Teenager who piloted overcrowded dinghy with 165 people on board jailed

A 19-year-old South Sudanese asylum seeker, Chan Atak, has been jailed for two years and three months for piloting an overcrowded dinghy across the English Channel with 165 people on board. The crossing on July 23 lasted nearly 24 hours and used a 14-metre inflatable craft with two outboard engines, one not functioning, and tubing that began to deflate. Prosecutors said aerial footage showed Atak operating the boat for about 90 minutes and taking off a black jacket with an “Italia” logo to avoid detection as the helmsman. Sentenced at Canterbury Crown Court on Friday, the court heard there was no evidence he organized the crossing or profited, though Atak told police he paid 200 euros to a gang. The judge stressed the boat lacked navigation and emergency signalling equipment and carried batteries and fuel containers together, creating fire risk.