The Aporia
The Aporia
Hossein-Pour, A. (2026, September 18). Teenager who piloted overcrowded dinghy with 165 people on board jailed. Evening Standard. https://www.standard.co.uk/news/crime/national-crime-agency-channel-english-channel-canterbury-crown-court-libya-b1297506.html
Hossein-Pour, Anahita. “Teenager who piloted overcrowded dinghy with 165 people on board jailed.” Evening Standard, 18 Sept. 2026, https://www.standard.co.uk/news/crime/national-crime-agency-channel-english-channel-canterbury-crown-court-libya-b1297506.html.
Hossein-Pour, Anahita. “Teenager who piloted overcrowded dinghy with 165 people on board jailed.” Evening Standard, September 18, 2026. https://www.standard.co.uk/news/crime/national-crime-agency-channel-english-channel-canterbury-crown-court-libya-b1297506.html.
Dated when The Aporia collected the article, usually within hours of publication. Check the original for its exact date and byline.
Chan Mathok Atak, a 19-year-old from South Sudan, was jailed for two years and three months at Canterbury Crown Court after admitting to endangering lives during an illegal crossing of the English Channel on July 23. The boat he piloted carried more than 165 migrants, including 31 children aged between 14 and 17, setting a record for the highest number of passengers in a single dinghy crossing at that time.
Despite his lawyer's argument that there was "not a single shred of evidence" linking Atak to the boat’s overcrowding or lack of safety equipment, Judge Sarah Counsell deemed the offense serious enough to warrant immediate imprisonment. The prosecution claimed that Atak controlled the boat for around 90 minutes before hiding among other passengers.
This sentencing is part of the British government's broader crackdown on migration and Channel crossings. It comes amid ongoing investigations into unintercepted migrant boats, such as one incident where a dinghy reached Kent undetected and five people were detained after being alerted by a GB News producer. Conservative MPs have criticized the Home Office for losing control over border security breaches like these.
