A convicted people smuggler, once described as 'the godfather' of the French migrant camps, is living in Leicestershire and believed to be seeking asylum while working illegally, a BBC investigation has revealed. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing BBC News.
Twana Jamal was given a five-year jail sentence in France in 2016, where authorities described him as one of the most successful people smugglers ever caught. Prosecutors said the Iraqi Kurd, aged 36 at the time, had earned up to £100,000 a week for moving illegal immigrants across the Channel.
Following a tip-off, BBC traced Jamal to the village of Blaby and witnessed him working, driving a car without a licence and apparently using a false name. Jamal's presence in the UK raises serious concerns about whether existing border controls are effective in checking asylum seekers who have committed serious crimes overseas.
Immigration officers have told the BBC that since the UK left the European Union, it has become more difficult to check criminal records from some other countries. Law enforcement officials in mainland Europe have said that 15 other convicted people smugglers are now living in the UK under false names.
Jamal operated from the Grand Synthe camp near Dunkirk from about 2012 until 2016, charging customers £4,500-£5,000 to cross to the UK. At that time, the preferred mode of travel was freight lorries rather than small boats. The court heard that Jamal's nickname in the camps had been 'Pasha' - a Turkish word meaning someone of high rank.
Jamal claimed in the French court that his had been a case of mistaken identity, but he was found guilty and told he faced deportation back to Iraqi Kurdistan after his release. Despite having served time in a French jail, however, he entered the UK and, when confronted, told BBC he had applied for asylum and was 'still waiting'.
There are several legal barriers to criminals claiming asylum in the UK. The law says anyone who has spent 12 months or more in prison overseas should face a mandatory refusal. However, it could be that Jamal's criminal record was not checked, or that he used a false name.
BBC narrowed the search for Jamal with several sources. In a recorded conversation, Jamal boasted: 'We know everyone in this city, this city is ours.' He said he was making 'good money' moving cigarettes from a warehouse and admitted driving a car without a licence, but said he was not worried about being investigated or caught. 'No-one touches us here,' he said.
BBC observed two mini-marts named Candy Corner in Blaby, a village of about 6,000 people on the outskirts of Leicester, which are believed to be linked to Jamal. The stores are metres away from each other on opposite sides of the high street.