Iraqi national Rekar Nabaz, 28, has been jailed for two years and three months after filming himself steering a dangerously overcrowded small boat across the English Channel. He was convicted under a new endangerment law introduced in the Border Security, Immigration and Asylum Act.
Details of the incident
Nabaz swerved the boat from side to side when the Border Security Command attempted to intercept it on June 20 this year. The vessel carried 52 people, many without life jackets and with no safety equipment on board, despite poor visibility. The footage, released by the Home Office, was made public a day after four people died attempting to reach the UK from France.
Convictions under new law
Nabaz is the eighth person convicted of endangerment in less than two months, with 25 cases ongoing. Immigration Minister Anna Turley told The Mirror: “That’s eight small boat pilots jailed under the endangerment offence now. We are sending a clear message to those bringing migrants to British shores: we will use all available powers to put you behind bars.” She added that arrests for organised immigration crime have surged by 74% and wider disruption activity is up 50%.
Previous case and government measures
Last month, Algerian national Azzeddine Ain-Bouzid, 29, was jailed for two years after drone footage showed him steering a boat with 67 people on board, designed for only 20. The government has pledged to tackle small boat crossings, reaching a new deal with France to boost law enforcement on beaches. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has proposed reviewing refugee status every two-and-a-half weeks.
Decline in crossings but continued deaths
Home Office figures show a 42% drop in small boat arrivals compared to last year. However, at least 13 people are believed to have died so far in 2026, including four in 24 hours. One man died after a boat capsized off France’s northern coast, and three others were found dead on a boat from Dunkirk. Andy Burnham said the government’s plan was working but there was more to do. Safe Passage International called the deaths “devastating and avoidable” and urged the government to take accountability for the lack of safe routes.
