Two more small boat pilots jailed for Channel crossings
Summary
Two men were jailed in the UK for piloting overcrowded small boats carrying migrants across the English Channel. Omar Heidari received two years in prison for steering a boat with 95 people onboard, while Manas Yuk was sentenced to 18 months for a boat carrying 81 people, including children.Key Facts
- Omar Heidari, an Afghan national aged 34, was jailed for two years for piloting a boat with 95 people in June.
- Manas Yuk, an 18-year-old Sudanese national, received 18 months in youth detention for piloting a boat with 81 people, including 13 children.
- Both men pleaded guilty to endangering others by piloting unsafe, overcrowded boats.
- The court cases were held at Canterbury Crown Court.
- These sentences are part of a law effective since January targeting those who risk lives by piloting small boats illegally.
- The boats were overcrowded, some passengers did not wear life jackets, and some sat with legs hanging over the side.
- Yuk tried to hide his identity but was identified using drone footage.
- Channel crossings by small boats have become the most common way migrants enter the UK illegally since 2020, with over 14,000 arrivals this year up to now.
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