The man once described as “the godfather” of the French migrant camps is living in a Leicestershire village, working illegally and believed to be seeking asylum, a BBC investigation has revealed.
Twana Jamal, an Iraqi Kurd who was sentenced to five years in a French jail in 2016 for smuggling migrants across the Channel, was traced by BBC reporters to the village of Blaby after a tip-off. Witnesses saw him driving a BMW, working, and apparently using a false name — all while driving without a licence.
“Convicted people smuggler Twana Jamal, once called 'the godfather' of French camps, now lives in UK village and seeks asylum.”
Prosecutors at his trial said Jamal, then 36, had earned up to £100,000 a week moving illegal immigrants across the Channel. From about 2012 until 2016, he operated from the Grand Synthe camp near Dunkirk, charging customers £4,500-£5,000 to reach the UK, mostly by hiding them in freight lorries rather than small boats.
In the camps his nickname was “Pasha” — a Turkish word meaning someone of high rank. But in court he claimed it was a case of mistaken identity. The French authorities found him guilty and ordered his deportation back to Iraqi Kurdistan after his release.
Instead, Jamal entered the UK. When confronted by the BBC, he said he had applied for asylum and was “still waiting”. His presence in the country has raised serious concerns about whether border controls can effectively check asylum seekers with serious criminal convictions overseas.
Immigration officers told the BBC that after the UK left the European Union, it became harder to check criminal records from some other countries. The BBC has found more than 20 active smugglers who have reached the UK — some with overseas convictions, some claiming asylum using false names.
Jamal’s story emerged as part of a wider BBC investigation that led to the arrest of another leading smuggler, Kardo Jaf. Both men were linked to the so-called Ranya Boys, one of a handful of Kurdish gangs that European law enforcement agencies say have dominated cross-channel people smuggling for the past 15 years.