Egyptian who made £173,000 trying to smuggle 173 migrants to UK on mega-dinghy that burst into flames is jailed for just one year

Published: 16:36, 8 August 2026 | Updated: 16:53, 8 August 2026 An Egyptian has been sentenced to a year in prison for trying to smuggle 173 migrants into Britain on a single 'mega-dinghy' that burst into flames in the English Channel. The 25-year-old man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was beginning his sentence in France on Saturday, following a fast-track trial held on Friday. Eleven people suffered burns in the blaze, which happened in the early hours last Tuesday. Boulogne Criminal Court heard how the Egyptian was 'piloting a boat' which contained 173 people, including 50 women and children. He was found guilty of 'facilitating the illegal entry, movement, or stay of foreign nationals in France' by 'coordinating and piloting the departure on an inflatable boat'. A judge also ruled that these acts were committed 'under circumstances directly exposing the foreign nationals to an immediate risk of death or injuries likely to result in mutilation or permanent disability.' Such crimes are punishable by up to five years in prison, and a fine equivalent to £26,000. The man was told he would be deported from France after serving his sentence, and his mobile phone was confiscated permanently. An Egyptian has been sentenced to a year in prison for trying to smuggle 173 migrants into Britain on a single 'mega-dinghy' that burst into flames in the English Channel  Migrants disembark from a French rescue ship following their rescue at sea after their boat caught fire  The British rescue ship BSC Contender cruises away after participating in the rescue operation  He continually denied any wrongdoing, arguing that he was a legitimate asylum seeker who wanted to settle in the UK. Smugglers are said to have charged at least £ 1,000 a head for a place on the 12meter boat that the man was piloting, ensuring a massive profit. The boat had set off late on Monday night from the Normandy beach of Veules-les-Roses, a small village close to Dieppe. It is at least 100 miles from the beaches around Boulogne and Calais, where most migrants depart for England, suggesting a change in tactics by the smugglers. There were so many people on board the China-made PVC boat that some of the migrants asked to get off within two hours. 'Five people had initially asked to be rescued, because the boat was in such a bad way,' said an investigating source. 'The rest told rescuers they wanted to continue, and this was permitted. Then, later in the morning, the engine caught fire.' It was then that everybody jumped into the water, and the boat capsized, before finally disintegrating. Some of the rescued migrants wore gold thermal jackets to warm them up after ending up in the sea  Migrants at the Port de Commerce in Boulogne-sur-Mer, northern France, after the rescue mission It is thought that a fuel leak from the outboard motor caused the blaze, triggering mass panic on board. Some 54 people were picked up by the UK Border Force command vessel Contender. In turn, the French boats Argonaute and Minck rescued 30 and 73 respectively, before everybody was taken back to Boulogne-sur-Mer. Investigators also revealed that none of those rescued wanted to remain in France. One said: 'There were fifty women and children on the boat, and they all declined emergency accommodation. All want to get to Britain as quickly as possible.' There is currently a strict policy of the authorities not intervening in small boats at sea, because of the risk to life, but they can carry out humanitarian rescues. At the end of last month, 165 migrants reached the UK in a single boat, the Home Office confirmed. The number broke the previous record from July, when 128 crossed the Channel from France in one vessel. A Home Office spokesperson said the crossing served as a 'stark reminder that criminal gangs have no regard for the safety of those they claim to help. The reality is clear and lives are being lost in the Channel.' Migrants walk with a member of France's Civil Defence after disembarking from a French rescue ship following their rescue at sea after their boat caught fire during an attempt to cross the English Channel from France to Britain, at the Port de Commerce in Boulogne-sur-Mer, northern France, on August 4, 2026 At least 15 UK-bound migrants have died in the Channel this year, either by drowning or suffocating in a small boat because of overcrowding. Three women and a man were found dead on the beaches close to Dunkirk and Calais the week before last. The worst tragedy of this kind came in November 2021, when 27 migrants died after a dinghy sank while heading to the UK - the highest recorded number of deaths from a single incident. According to figures from the British authorities, 14,526 people have reached England on small boats this year -a figure down by more than 40% compared to the same period in 2025. The British and French governments have pledged to strengthen cooperation to fight the people smugglers, but they are regularly criticised for not doing enough.