The Investigation
A BBC investigation has revealed that Twana Jamal, an Iraqi Kurd previously convicted in France for large-scale people smuggling, is currently residing in Leicestershire, UK. Jamal, who was dubbed the “godfather” of migrant camps in northern France, is currently awaiting a decision on an asylum claim filed under a false identity.
During his time operating near Dunkirk between 2012 and 2016, French authorities estimated Jamal earned up to €110,000 per week by facilitating the transit of migrants across the English Channel, primarily through cargo lorry networks. Following a 2016 conviction in France, he was sentenced to five years in prison, with the expectation that he would be deported to Iraq upon release. Instead, he surfaced in the UK, where he has reportedly been operating businesses, including mini-marts in Blaby, under the alias “Sultan.”
Border Control and Security Stakes
The discovery of Jamal’s presence has ignited intense political scrutiny regarding the efficacy of UK border and asylum security checks. Under British law, individuals with foreign criminal convictions resulting in more than 12 months of imprisonment are typically subject to mandatory refusal of leave to remain. The fact that Jamal was able to enter the country and sustain an asylum application has raised significant questions about how his criminal history remained unflagged.
Experts point to the post-Brexit landscape as a contributing factor. The cessation of certain data-sharing agreements with EU member states has created gaps in criminal record verification. Lucy Moreton of the Immigration Services Union noted that the inability to seamlessly access European databases hinders the government’s ability to identify high-risk individuals seeking asylum.
Institutional Response
The Home Office has maintained that all asylum claimants undergo mandatory security and criminality checks. However, in response to the BBC’s findings, a spokesperson noted that the department had not received sufficient evidence from the broadcaster to substantiate the specific claims required to take immediate action, though officials have emphasized that immigration enforcement raids and arrests for illegal working have reached record levels.
The Jamal case is not considered an isolated incident. The BBC’s investigation identified over 20 other suspected or convicted people smugglers currently residing in the UK, several of whom are also utilizing false identities. Former Border Force officials have urged the government to implement more robust intelligence-gathering processes, including better integration of the Police National Database and routine facial recognition checks against international records to close these security loopholes.