Two men jailed under new UK law for piloting overcrowded small boats across Channel
Mohammad Tajik and Alnour Mohamed Ali have become the first people sentenced under a new UK law making it a criminal offence to endanger lives while piloting small boats across the Channel, receiving sentences of two years and 27 months respectively at Canterbury Crown Court. The Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Act 2025, which came into force in January, targets those who cause or risk death or serious injury during sea crossings from France, Belgium, or the Netherlands. The convictions mark a significant enforcement milestone as UK authorities signal they expect more charges under the law through the summer crossing season.
Mohammad Tajik, 32, an Afghan national, and Alnour Mohamed Ali, 26, from Sudan, were sentenced at Canterbury Crown Court on Wednesday after both pleaded guilty to endangering others during Channel crossings. Tajik steered a crowded dinghy in foggy conditions on 17 January, abandoning the tiller when rescuers arrived and causing the boat to spin dangerously; Ali piloted a vessel on 9 April so overcrowded that drone footage showed passengers clinging to the edges with legs dangling in the water, with many not wearing life jackets. Neither man was accused of organising crossings for profit — Ali told the court he was ordered to steer by armed smugglers in France — and both had fled serious violence in their home countries. The sentencing judge noted it was 'down to luck and good fortune' that those on board were rescued before serious harm occurred, and criticised the Sentencing Council for failing to issue definitive guidelines for the new offence. French authorities had previously linked Ali to four drowning deaths near Boulogne-sur-Mer on the same day, but the judge accepted that attributing those deaths to Ali constituted 'misinformation,' and prosecutors confirmed he bore no responsibility. Because both sentences exceed 12 months, the men will be automatically considered for deportation, though the judge noted both have 'arguable' asylum claims and the Home Office will decide their immigration status independently. The Crown Prosecution Service indicated it expects the endangerment charge to be used more frequently as Channel crossing attempts increase over summer.
What's missing
It is not addressed what the typical timeline or outcome rate is for asylum applications from Afghan and Sudanese nationals in the current legal environment, which would be relevant to assessing the likelihood of deportation.
How coverage differed
The Guardian framed the story primarily around the legal milestone and official statements, while the BBC provided substantially more detail on the defendants' personal backgrounds — including Ali's torture in Libya and Tajik's witnessing of family members' killings by the Taliban — and also highlighted the controversy over the NCA allegedly 'wrongly informing the media' that Ali was responsible for the April drowning deaths, a point the Guardian did not emphasise.
What different sources said
- BBC Top StoriesCenter
Two migrants jailed under new small boats law
Two men jailed for putting lives at risk during small boat journeys to UK
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