Illegal Immigrant from Northallerton Caught Piloting Dinghy Across Channel
A Northallerton man was caught piloting a dinghy while attempting to enter the UK illegally with his child
Northallerton, UK, Illegal Immigration, Dinghy, Asylum
Northallerton: So, there’s this guy, Daniel Malual, who got caught trying to sneak into the UK on a dinghy. A Border Force drone caught him steering the boat, and when he noticed, he tried to change his clothes to blend in. Sneaky, right?
He was piloting the dinghy across the Channel with a bunch of other people. The court heard that he even picked up his child to make it look like he was just a dad on a family outing. But nope, he was in control of the boat.
The prosecutor, Nigel Soppitt, laid it all out. Malual was clearly steering the dinghy when the Border Force decided to step in. As they approached, he switched his clothes and mingled with the crowd on the boat. Talk about trying to play it cool!
Malual had quite the journey before this. He left South Sudan in 2020, spent years in Egypt and Libya, and then made his way to Italy before trying to get to the UK. He arranged all his travel himself, which is pretty impressive, but also risky.
After his arrest, he admitted he was trying to enter the UK without proper clearance. His lawyer mentioned that his wife and daughter are still in Northallerton, and he’s now applied for asylum after fleeing the chaos back home.
The judge wasn’t too lenient, though. He sentenced Malual to a year in prison and made sure the authorities got a transcript of the hearing. The judge pointed out that Malual was aware of the risks and had a responsibility since he was piloting the boat.
It’s a tough situation, but the law is the law. Malual could have claimed asylum in the other countries he passed through, but he chose to take this risky route instead.