broadcast Timeline
News broadcasts tracked for this story, in time order.