Former Border Force Director General Tony Smith has urged the Labour government to implement three key changes to prevent a new asylum crisis, following the discovery of a convicted people smuggler living in Leicestershire and working illegally. Twana Jamal, once known as the “godfather” of the Calais migrant camps, was found by the BBC working at a vape shop and bragging that Leicester “is ours”.
Three reforms proposed by Tony Smith
Smith told the Daily Express that the UK needs longer detention for undocumented arrivals, because the current 24-hour limit is “incompatible with serious identity verification”. He also called for Border Force to have full access to the Police National Database on site, and for routine facial image comparison against existing UK custody and crime scene imagery. Additionally, he emphasised the need for a more structured intelligence-gathering process, as organised immigration crime depends on networks, facilitators, and routes that can only be understood through proper debriefing.
“If we want to prevent cases like this, we need more time, better technology and a modernised intelligence framework that reflects the reality of organised immigration crime,” Smith said. “The evidence is there. The gaps are clear. Now we need the political will to fix them.”
Twana Jamal's background
Jamal, a member of the so-called Ranya Boys, was jailed in 2016 for people smuggling. During the height of the Jungle crisis, he charged £4,000 to £5,000 per person to cross to the UK. He earned an estimated £100,000 per week smuggling migrants into Britain in the backs of lorries. The Kurdish criminal had so many fake aliases he had to write his name inside his baseball cap to remember his identity. He eventually made it to Leicester, where he claimed asylum.
Jamal boasted to an undercover reporter: “We know everyone in this city, this city is ours.” He also admitted driving without a licence, declaring “no one touches us here” and “even the police won’t stop you.” He was spotted running two mini-marts named Candy Corner in Blaby, Leicestershire.
BBC investigation reveals more smugglers
A BBC probe found more than 20 active people smugglers in the UK, including some with convictions overseas. Others have claimed asylum using false names. Jamal initially denied smuggling migrants to the UK, but when shown a picture of himself in a French courtroom, he said it was “a long time ago”. When told it was proof of his arrest, he replied: “I don’t care.”
French police had busted Jamal after putting him under surveillance and tapping his phones. Three officers were injured in the dawn raid when migrants battled to stop him being arrested. A French investigator said: “It’s likely Jamal was one of the most successful people smugglers ever in terms of the money he made. The figure of £1 million Jamal made personally is just a starting point. It’s possible he made much more.”
Government response
Downing Street said: “We share the public’s shock at these reports, and we are working urgently to establish the facts. We will not tolerate abuse of our immigration system, and that is why we are deporting people with no right to be here at the highest rate in nearly a decade.” The Home Office accused the BBC of “failing to provide evidence capable of substantiating the claims”, but added that all asylum claimants are subject to mandatory security checks, and that immigration enforcement action is at the highest level in British history, with illegal working arrests up by 83% and raids up by 77%.
