Two men have become the first people sentenced under a new offence targeting those who endanger lives during Channel crossings – one of them, a pilot who let go of the tiller and asked others to look for instructions on YouTube. At Canterbury Crown Court on Wednesday, Afghan national Mohammad Tajik, 32, was jailed for two years, and Sudanese national Alnour Ali, 26, received 27 months. Both pleaded guilty to endangering others during a sea journey to the UK, an offence created in January under strengthened border security laws that carries a maximum penalty of five years.
Prosecutor Daniel Bunting told the court that Tajik, the first person convicted under the new law, had “no experience or knowledge of piloting a boat” during a cold January crossing. Footage showed the boat overcrowded, with passengers sitting around the edge – “which did not appear to be a safe way of travelling”, Bunting said. Tajik admitted piloting but said he did so only to stop the boat going in circles shortly before it was intercepted around 12.15pm. He had let go of the tiller, leaving no one in control.
“First two people jailed under new Channel crossing offence: 32-year-old Afghan and 26-year-old Sudanese sentenced for endangering lives.”
Ali’s case was even more stark: drone footage played in court showed 74 people on board, with Ali wearing a pink hat while driving, and passengers straddling the sides, some with legs dangling in the water. A French vessel came alongside.
Sentencing them, Judge Simon James said: “The inherent dangers of seeking to navigate one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world in a vessel which was never designed to undertake such a journey are obvious. However the risk of death and serious injury are significantly increased when boats have no navigational aids, are overcrowded, and those on board are not adequately equipped with safety equipment.”
Tajik’s two‑year term means the Home Office will automatically consider him for deportation; Ali, with a 27‑month sentence, will also face deportation proceedings. Both men are now the test case for a law designed to deter the dangerous crossings that have seen thousands make the journey this year.