How the Pilot of a Small Boat Full of People Crossing the Channel to the UK Was Arrested
Daniel Malual, a 24-year-old from Sudan, has been sentenced to 12 months in prison for driving a small, overcrowded boat carrying migrants across the English Channel to the UK. On September 21 last year, Border Force officers saw him steering the boat.
After the boat was stopped, Malual changed into dry clothes and tried to blend in with the other passengers to avoid being recognized as the driver. He later said he changed because his clothes were wet from the trip.
Malual traveled with his wife and young child, hoping for a better life in the UK. During questioning, he explained that he left Sudan in 2020 because of political problems. He first went to Italy, where his fingerprints were taken, and then traveled through Libya and France. Although he could have applied for asylum in those countries, he chose to continue to the UK, saying he didn’t feel safe or settled anywhere else.
On November 12, Malual was arrested at a hotel in North Yorkshire. He admitted to entering the UK without proper permission. During his trial, the court learned that he had already applied for asylum and was supposed to have a phone interview with the Home Office on January 17. However, the interview was postponed because he is now in prison.
Judge Jonathan Carroll, who handled the case at Teesside Crown Court, criticized Malual for not following international asylum rules by not seeking refuge in the countries he passed through. The judge pointed out that Malual brought his family on the dangerous trip and knowingly entered the UK illegally.
The judge said, “You traveled through Italy, Libya, and France before coming here. You could have claimed asylum in those places, but instead, you broke the rules and put your family at risk.”
Malual was sentenced to 12 months in prison but will only serve half of that time before being released. His asylum application is still being reviewed by the Home Office, but his time in prison may slow down the process.
