Two Sudanese men have been jailed by a UK Court after pleading guilty to endangering the lives of others by piloting small boats across the English Channel.
Bol Chuol, 27, and Charun Magok, 19, admitted their guilt after the prosecution successfully argued against their applications to have the cases thrown out.
Chuol was jailed for two years, and Magok for 16 months at Canterbury Crown Court.
Chuol’s boat was intercepted off the coast of Kent on March 22 with 71 people on board, including nine children and an 11-month-old toddler. Magok was filmed piloting on March 20 a small boat that was totally unsuitable for crossing the Channel, which is one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world.
The court heard that the boat was designed for five people, but had six on board, and it was taking on water because it was sitting so low.
Additionally, the boat was unequipped, with no signalling equipment, GPS devices, oars, flares, radios, navigational charts or first aid equipment.
The court also heard that Chuol’s vessel was massively overcrowded with people’s feet dangling in the water and that by piloting the vessel, he had placed them in danger.
Magok later told immigration officials that he had no experience piloting vessels and agreed it was dangerous to cross the Channel.
As the boats got closer to the British coast, both men were filmed by drones throwing their coats into the sea and moving down the boats to avoid detection by the pilots.
Chuol was identified from the Christmas jumper he was filmed wearing.
Following an investigation by Immigration Enforcement, both men were charged by the Crown Prosecution Service with the footage captured by drones operated by the UK Border Force of them piloting the boats forming part of the case’s key evidence.
During the case’s hearing on Tuesday, July 14, the court rejected both men’s claims that they had merely found themselves in small boats without a pilot and had reluctantly taken on the role.
The prosecution argued that both had plenty of opportunity to be rescued by French authorities but chose to continue towards the UK.
“The inflatable boats piloted by Bol Chuol and Charun Magok were dangerously unsuitable for crossing the Channel. It is just luck that no one was seriously injured or died. Between them, they put the lives of 75 people, including children and an 11-month-old, at risk in flimsy vessels with no proper safety equipment,” said Andrew Stephens from the Crown Prosecution Service.
The two are now facing deportation following their sentencing to more than a year in prison.
“The CPS will continue to work with international partners to bring down the organised crime groups, who are ultimately responsible for these crossings,” Mr Alex Norris, the Minister for Border Security and Asylum, said.
At least five small boat pilots have been jailed under this new endangerment offence in just over a month.
“We are sending a clear message to the criminal gangs. Those risking lives and bringing illegal migrants to our shores will end up behind bars,” the Minister added.
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