Eritrean man, 32, is jailed for 18 months for piloting a small boat across the Channel carrying 26 people

Published: 18:19 EDT, 2 October 2026 | Updated: 18:19 EDT, 2 October 2026 An Eritrean national has been jailed for 18 months for controlling a small boat carrying 26 other people, including six children, across the English Channel. Jamel Abdela, 32, was sentenced at Winchester Crown Court after pleading guilty to the offence of endangering others during an illegal sea crossing to the UK without valid entry clearance on July 25.Matthew Parris, prosecuting, told the court that the defendant was seen piloting the large black inflatable boat which had a total of 15 men, six women and six children on board and was being followed by a French Rib.He said that as immigration officers approached the boat, which was heading to the Kent coastline, the 'driver dived into the centre of the boat and the driver moved to another location wearing a hat. The officers identified him later as being Mr Abdela'.Mr Parris said the crossing was dangerous because of how busy the Channel was and that the small boat had poor reflection on radar systems – and added the vessel did not have flares, GPS or maps onboard.He said that Abdela told police he had paid €800 for the crossing and the journey had begun at 5pm the previous day.Mr Parris added the defendant said he had been sat by the captain of the small boat, but he was then made to take over control of the vessel by the other passengers.Francesca Hallett, defending, said Abdela had managed to 'escape' war-torn Eritrea where he was born and where his two children, aged 12 and three, still live. Jamel Abdela (pictured) was sentenced at Winchester Crown Court after pleading guilty to the offence of endangering others during an illegal sea crossing to the UK without valid entry clearance on July 25She said that he first went to the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa, but was imprisoned because of his Eritrean nationality.He then went on to travel through Sudan and Egypt to Libya where he was captured and tortured by people smugglers for eight months.Ms Hallett said: 'There were efforts from his family to obtain money so he was freed which thankfully took place.'She said he travelled on to Italy which he described as being 'not safe for refugees' and then France which he also said was 'not a place for refugees' because he had slept under a bridge and been 'urinated on and had bottles thrown at him'.She added: 'At that stage he felt the UK was the safest option.'Ms Hallett said that Abdela had stated his mental health had not been affected by the torture in Libya but he was 'frequently' in physical pain.Sentencing Abdela, Judge James Bromige said that he would 'ordinarily' be deported on completion of his prison sentence.He said: 'I do take into account the risk of harm arising however given the weather and sea conditions that day that was reduced although there is an inherent risk of undertaking such a crossing.'A Home Office spokesman said Abdela was the 20th small boat pilot to be imprisoned in four months for endangering lives at sea.Anna Turley, minister for border security and asylum, said: 'This reckless criminal has rightly become the 20th small boat pilot jailed for putting lives at risk on a flimsy, overcrowded dinghy.'We have now delivered nearly 40 years' worth of combined jail terms under our new legislation, bringing more pilots to justice.'With arrests for immigration crime surging, and the lowest number of small boat arrivals over the summer since 2020, we are making progress. We will continue to be relentless in bearing down on these dangerous and illegal crossings.'