A man has been jailed for two years after he was caught trying to smuggle two children and seven adults across the Channel.

Altaib Mobarak, 43, was detained by Border Force on July 7 after being caught with the nine migrants, all of whom were Sudanese and Yemeni nationals, in a dinghy.

He admitted driving the rigid-hulled inflatable boat (RHIB) and a charge of facilitating illegal entry into the UK, and was sentenced at Kent Crown Court.

Dan O’Mahoney, the Home Office’s Clandestine Channel Threat Commander and former Royal Marine, advised migrants to seek asylum in the first safe country they enter.

He said: ‘Those attempting to cross the Channel, one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes, in unsuitable boats and without appropriate maritime skills are putting at risk the lives of all those on board. It is of particular concern when, as was the case here, vulnerable children are involved.

‘It is precisely because of this risk to life – a reality that we have seen confirmed in yesterday’s tragic incident – that we are determined to put a stop to these dangerous crossings.’

Mr O’Mahoney, who was appointed last month, is in France today to meet with Paris authorities over how to prevent migrants from crossing the Channel.

On Wednesday, 164 more migrants reached the UK in 11 boats, meaning nearly 5,000 have arrived this year.

There is currently no legal requirement for refugees to claim asylum in the first safe country they arrive in. They also can’t claim asylum before making the journey to arrive in a country, as there are no visas available for their situation.

On Wednesday, the body of a refugee boy, 16, was found on a beach near Calais after he fell overboard from a dinghy while trying to make the journey across the Channel.

He and his friend were reportedly using shovels as oars to cross the water when they got into difficulty, Boulogne-sur-Mer’s deputy prosecutor Philippe Sabatier said.

An investigation has been launched into his death. The boy’s friend, who is also a child, was found alive on the beach but ‘in a state of shock’, according to reports. He was not injured and was taken to a Calais hospital.

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