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People smuggler convicted in France found seeking asylum in UK

newsJul 2, 2026191,234

Twana Jamal, a convicted people smuggler once described as the "godfather" of French migrant camps, is living in Leicestershire and has applied for asylum in the UK, the BBC found. French prosecutors jailed the Iraqi Kurd in 2016 for five years, saying he had been one of the most successful smugglers, earning up to £100,000 a week and charging customers about £4,500, £5,000 to cross to the UK from the Grand Synthe camp. The BBC traced Jamal to the village of Blaby after a tip-off, witnessed him working, driving without a licence and apparently using a false name, and recorded a call in which he boasted "we know everyone in this city, this city is ours" and said he was making "good money." Jamal was linked at his French trial to the Ranya Boys gang and had the camp nickname "Pasha." Despite a French court ordering his deportation after release, Jamal entered the UK and told BBC reporters he was "still waiting" for his asylum claim. Immigration officers told the BBC that since the UK left the EU it has become harder to check some overseas criminal records, and the BBC investigation found more than 20 active smugglers now in the UK; the reporting also contributed to the arrest of people smuggler Kardo Jaf and is featured in the Radio 4 podcast To Catch A King.

Sarah Murphy
@13sarahmurphy.bsky.social

#r4today reporting BBC’s investigation into people smuggler ‘King’. Justin Webb totally crestfallen when told by immigration specialist that Brexit binned the data sharing agreement we had with the EU. So, we can’t now properly check. We don’t have access to Eurodac - the fingerprint database. Ffs.

People smuggler convicted in France found by BBC living in UK and seeking asylum
65745d ago
Roland Smith
@rolandmcs.bsky.social

What's that you say? You wanted to leave the EU to improve control of immigration...? www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

28645d ago
Sarah Murphy85

The BBC’s delight at their investigation and report is somewhat tarnished by their previous abject failure to report the Brexit facts which led to these inevitable security risks and breaches.

Dave H10

Chris Philp currently on today arguing we should be leaving the ECHR. He should be asked what further criminal database information we'd lose access to will to if we did. He mentioned Prüm, but access to that Europol and PNR all explicitly linked to ECHR membership in the TCA.

Cornish Skipper #FBPE #RejoinEU 🇪🇺 〓〓 🔶🌹💚💙5

2023: “it is evident that the loss of the EAW and SIS II is significant, as police officers at UK borders will not be able to know if they are missing offenders…. The loss of police cooperation tools such as SIS II, EAW and EIO is damaging to the United Kingdom” journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10....

Kate Anne1

Surely Brexit was all about controlling our borders, making our own laws and protecting our fishing rights. It couldn’t possibly be nothing more than a big scam to make some very rich people even richer. Somebody needs to tell Mr Farage.

Monika FBPE1

This was the official line. In other words, a lie told to public who is exercised by immigration, i.e. racists, to cover the truth that corporatism needed to free itself from regulations being imposed by the EU.

Ben1

The hyper simplistic Leaver understanding of ‘sovereignty’ - bites us on the bum again. Sovereignty is not pulling up the drawbridge and sulking behind walls and febces. In 21st century sovereignty is enhanced by cooperation and treaties to project your sovereignty into other states

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