Chan Atak, a 19-year-old from South Sudan, has been jailed for two years and three months after operating an overcrowded and unseaworthy rigid inflatable boat carrying 165 migrants across the English Channel on 23 July. The case highlights the severe dangers posed by people smuggling operations and the risks borne by desperate asylum seekers undertaking perilous journeys. Although Atak's crossing represented the record at the time it took place, it was subsequently surpassed by a dinghy carrying 230 people, underscoring the scale of the ongoing crisis in the Channel.

The boat Atak piloted was in dangerously poor condition, with only one of its two engines functioning, deflating tubing, and a complete lack of proper navigation equipment and safety provisions. Among the 165 people on board were 31 children, with the youngest just 14 years old, and passengers from countries across Africa, the Middle East and Europe—the journey taking approximately 24 hours to complete. Drone footage captured Atak at the helm for around 90 minutes before he cut the engine and removed his distinctive jacket as Border Force officials approached, which prosecutors argued was an attempt to avoid identification as the boat's pilot.