Teen denies record Channel migrant dinghy crossing

Teen denies record Channel migrant dinghy crossing Chan Mathok Atak, a 19‑year‑old originally from Sudan, appeared at Margate Magistrates Court on Thursday where he denied endangering the lives of more than 160 migrants during an alleged attempt to pilot a dinghy across the English Channel. He spoke with the aid of an Arabic interpreter and told the court he did not pilot the vessel. After the hearing, Atak was remanded into custody and is scheduled to appear next at Canterbury Crown Court on 24 August. Prosecutor Lucie Fish told the tribunal that, on Thursday, a rigid‑hulled inflatable boat left the French shore bound for Dover carrying the migrants. She said the craft was intercepted by Border Force and that Atak is alleged to be one of two individuals controlling its speed and course. Fish described the vessel as mediocre in quality, overcrowded and “appeared to beryllium deflating upon interception.” Photographs of Border Security Command towing the dinghy into Dover showed it to be roughly the size of a standard bus, measuring 13 metres (42 feet) in length. Endangerment at sea is a newly created offence introduced under Sir Keir Starmer to target those accused of steering small boats across the Channel. In June, two men became the first to be jailed for this crime, each receiving sentences exceeding two years. The previous record for a single vessel stood at 128 people. Home Office data indicate that, although the total number of arrivals this year is down by about 45 % compared with 2025, the average number of migrants per boat has risen. Atak continues to deny having piloted the dinghy.