Key facts
- Twana Jamal, convicted of people smuggling in France in 2016, is reportedly living in the UK and seeking asylum.
- Jamal was described by French authorities as one of the most successful people smugglers ever caught.
- He was allegedly earning up to £100,000 a week moving illegal immigrants across the Channel.
- A BBC investigation traced Jamal to Leicestershire, where he was observed working and driving without a license.
- Jamal reportedly used aliases and denied involvement in people smuggling when confronted.
- Concerns exist about the UK's ability to check criminal records of asylum seekers from certain EU countries post-Brexit.
A BBC investigation has revealed that a man convicted of people smuggling in France, described as "the godfather" of migrant camps, is now living in the UK and reportedly seeking asylum while working illegally. Twana Jamal, who received a five-year jail sentence in 2016 for his role in smuggling migrants across the Channel, was traced to Leicestershire.
Prosecutors in France stated that Jamal, an Iraqi Kurd, had earned up to £100,000 per week for his activities. He was known by the nickname "Pasha" in the Grand Synthe camp near Dunkirk, where he operated between 2012 and 2016, charging clients between £4,500 and £5,000 for passage to the UK, primarily via freight lorries at the time.
Despite his conviction and sentence, Jamal entered the UK and, when confronted by the BBC, claimed he had applied for asylum and was awaiting a decision. He denied any involvement in people smuggling and stated he had been in the UK since 2009. However, he was observed working in a mini-mart under the alias "Sultan" and driving a car without a license, actions that should typically preclude asylum claims for individuals with significant criminal records abroad.
Jamal's case raises concerns about the effectiveness of UK border controls and the ability to vet asylum seekers with serious overseas criminal convictions. Immigration officers have indicated that since Brexit, data-sharing agreements with some EU countries have been curtailed, making it more challenging to access criminal records. While asylum seekers are fingerprinted and checked against UK databases, these checks may not reveal convictions from other nations. The Home Office maintains that all asylum claimants undergo mandatory security checks and that agreements exist for sharing criminal record information with some countries.