A criminal gang involved in smuggling migrants from the UK back to France transported more people than the Labour government's flagship returns agreement has managed, a court has heard.
The Organised Smuggling Operation
The ringleader was 53-year-old Algerian Uber Eats driver Madjid Belabes. He orchestrated a network of taxi drivers who collected migrants from London and transported them to lay-bys and service stations in Kent. From there, the individuals were loaded into the backs of lorries destined for France.
Belabes, a father-of-four, charged £1,200 per person for this dangerous service. Over a ten-month period between December 2022 and September 2023, he arranged 26 such journeys, making an estimated £287,000 in profit.
He pleaded guilty to conspiring to facilitate the illegal entry of a person into an EU country. At Kingston Crown Court, he was sentenced to ten years and nine months in prison.
Scale Exceeds Government Returns Scheme
The court was told this criminal operation successfully sent more migrants from the UK to France than the returns deal struck by Prime Minister Keir Starmer with French President Emmanuel Macron. That agreement, announced in July, operates on a reciprocal 'one in, one out' basis.
As of last Friday, official figures show 153 migrants have been removed to France under the deal, with 134 brought into the UK. Belabes's gang is confirmed to have smuggled more than this number out of the country in less than a year.
The scheme's effectiveness has been further questioned as several of those deported to France have reportedly returned to the UK via small boats within days.
Wider Gang and NCA Investigation
Five other men were implicated in the organised crime group. Samir Zerguine (52), Mourad Bouchlaghem (44), Mohamed Mabrouk (44), and Mohamed Issaoun (49) all admitted taking part in the group's activities. A sixth man, Said Bouazza (55), was convicted by a jury.
All were arrested as part of an ongoing National Crime Agency (NCA) investigation into migrant smuggling from the UK to France. The probe was launched after more than 200 North African migrants, including children, were found hidden in lorry trailers travelling to France on separate occasions in 2023.
In one February 2023 incident, 58 migrants from Morocco, Tunisia, and Algeria—all of whom had been in the UK legally on visitor visas—were discovered only after reaching France.
Justice Served and Official Statements
Andrew Hudson, a Crown Prosecution Service Specialist Prosecutor, stated: "Fighting migration crime is not only about prosecuting illegal entry to the UK but also going after those who make money from smuggling people to neighbouring countries." He emphasised the dangers faced by the migrants and noted the sentence serves as a warning to other gangs.
NCA senior investigating officer John Turner said: "We know the gangs and drivers involved in smuggling migrants out of the UK are often involved in smuggling into the UK too. Like Madjid Belabes, their only concern is making money." He described Belabes as a senior figure who recruited drivers and directly handled migrants, treating them "like commodities."
Defence barrister Shahnaz Khan said Belabes had lived in the UK for 26 years, had strong community ties, and worked regularly as a delivery driver.
