Following the dangerous sea crossing attempt with 173 migrants on board last week, the prosecutor's office in Boulogne-sur-Mer found a 25-year-old man from Egypt guilty under French law for facilitating the illegal entry, movement, or stay of foreign nationals in France.

The prosecutor's office told the AFP news agency that the man was responsible for "coordinating and piloting the departure of an inflatable boat intended for crossing the English Channel."

The French court further stated that the Egyptian national had acted "under circumstances that directly exposed the migrants to an immediate risk of death or injury likely to result in mutilation or permanent disability."

The man was positively identified and taken into custody immediately after the migrants on board were rescued, after a fire broke out on the vessel a week ago.

Read AlsoChannel: 173 migrants rescued after small boat catches fire

Channel crossings becoming more dangerous

The makeshift boat had reportedly departed the previous day from the shores of the Seine-Maritime region, according to French authorities. 

This area, situated around the seaside town of Dieppe, has emerged recently as a new route taken by smugglers to avoid detection.

However, it also involved a much longer — and therefore more dangerous — journey across what is one of the world's busiest shipping channels.

Smugglers have also been packing more people onboard the boats, which depart from further west on the French coast. In recent weeks, there have been several journeys recorded in which more than 150 migrants were moved across the Channel. In the early hours of Monday (August 10), the BBC reported that a boat carrying 230 migrants arrived in Dover, setting a new record for the amount of people on one small inflatable boat.

Read AlsoFrench police say they stopped two thirds of small boats bound for UK in May

Over 200,000 euros of profits from one journey

It is unclear yet what role the Egyptian national played in the supply chain of the irregular migrant journey. People navigating smuggling boats often have no direct link to the lynchpins behind these operations; oftentimes, the vessels are manned by one of the migrants themselves.

The court heard that the engine of the small boat had caught fire in the English Channel as it was approaching the maritime border between French and British waters last Tuesday (August 4).

The 173 migrants on board the vessel were then forced to jump into the water, resulting in a large-scale rescue operation involving both French and British vessels.

According to AFP, this was one of the largest rescue missions of its kind in Channel waters.

Eleven of the rescued migrants were reported to have suffered minor injuries, according to the French prefecture in charge of investigating the incident.

The British LBC radio channel broadcast that each migrant on board the ill-fated boat had paid roughly 1,200 euros for the irregular journey.

Read AlsoChannel smugglers 'made huge profits', European police

Almost 15,000 arrivals in the UK to date in 2026

Crossing the Channel remains a highly dangerous undertaking, as most migrant boats are not fully equipped to brave the waters of the narrow straight between the United Kingdom and France.

At least 15 people have died while trying to cross the English Channel so far this year, including three women last week.

Since the beginning of 2026, more than 14,500 people have succeeded with entering Britain illegally by sea, according to official figures from the British Home Office. 

This number reflects a 40 perfect drop compared to the same period last year; however, public opinion polls in the UK indicate that most people believe that the government still isn't doing enough to stop irregular migrants from reaching the country.

Read AlsoChannel crossings: Ten interventions at sea involving migrant boats

with AFP and Belga