Twana Jamal, a convicted people‑smuggler jailed in France in 2016, has been located in Blaby, a village on the outskirts of Leicester, where he runs two mini‑mart shops and claims asylum while continuing to drive without a licensed vehicle. In France he earned up to £100,000 a week for illegal crossings from the Grande Synthe camp near Dunkirk and was dubbed "Pasha" by those who worked with him. BBC reporters watched the shops over several days, interviewing staff, and recorded that Jamal denied any involvement in smuggling or his conviction. The case highlights the UK’s challenges in examining overseas criminal records for asylum seekers since leaving the EU, as data sharing with several countries, including France, Germany and Belgium, has been curtailed. More than 20 other people smugglers with criminal convictions abroad have been identified in the UK, some in Manchester and Blackpool, underscoring gaps in the country’s border‑check system. Authorities note that while asylum seekers are fingerprinted and checked against UK databases, overseas convictions may not appear unless the information is shared. The Home Office maintains that all claimants undergo mandatory security checks, yet international cooperation remains limited. The BBC continues to investigate the links between illegal smuggling networks and the UK’s immigration enforcement.
Convicted Smuggler Twana Jamal Lives in Leicestershire, Claims Asylum
Convicted Smuggler Twana Jamal Lives in Leicestershire, Claims Asylum
BBC uncovers Twana Jamal, a former French people‑smuggler, now works illegally in the UK while claiming asylum.
BBC reporters discovered Twana Jamal, who was convicted of smuggling immigrants across the Channel in 2016, had moved to the village of Blaby in Leicestershire and is now running two mini‑mart shops while claiming asylum. In France he earned up to £100,000 a week for illegal crossings and was nicknamed "Pasha" by those who worked with him. The investigation shows he holds a pil‑late car licence and drives illegally, raising doubts about the UK's ability to check overseas criminal records after Brexit. More than 20 similar smugglers with convictions abroad have been identified in Britain, exposing gaps in cross‑border data sharing. The BBC continues to probe how these networks operate inside the UK’s border control system.
