Other18 September, 20263 min read
South Sudanese Teen Chan Mathok Atak Jailed For Piloting Overcrowded Channel Dinghy With 165 Migrants
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Chan Mathok Atak, 19, South Sudanese, piloted a Channel dinghy carrying 165 migrants. He was jailed for two years and three months at Canterbury Crown Court.
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Jailed for Channel pilot role
A 19-year-old from South Sudan, Chan Mathok Atak, was sentenced to two years and three months in prison at Canterbury Crown Court for endangering others during a sea crossing on 23 July, when a dinghy carrying 165 migrants was piloted across the English Channel to the UK. BBC reports that prosecutors said Atak created a risk of death or serious personal injury to others on board, and that Judge Sarah Counsell said the offence was so serious "only an immediate custodial sentence can be justified". The BBC said the so-called "mega dinghy" had 31 children on board with the youngest aged 14, and that the National Crime Agency said the boat was "severely overcrowded" with limited food, drinking water, and medication.
The BBC also reported that the dinghy had two outboard engines but one was not working, and that the fire risk was "considerable" due to how close batteries were to fuel cans. In a separate account, the Colchester Gazette said Atak was jailed for two years and three months for piloting an overcrowded, deflating 14-metre-long dinghy across the English Channel carrying men, women and 31 children, the youngest aged 14, on July 23.
Court footage and arguments
Prosecutor James Harrison told the court that aerial footage showed Atak piloting the vessel using its one remaining functioning engine while wearing a black jacket with an "Italia" logo, and that Harrison said: "There's no evidence to suggest that the defendant had any training or experience". The Colchester Gazette said Atak was picked up on aerial footage operating the boat for 90 minutes wearing a black jacket with an "Italia" logo, before he crouched among passengers and took off his jacket "to avoid detection as the helmsman". The BBC reported that Atak told the court he paid €200 euros (£172) to a gang for the crossing but denied he was the helmsman, while barrister Audrey Mogan argued there was "not a single shred of evidence" that Atak had anything to do with the number of people or the state of the boat.
In the Colchester Gazette account, Judge Sarah Counsell said Atak played an "important role" in controlling and navigating the vessel, and that the judge said small inflatable vessels used for these crossings are not designed for offshore sea voyages. The BBC also quoted National Crime Agency senior investigating officer John Turner saying: "Atak was unimaginably reckless" and that his actions could have easily resulted in many deaths had the boat not been intercepted.
Deportation and political stakes
The BBC said Judge Sarah Counsell warned Atak that as a foreign national he was liable in principle to automatic deportation once he completed his sentence. The Eastleigh Voice quoted Anna Turley, the Minister for Border Security and Asylum, saying: "Today’s sentencing rightly puts this evil criminal behind bars," and it said Turley added that Atak joins 16 other pilots sentenced in just three months for endangering lives with flimsy, overcrowded dinghies. The Eastleigh Voice also reported that the National Crime Agency said Atak was "unimaginably reckless" and that his actions could have easily resulted in many deaths had the boat not been intercepted.
In the BBC account, Turley described Atak as an "evil criminal" and said the case was a "stark reminder of the ruthless acts used by smuggling gangs to exploit desperate people for profit". The BBC further reported that the record number of migrants on a small boat was later surpassed with 230 people on board a vessel in August, after the 165-migrant crossing that led to Atak’s conviction.