An Algerian criminal who piloted a dangerously overloaded small boat carrying 66 migrants across the English Channel has become the third person to be jailed for endangering lives under a new offence. Azzeddine Ainbouzid, 29, was sentenced to two years at Canterbury Crown Court on Wednesday (June 24) after pleading guilty to endangerment and arriving in the UK without entry clearance.
Overloaded vessel put lives at risk
The boat, designed for only 20 people, was packed with passengers including a pregnant woman and three children. The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said the vessel was so overloaded its seaworthiness was severely restricted. Some migrants sat with their feet in the sea, and not everyone wore life jackets during the perilous crossing on April 18.
Andrew Stephens from the CPS said after the sentencing: "This boat was poorly built and definitely not suited to crossing one of the busiest sea lanes in the world. He put the lives of everyone at risk including children and a pregnant woman when he decided to take his hand off the tiller which made the boat go round in circles."
Drone footage captures reckless manoeuvre
Dramatic drone footage released by the CPS shows the vessel speeding across the Channel towards Britain. When Ainbouzid spotted a Border Force rescue ship approaching, he took his hands off the tiller, causing the boat to lose control and endangering lives. Detectives identified him as the pilot by his facial hair and a logo on the sleeve of his black jacket.
This was the second time Ainbouzid had entered the UK illegally. He first arrived in 2023 and within a year was convicted for being drunk and disorderly and resisting a police officer, receiving a 12-month conditional discharge. He also has convictions in France for drug trafficking and aggravated theft, which the UK court was asked to take into account during sentencing.
Government warns smugglers
Alex Norris, Minister for Border Security and Asylum, said: "This Government is taking the fight to the smuggling gangs by tracking down and jailing small boat pilots. Today’s sentencing sends a clear message: we will use all available powers to ensure those who bring illegal migrants to our shores face justice."
The endangerment offence, introduced in January, has already led to the imprisonment of Sudanese nationals Mohammad Tajik, 32, and Ali Alnour, 27, for similar crossings. Tajik received two years and Alnour two years and three months. Stephens added: "Those who pilot small boats can expect to be caught and prosecuted. If sentenced to more than a year in prison, they face being deported. If they make an asylum application their conviction will be taken into account."
Disruptions to smuggling activity, including arrests, convictions and seizures, are up by nearly 50%, according to the government.
