People smuggler convicted in France now seeking asylum in UK, BBC discovers

People smuggler convicted in France now seeking asylum in UK, BBC discoversTo play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.This video can not be playedFigure caption, "I never, I never": Watch Twana Jamal's reaction when BBC confronts him about people smugglingBySue Mitchell and Ben Milne, BBC NewsPublished1 minute agoA convicted people smuggler, once described as "the godfather" of the French migrant camps, is living in Leicestershire and believed to be seeking asylum while working illegally, a BBC investigation can reveal.Twana Jamal was given a five-year jail sentence in France in 2016, where authorities described him as one of the most successful people smugglers ever caught.Prosecutors said the Iraqi Kurd, aged 36 at the time, had earned up to £100,000 a week for moving illegal immigrants across the Channel.Following a tip-off this year, we traced Jamal to the village of Blaby and witnessed him working, driving a car without a licence and apparently using a false name.Jamal's presence in the UK raises serious concerns about whether existing border controls are effective in checking asylum seekers who have committed serious crimes overseas.Immigration officers have told the BBC that since the UK left the European Union, it has become more difficult to check criminal records from some other countries.We have also been told by law enforcement officials in mainland Europe that 15 other convicted people smugglers are now living in the UK under false names.The man known as 'Pasha'Our exposure of Jamal came about as part of a BBC investigation which led to the arrest of a leading people smuggler, Kardo Jaf. That story is told in the BBC Radio 4 podcast, To Catch A King.Intrigue: To Catch A KingA new people-smuggling boss is running routes into the UK. Who is he, and can his true identity be revealed? Sue Mitchell and Rob Lawrie investigate.Listen on SoundsWe received a tip-off that Jamal, another major figure in...