Moment small boat migrant holds baby in his arms as he pilots overcrowded dinghy across the Channel

A migrant has been filmed piloting an overcrowded dinghy in the Channel - while carrying a baby in his arms. In a video filmed off the coast of Gravelines, a boat carrying dozens of men and children is seen sailing close to land as it picks up a handful of extra passengers before beginning the journey to Britain. The outboard motor is being operated by a man who is not wearing a lifejacket - and is carrying a baby wrapped in clothes and wearing a red hat. As he holds the boat near the shore, other migrants wade out carrying young children, passing them into the centre of the dinghy. There have been calls for the man to face a charge of endangering life at sea - an offence introduced by Labour as part of a bid to smash people-smuggling gangs and deter migrant crossings. The man who filmed the video, Adrian - known pseudonymously as The Nowhere Photographer - said in a post on X: 'Let that sink in. Driving a migrant boat across the English Channel with a baby in his arms. 'Will UK authorities hold this man accountable for endangering that child's life AND for driving the boat?' The boat set off on September 27, when 526 migrants made the Channel journey on seven boats. A migrant is seen operating the outboard motor on an inflatable dinghy in the Channel - while carrying an infant wearing a red hat The boat, carrying dozens of migrants, drifted close to the French coast before it made the journey towards Britain Your browser does not support iframes. Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp said: 'These despicable people smugglers will do anything - including endangering a baby - to get people to the UK in return for profit. 'The French authorities are allowing lives to be risked and lost right under their noses. This vile people smuggler should be prosecuted and then deported the moment his feet touch UK soil. 'The fact a baby's life is being risked shows why this illegal immigration route needs to be shut down completely. But neither our government nor the French government are taking the action needed. 'The Conservative BORDERs plan would end this route - and the government should urgently adopt it.' More than 40 migrants have been charged with endangering lives at sea since the new offence was introduced in January. It carries a maximum of five years in jail, or a maximum of six if a migrant convicted of the offence already has a deportation order against them. Of the 45 charged with the offence to date, 20 pleaded guilty and were convicted, all of whom are serving custodial sentences of as much as 27 months. Around 15 per cent of small boat arrivals are children under the age of 18, according to official Home Office statistics - and it is often them who pay the price undertaking the hazardous journey. Before leaving, a number of children were hoisted onto the raft wearing bright orange lifejackets It comes a month after a migrant was seen abandoning a child as he scrambled onto a dinghy Join the discussion Should people piloting migrant boats with children on board face harsher punishments for risking young lives? What's your view? Last month, a 10-year-old child was among three people who died in what was thought to be a crush on board an overloaded dinghy carrying 105 migrants. And in revolting scenes a month ago, a migrant was captured on camera abandoning an infant as he scrambled onto a dinghy in a bid to reach Britain. The youngster, thought to only be a few years old, was rescued by French emergency workers and taken back to shore. At least 14 children died attempting to cross the Channel in 2024, according to the UN's International Organisation for Migration. As of Saturday, 20,935 migrants have arrived in Britain via small boat crossings so far in 2026, the lowest number of arrivals since 2021. A Home Office spokesperson said: 'We have made progress tackling the small boats. Crossings are down significantly, and we have just recorded the lowest number of summer arrivals since 2020. 'We are taking action, with joint efforts preventing over 50,000 crossing attempts and seizing 1,100 boats and engines since the election. 'Reckless criminals who put lives at risk on flimsy, overcrowded dinghies will be locked up. We have now delivered nearly 40 years' worth of combined jail terms under our new legislation, bringing more pilots to justice.' Last week, migrant hotspot Eritrea was put on notice to accept the return of nationals who had entered Britain illegally - or else face visa curbs. Eritrean diplomats also face a ban on travelling more than 37 miles beyond London without permission from the Foreign Office as part of the tit-for-tat row.