Pilot of a small boat full of people, which crossed the Channel to the UK, has been arrested. You Won’t believe what happened next
Daniel Malual, a 24-year-old man from Sudan, has been sentenced to 12 months in prison for piloting a small boat filled with migrants across the English Channel to the UK. On September 21 last year, Border Force officers spotted him steering the overcrowded dinghy.
After the boat was intercepted, Malual changed into dry clothes and mingled with other passengers to avoid being identified as the pilot. He later explained that he changed clothes because his original ones were wet from the journey.
Malual made the journey with his wife and young child, seeking a better life in the UK. During questioning by authorities, he shared that he left Sudan in 2020 due to political troubles.
He first arrived in Italy, where his fingerprints were taken, and then traveled through Libya and France. Despite having opportunities to apply for asylum in those countries, he decided to continue to the UK, saying he didn’t feel safe or comfortable elsewhere.
On November 12, Malual was arrested at a hotel in North Yorkshire. He later pleaded guilty to entering the UK without proper permission. At his sentencing, the court heard that he had already applied for asylum and had a scheduled phone interview with the Home Office on January 17. However, this interview has been postponed because he is currently in prison.
Judge Jonathan Carroll, who presided over the case at Teesside Crown Court, criticized Malual for disregarding international asylum rules by not seeking refuge in the countries he passed through. The judge noted that Malual brought his family on the dangerous journey and knowingly entered the UK illegally.
While sentencing him, the judge said, “You traveled through Italy, Libya, and France before coming here. These are all places where you could have claimed asylum. Instead, you chose to break the rules and bring your family on this journey.”
Malual was sentenced to 12 months in prison, but he will serve only half of the term before being released on license. His asylum claim is still being reviewed by the Home Office, but his detention could delay the process further.
