Small boat driver who filmed himself steering dangerously overcrowded vessel jailed

Small boat driver who filmed himself steering dangerously overcrowded vessel jailed EXCLUSIVE: Footage shot by Iraqi national Rekar Nabaz, 28, shows people onboard an overcrowded small boat with no safety equipment onboard. He was jailed for two years and three months under a new endangerment law A small boat pilot who filmed himself steering a dangerously overcrowded vessel has been jailed. Iraqi national Rekar Nabaz, 28, was sentenced to two years and three months behind bars for endangering lives and arriving in the UK without valid entry clearance. He swerved the boat from side-to-side when the Border Security Command attempted to intercept it on June 20 this year. There were 52 people onboard, many of them not wearing life jackets with no safety equipment on board, despite poor visibility on the day of the crossing. The footage was released to The Mirror the Home Office a day after four people died attempting to reach the UK from France. Nabaz is the eighth person to be convicted of endangerment in less than two months, with 25 cases ongoing. The new offence was introduced under the Border Security, Immigration and Asylum Act, which was passed last year. Immigration Minister Anna Turley told The Mirror: “That’s eight small boat pilots jailed under the endangerment offence now. We are sending a clear message to those bringing migrants to British shores: we will use all available powers to put you behind bars. “Arrests for organised immigration crime have surged by 74%, with wider disruption activity against these criminal networks including arrests, convictions and seizures up 50%. “This government will go even further to restore control to our borders and smash these dangerous smuggling gangs.” Last month The Mirror reported that Algerian national Azzeddine Ain-Bouzid, 29, had been jailed for two years after drone footage showed him steering a boat with 67 people onboard. The vessel was only designed to carry 20. The government has pledged to tackle small boat crossings, reaching a landmark new deal with France to boost law enforcement action on beaches earlier this year. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has announced a series of measures to discourage people coming to the UK, including a controversial proposal to review refugee status every two-and-a-half weeks. There has been a sharp fall in crossings, with Home Office figures showing a 42% drop in the number of people reaching the UK by small boat compared to last year. But at least 13 people are believed to have died so far this year after four lives were lost in 24 hours yesterday. One man died after a boat capsized off France's northern coast on Wednesday, and a one-year-old child was hurt. Later three people were found dead on board a boat which had launched from Dunkirk. Earlier this week Mr Burnham said the government's plan to stop crossings was working, but admitted there was more to do. Charity Safe Passage International described the deaths as "devastating and avoidable" while calling on the Government to "take accountability for the lack of safe routes for refugees".