Teen pleads guilty over Channel boat with 165 migrants
A 19-year-old man has pleaded guilty to endangering lives by piloting a dinghy carrying 165 migrants across the English Channel. The incident, which occurred in July, highlights the ongoing legal efforts to prosecute those steering small boats in the world's busiest shipping lane.
Why it matters
This case reflects the UK's intensifying legal crackdown on human smuggling operations and the dangerous methods used for Channel crossings.
Image source, PA Media Image caption, Border Security Command recovered a dinghy after the crossing
A teenager who piloted a dinghy carrying a then-record 165 migrants across the English Channel to the UK has pleaded guilty to endangering others during a sea crossing.
Chan Mathok Atak, 19, originally from South Sudan, admitted the offence at Canterbury Crown Court in relation to a crossing on 23 July.
Rescuers said they were astonished and alarmed to see the number of people packed onto the dinghy.
It was said to have been about the same length as a bus before it began deflating in the world's busiest shipping lane.
Prosecutors said Atak created a risk of death or serious personal injury to others on board the boat.
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