Would tougher penalties for migrant smugglers like Alnour Mohamed Ali prevent Channel deaths?

Alnour Mohamed Ali, a 27-year-old Sudanese national, faces charges of endangering life after allegedly piloting a small boat across the English Channel, during which four migrants drowned off the French coast near Boulogne-sur-Mer. The incident brings the 2026 small boat death toll to at least six amid over 5,000 arrivals so far, with smugglers adapting tactics like coastal pickups to evade patrols. The UK enforces the new Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Act against pilots, aiming to deter on-water roles through lengthy prison terms, though crossings continue despite such prosecutions.