In brief
Twana Jamal, a former people‑smuggler dubbed ‘Pasha’, was sentenced in France to five years in 2016. Despite his conviction, investigators found him working in Blaby, Leicester, claiming asylum and driving without a licence. The case highlights vulnerabilities in post‑Brexit UK immigration checks, especially the lack of cross‑border criminal record sharing. Authorities warn that up to 15 other convicted smugglers may be in the UK under false names, calling for tighter security and data‑sharing agreements.
In a startling revelation, Twana Jamal — known as ‘Pasha’ and convicted in France for people‑smuggling — is now based in Blaby, Leicester. BBC investigators report he has been working at local mini‑marts, driving a car without a licence and claiming asylum, even though he was sentenced to five years in a French jail in 2016.
Jamal earned up‑to £100,000 a week by moving illegal immigrants across the Channel from the Grand Synthe camp near Dunkirk. He was described by French officials as “the godfather” of the migrant camps and used a maze of aliases, sometimes writing the assumed name on his baseball cap to remember it.
The London‑based investigation, triggered by a tip from an undercover source, traced Jamal to two candy‑corner shops in Blaby where he worked behind the till. When confronted, he denied smuggling, claimed he was in the UK since 2009, and shrugged off accusations of driving without a licence: “So what? Did I hit you?”
A UK law says that anyone who has spent 12 months or more in prison overseas should face a mandatory asylum refusal. Jamal’s case raises doubts about whether his overseas criminal record was properly checked, reflecting a broader failure in post‑Brexit data sharing. Immigration officers note that they are now less able to cross‑reference criminal records from France, Germany and Belgium.
Officials confirmed that up to 15 other convicted smugglers from those countries are believed to be residing in the UK under false names. A French‑convicted individual is reportedly running a used‑car business in Manchester, while another in Blackpool claims leave to remain on social media.
“If we could share databases, even with neighbouring countries, we would know they had a conviction for people smuggling,” says Lucy Morton of the Immigration Services Union. “The Home Office has agreements, but the lack of public disclosure of the checks hurts the process.”
The Home Office emphasizes that all asylum claimants undergo mandatory security checks, and immigration enforcement actions have peaked, with illegal‑working arrests up 83%. Yet the absence of comprehensive cross‑border criminal checks continues to expose gaps.
This case underscores the urgent need for renewed data‑sharing agreements and tighter scrutiny of asylum seekers with overseas criminal records, especially as the UK reassesses its post‑Brexit immigration framework.
