Jump to contentThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged inAllNewsSportCultureLifestyleBasir Ramatullah (ringed) who has been jailed for two years for endangering other (Crown Prosecution Service)An Afghan man, Basir Ramatullah, has been sentenced to two years in prison after pleading guilty to endangering others while steering an overcrowded dinghy across the English Channel. Ramatullah, also known as Baseer Ahmad, was observed by surveillance imagery controlling the vessel for over two hours with 53 other migrants on board before Border Force intercepted it. The 21-year-old was sentenced at Canterbury Crown Court, where Judge Edmund Fowler noted the rib was overloaded and at least one person lacked a personal flotation device. His defence argued that Ramatullah, who was fleeing the Taliban, took control of the boat only after a human trafficker abandoned it and another person gave up steering, having spent his life savings on the crossing. This conviction highlights the application of new border security legislation, introduced in January, which criminalises endangering others during sea journeys to the UK. In fullSmall boat Channel crossings continue for second dayMore bulletinsThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in
Man who steered overcrowded small boat in English Channel is jailed
Jump to contentThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged inAllNewsSportCultureLifestyleBasir Ramatullah (ringed) who has been jailed for two years for endangering other (Crown Prosecution Service)An Afghan man, Basir Ramatullah, has been sentenced to two years in prison after pleading guilty to endangering others while steering an overcrowded dinghy across the English Channel. Ramatullah, also known as Baseer Ahmad, was observed by surveillance imagery controlling the vessel for over two hours with 53 other migrants on board before Border Force intercepted it. The 21-year-old was sentenced at Canterbury Crown Court, where Judge Edmund Fowler noted the rib was overloaded and at least one person lacked a personal flotation device. His defence argued that Ramatullah, who was fleeing the Taliban, took control of the boat only after a human trafficker abandoned it and another person gave up steering, having spent his life savings on the crossing. This conviction highlights the application of new border security legislation, introduced in January, which criminalises endangering others during sea journeys to the UK. In fullSmall boat Channel crossings continue for second dayMore bulletinsThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in
