A representational portrait of Tuana Jamal in the French court (generated by artificial intelligence)
Convicted Iraqi people smuggler, Tawana Jamal, has been traced to Leicestershire, where he is allegedly living under a false identity while awaiting a decision on his asylum claim in the UK.According to a BBC investigation, an Iraqi man once called the “godfather of human traffickers” has been found living in the UK while seeking asylum, despite serving a five-year prison sentence in France for running a large migrant smuggling network across the English Channel.Tawana Jamal was traced to the village of Blaby in Leicestershire, where he was allegedly working illegally in a shop, driving without a license and apparently using an alias.
His case has raised questions about how a convicted trafficker could apply for asylum in the UK when immigration rules stipulate that anyone imprisoned for at least a year abroad must normally face a mandatory rejection.
Who is Tawana Jamal?
French authorities arrested Jamal in 2016, describing him as one of the most successful migrant smugglers they had encountered.Prosecutors said he earned up to £100,000 a week by charging migrants fees of around £4,500 each to transport them from northern France to Britain.
During the trial, prosecutors alleged that Jamal had been working at the Grand Sinthe migrant camp near Dunkirk since around 2012, and had become the “main” contact for migrants hoping to reach the UK. His network was said to transport about 80 migrants every month.Investigators also told the court that Jamal initially evaded detection by hiding the migrants in trucks carrying onions and cheese. The shipments were emitting carbon dioxide, making it difficult for detectors to identify people hiding inside vehicles.Cemal was reportedly known in the camps as “Pasha,” a Turkish title used for a person of high rank.According to a BBC report, Jamal was expected to face deportation to the Kurdistan Region of Iraq after the end of his sentence, but he was found living in Leicestershire. He denied his involvement in human trafficking when contacted. Jamal claimed to have been living in the United Kingdom since 2009, and said he had applied for asylum but was “still waiting.”Jamal was also shown a photo of himself in a French courtroom during his 2016 trial in order to establish his identity. Jamal denied any responsibility for the identity, and replied “I don’t care” when asked if it was proven that he had been arrested.
“This city is ours”
In an investigative phone call under a false pretext, Jamal claimed he was living in Leicester and bragged about his influence.“We know everyone in this city, this is our city,” he said.He also claimed to be “making good money” and insisted he was not worried about law enforcement, saying “nobody touches us here” and “even the police won’t stop you.”Jamal’s presence in Britain has led to renewed scrutiny of the UK’s asylum system.Under UK immigration rules, asylum claims for people sentenced to at least one year’s imprisonment abroad must usually be refused. Jamal’s pending request therefore raised questions about how his case would progress.In response to the investigation, a Home Office spokesperson said: “All asylum seekers are subject to mandatory security checks to confirm their identity for the purpose of immigration and security checks and crime checks.”
The related investigation reveals another alleged smuggler
Jamal’s case came to light during a broader investigation that also led to the arrest of alleged human smuggler Cardo Jaffe.Investigators believe Jaff headed an international smuggling network extending from Afghanistan to the UK.
They said he was operating under the alias “Cardo Rania,” making it difficult for police to issue an international arrest warrant using his real identity.Like Jamal, Jaff is believed to be from the autonomous region of Iraqi Kurdistan, which a 2024 Chatham House report described as “riddled with active smuggling networks.”Journalists who infiltrated Jaff’s network secretly recorded him offering several routes to Britain.He was heard saying: “In France we have trucks, planes or boats, and we have many ways to get to the UK, whichever way you prefer we will get you to the UK.”Jaff denied being a people smuggler, saying he was only advising people on how to leave Iraq, and did not believe he committed any crime.
