Watch: People smuggler tracked down and confronted by BBC
BBC News 2026-07-02 05:08:30
Context: Convicted people smuggler Twana Jamal, known as "the godfather" of the French migrant camps, has been tracked down to Leicestershire, where he is living and working, and believed to be seeking asylum. Jamal was given a five-year jail sentence in France in 2016 and has been found to be working illegally, driving a car without a licence, and using a false name. A BBC investigation revealed that 15 other convicted people smugglers are also living in the UK under false names.
Key Facts
- Twana Jamal, a convicted people smuggler, was given a five-year jail sentence in France in 2016 and is now living and working in Blaby, Leicestershire.
- The BBC investigation found Jamal working illegally, driving a car without a licence, and apparently using a false name in Leicestershire.
- Law enforcement officials in mainland Europe have informed the BBC that 15 other convicted people smugglers are now living in the UK under false names.
- The Home Office stated that all asylum claimants, including those with criminal records, are subject to mandatory security checks to confirm their identity for immigration, security, and criminality checks.
- The UK has a number of agreements with countries that enable the sharing of criminal record information, and immigration enforcement action is currently at its highest level in history, according to the Home Office.