Migrants charged following small boat crossings during Bank Holiday heatwave

28 May 2026 11:28 AM

Migrants who arrived in small boats during the weekend’s sunny weather and calmer waters in the English Channel have been charged with illegal immigration offences.

Charges were authorised by lawyers in CPS Direct, the out of hours team in the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), to ensure suspects are charged swiftly and appeared in court as soon as possible.

Those prosecuted for arriving in the UK without entry clearance were:

• Osman Yesil, 47, a Turkish national arrived on 22 May and pleaded guilty at his first court hearing on 25 May at Folkestone Magistrates Court and was sentenced to eight months in prison.
• Tawfiq Boubazine, 33, an Algerian national arrived on 22 May and also pleaded guilty at his first court hearing on 25 May at Folkestone Magistrates Court and was sentenced to eight months in prison.
• Elidjon Cota, 29, an Albanian national arrived on 23 May and pleaded guilty on 26 May at Folkestone Magistrates Court and was sentenced to eight months in prison.

Those charged with endangering the lives of others during a sea crossing and remanded in custody were:

• Jiechlat Buom, 25, a Sudanese national arrived on 23 May in a small boat with 78 others. His first court appearance was on 26 May, and a plea hearing will be on 29 June at Canterbury Crown Court.
• Kueth Gatkuoth, 31, a Sudanese national arrived on 23 May. His first court appearance was on 26 May, and a plea hearing will be on 29 June at Canterbury Crown Court.
• Mehdi Najafi, 42, an Iranian national arrived in a small boat with 21 others on 22 May 2026. His first court appearance was on 25 May, and a plea hearing will be on 22 June at Canterbury Crown Court.

Lawyers from CPS Direct authorised charges within hours of prosecutors receiving evidence from law enforcement agencies.

Sarah Dineley, from the Crown Prosecution Service, yesterday said:

“Many of these cases were charged within hours over this bank holiday weekend which meant defendants were brought before a court within days of arriving in the UK.

“We charged the alleged pilots of these boats with endangering the lives of others.  These boats are overcrowded and people’s lives are being put at risk in one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world.

“The CPS continues to work with international partners to disrupt and dismantle organised crime groups, who are ultimately responsible for small boat crossings.  We will use the laws available to us to prosecute where there is sufficient evidence, and it is in the public interest to do so.”

Notes to Editors

• Endangerment is an offence under section 24 (E1A) of the Immigration Act 1971. It was inserted into the Immigration Act by section 21 of the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Act 2025 and came into force on 5 January 2026.
• The offence carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison. For those in breach of a deportation order the maximum sentence rises to six years.
• Sarah Dineley is the Chief Crown Prosecutor for CPS North East and the CPS lead on immigration crime.