A teenager refused to cross the English Channel migrant dinghy

The teenager accused of endangering the lives of more than 160 refugees by piloting the record-breaking English Channel crossing is set to stand trial.

Chan Matok Atak, 19, of Sudanese origin, appeared at Margate Magistrates’ Court earlier on Thursday where he pleaded guilty to endangering life at sea after leaving France last Thursday.

He approached with the help of an Arabic translator and when asked how he wanted to beg, he did not pilot the boat.

Atack was then remanded in custody and will next appear at Canterbury Crown Court on August 24.

Prosecutor Lucy Fish told the court that a strong separatist boat anchored off the French coast on Thursday and headed for Dover with the migrants on board.

The ship was seized by the Border Force and Atak was said to be one of the men who controlled its speed and voyage.

The boat was shoddy, overcrowded and “appeared to be floundering during the hijacking,” prosecutors added.

Images show Border Security Command towing the boat to Dover, which is about the size of a standard bus and is 13 meters (42 feet) long.

Maritime disaster is a new offense created by Sir Keir Starmer’s government to attack small boats allegedly plying the English Channel.

In June, two men were arrested for the crime for the first time, and each was sentenced to more than two years in prison.

The previous record was 128 people on one boat.

Home Office figures show that while the total number of arrivals this year will fall by 45% by 2025, the number of migrants per boat will increase.

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