Two migrant boat pilots jailed in first UK convictions under new Channel crossing law

Mohammad Tajik, 32, an Afghan national, was sentenced to two years in prison, and Alnour Ali, 26, a Sudanese national, received 27 months at Canterbury Crown Court. They are the first people sentenced under a new offence of endangering others during a Channel crossing that came into force earlier in 2026. Tajik piloted a boat carrying more than 70 people, including a toddler and several children.

When a Border Force rescue vessel approached, he let go of the tiller, causing the boat to drift in circles. He admitted paying €1,500 to a criminal gang for his crossing and knowing he needed a visa to enter the UK. Ali piloted a vessel with 73 other people on board that contained no safety equipment, including no radio, flares, first-aid kit, tube-repair kit, paddles, lights, or navigation aids.

He initially denied being the man in a pink beanie filmed piloting the boat but later admitted guilt. ” Dineley said she was “pleased that we have the first endangerment sentences since the new law came into force earlier this year” and that the CPS has more cases going through the courts, anticipating further convictions this year.

She thanked officers in Immigration Enforcement and the National Crime Agency for their investigations.

He noted that Ali “piloted a dangerous boat that had more than 70 people on it” and initially denied being the pilot, claiming he sat in the middle of the boat, before pleading guilty. ” Disruptions to smuggling activity, including arrests, convictions and seizures, are up by nearly 50 per cent, he said.

Around 9,000 migrants crossed the English Channel to the UK in small boats during the first five months of 2026.