Convicted people smuggler reportedly living in UK should be deported, Tories say

Tory politicians are demanding the arrest and deportation of a convicted people smuggler reportedly residing in Britain, who allegedly changed his name and is seeking asylum while working illegally. The man, once dubbed "the godfather" of the Calais migrant camps, was tracked down by the BBC in Leicestershire.

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This shines a light on a system that is not working. People are entering our country illegally in large numbers, and we really don’t know who many of them are. The man who was tracked down in Leicestershire should be arrested by the police for illegal working while the authorities should render any claims by him as null and void.

In 2019, he received a five-year prison sentence in France, with prosecutors stating he earned up to £100,000 weekly by transporting individuals across the Channel. This case, alongside another involving a grooming gang leader in Rochdale who could not be deported due to a legal loophole, has raised questions about the effectiveness of Britain's systems for removing foreign criminals.

Chris Philp, the Conservative shadow home secretary, criticized the system, stating, "People are entering our country illegally in large numbers, and we really don’t know who many of them are." He asserted that under a Conservative government, the man would be deported, but acknowledged that human rights claims could complicate the process.

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I am not sure that has fully happened but I am sure that is what the Home Office would want to see happen.

Skills Minister Jacqui Smith indicated the Home Office is seeking evidence from the BBC to take action. The BBC reported identifying over 20 active smugglers in the UK, noting that post-Brexit, verifying criminal records from some countries has become more challenging. A Home Office spokesperson stated that the BBC had not provided sufficient evidence for their claims, while emphasizing mandatory security checks for asylum claimants and agreements for criminal record information sharing. They also highlighted record levels of immigration enforcement actions.

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Despite repeated requests for verification, the BBC failed to provide evidence capable of substantiating the claims in this report. All asylum claimants are subject to mandatory security checks to confirm their identity for the purpose of immigration, security and criminality checks. We also have a number of agreements with countries which enable the sharing of criminal record information. Immigration enforcement action is at the highest level in British history, with illegal working arrests up by 83% and raids up by 77%.