CPS confirms ten migrants have now been sentenced under new Channel crossing endangerment law
Ten Migrants Sentenced have now been convicted under a new criminal offence introduced to tackle dangerous small boat crossings, with the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) confirming that ten people have been sentenced for endangering the lives of others during Channel journeys.
The offence, which came into force on 5 January 2026, makes it a criminal act to cause or create a risk of death or serious personal injury to others during a water crossing to the UK from France, Belgium or the Netherlands. It was introduced through the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Act 2025, which amended the Immigration Act 1971.
According to the CPS, the latest convictions mark a significant milestone in the enforcement of the new legislation. Prosecutors have continued to bring cases against individuals accused of piloting overcrowded inflatable boats across one of the world’s busiest shipping routes.
The first convictions under the new offence were secured on 10 June 2026 when Mohammad Tajik, a 32-year-old Afghan national, and Ali Alnour, a 27-year-old Sudanese national, were sentenced at Canterbury Crown Court. Tajik received a prison sentence of two years, while Alnour was jailed for two years and three months after both admitted endangerment offences.
The CPS said Tajik had piloted an inflatable boat carrying more than 70 people, including children and a toddler. Prosecutors told the court that when a Border Force rescue vessel approached, he released the tiller, causing the boat to drift in circles. Tajik also admitted paying €1,500 to a criminal gang for his journey and acknowledged that he required a visa to enter the UK.
In Alnour’s case, prosecutors said he piloted a vessel carrying 73 other people without essential safety equipment, including navigation aids, flares, paddles, lights, a first aid kit or a means of calling for help. Although he initially denied being the pilot, he later pleaded guilty.
A further conviction followed on 24 June 2026, when Azzeddine Ainbouzid, a 29-year-old Algerian national, became the third person imprisoned under the legislation. He admitted endangerment after drone footage captured him steering a boat carrying 66 other people, including a pregnant woman and three children. Prosecutors said the inflatable vessel had been designed for only 20 passengers, leaving it dangerously overcrowded.
On 15 July 2026, Bol Chuol, 27, and Charun Magok, 19, both from Sudan, were also sentenced after pleading guilty to endangering lives during separate Channel crossings. The CPS said Border Force drone footage showed both men piloting overcrowded boats carrying dozens of passengers, including young children. Prosecutors argued that the vessels lacked appropriate safety equipment and were unsuitable for crossing the Channel.
The CPS has stated that investigations continue into other suspected offences committed during small boat crossings. The organisation works alongside Border Force, Immigration Enforcement and other law enforcement agencies to identify individuals responsible for steering vessels that place passengers at risk.
Sarah Dineley, CPS lead on immigration crime and Chief Crown Prosecutor for CPS North East, previously said the inflatable boats used in these crossings were often overcrowded and lacked basic navigation and safety equipment. She said organised criminal gangs arranging the journeys showed little regard for the safety of those on board and welcomed the first sentences secured under the new offence.
The offence carries a maximum sentence of five years’ imprisonment, rising to six years for offenders who are in breach of a deportation order. The legislation applies specifically to acts that cause or create a risk of death or serious injury during sea crossings to the UK from France, Belgium or the Netherlands.
The CPS said the ten sentences demonstrate the continued use of the new law against those found to have endangered others while undertaking Channel crossings and confirmed that further prosecutions remain under consideration where the evidential and public interest tests are met.