London: A 19-year-old man who piloted a dinghy carrying 165 migrants across the English Channel has pleaded guilty to endangering people during the sea crossing.
Dinghy carried 165 migrants
Chan Mathok Atak, originally from South Sudan, admitted the offence at Canterbury Crown Court in connection with the crossing on July 23.
The dinghy was carrying what was then a record 165 migrants in a single boat crossing. Rescuers reportedly expressed astonishment and concern at the number of people packed onto the vessel.
The inflatable boat was described as being about the length of a bus before it began deflating while travelling through the busy shipping lane.
New offence targets small-boat crossings
Prosecutors said Atak created a risk of death or serious personal injury to people aboard the dinghy.
The offence of endangerment at sea is a new criminal offence introduced to target people accused of steering small boats across the English Channel.
The July crossing set a record for the largest number of people carried in a single dinghy since such arrivals began on the south coast in recent years.
That record has since been surpassed. Earlier this month, 230 people reportedly reached the UK aboard another large dinghy.
Sentencing scheduled for September
Atak is due to be sentenced at Canterbury Crown Court on September 11.
The case comes amid continuing concerns over dangerous small-boat crossings of the English Channel and the risks posed to migrants travelling in overcrowded and vulnerable vessels.