Checks being carried out on lorries at the port of Dover. Getty Images
Checks being carried out on lorries at the port of Dover. Getty Images
Checks being carried out on lorries at the port of Dover. Getty Images
Checks being carried out on lorries at the port of Dover. Getty Images

News

UK

Iraqi pair arrested over 'large-scale smuggling' of migrants from UK to France

Two men held after migrants spotted near lorries at industrial estate

Tariq Tahir
Tariq Tahir

September 10, 2025

  • English
  • Arabic

Two Iraqi men have been arrested as part of an investigation into a criminal network smuggling migrants from the UK to France in lorries.

The UK’s National Crime Agency said a 41-year-old was arrested on Tuesday afternoon, following the arrest of another suspect, aged 42, on August 28. Both arrests took place in Ashford, Kent.

The arrests followed NCA officers spotting migrants near two men and a number of lorries at an industrial estate in the town.

While asylum seekers arriving by small boats across the English Channel has become a politically charged issue in Britain, there is also a lower-profile trade in smuggling migrants from the UK to France by ferry or Eurostar in lorries.

NCA Branch Commander Sara-Jayne Moore said: “This arrest is part of our ongoing investigation into a large-scale criminal network responsible for smuggling migrants from the UK to France, and in the other direction.

“People leaving the UK in lorries may be doing so because they are wanted by law enforcement, they may be trying to dodge French immigration checks, or they may be being trafficked or exploited.

“The risks to both the people being transported and to border security remains, regardless of the direction they are travelling in. The same crime groups smuggling people out of the country are often engaged in bringing people in too, so operations like this allow us to target their UK activities.”

Footage taken from inside a lorry of migrants being smuggled to France. Photo: National Crime Agency UK
Footage taken from inside a lorry of migrants being smuggled to France. Photo: National Crime Agency UK

Ms Moore said the investigation is one of 96 the crime agency is carrying out into gangs or individuals “operating at the top tier of organised immigration crime, which remains a priority for the NCA”.

Earlier this year, senior members of an Algerian-led crime gang who packed migrants into lorries to smuggle them from the UK to France were convicted in a British court following an NCA operation.

Footage filmed by a migrant inside a lorry showed it filled with 39 Algerians and Moroccans, including a six-year-old boy.

The people inside can be heard banging on the sides of the trailer, screaming, crying for help and shouting: “Open the door, open the door.”

The Algerian people smuggling gang was headed by Azize Benaniba. NCA
The Algerian people smuggling gang was headed by Azize Benaniba. NCA

Meanwhile, three migrants are thought to have been crushed to death and three others were missing in two separate incidents as they attempted to cross English Channel in small boats.

The deaths bring the number of fatalities this year linked to crossings in overcrowded dinghies to at least 23.

In one incident, a tugboat rescued a group of migrants off the coast of Sangatte in northern France at around 5am on Wednesday and took them to the port of Boulogne-sur-Mer.

Three dead people, believed to have been fatally crushed “at the bottom of the boat”, were discovered with the rescued migrants, a French official said. Three other people were hospitalised.

On Tuesday night, three migrants disappeared at sea during an attempt to cross the Channel from the town of Neufchatel-Hardelot, further along the coast.

Transgender report
The years Ramadan fell in May

1987

1954

1921

1888

KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Zayed Sustainability Prize
Kareem Shaheen on Canada
Our commentary on Brexit
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
10 tips for entry-level job seekers
  • Have an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, set one up today. Avoid poor-quality profile pictures with distracting backgrounds. Include a professional summary and begin to grow your network.
  • Keep track of the job trends in your sector through the news. Apply for job alerts at your dream organisations and the types of jobs you want – LinkedIn uses AI to share similar relevant jobs based on your selections.
  • Double check that you’ve highlighted relevant skills on your resume and LinkedIn profile.
  • For most entry-level jobs, your resume will first be filtered by an applicant tracking system for keywords. Look closely at the description of the job you are applying for and mirror the language as much as possible (while being honest and accurate about your skills and experience).
  • Keep your CV professional and in a simple format – make sure you tailor your cover letter and application to the company and role.
  • Go online and look for details on job specifications for your target position. Make a list of skills required and set yourself some learning goals to tick off all the necessary skills one by one.
  • Don’t be afraid to reach outside your immediate friends and family to other acquaintances and let them know you are looking for new opportunities.
  • Make sure you’ve set your LinkedIn profile to signal that you are “open to opportunities”. Also be sure to use LinkedIn to search for people who are still actively hiring by searching for those that have the headline “I’m hiring” or “We’re hiring” in their profile.
  • Prepare for online interviews using mock interview tools. Even before landing interviews, it can be useful to start practising.
  • Be professional and patient. Always be professional with whoever you are interacting with throughout your search process, this will be remembered. You need to be patient, dedicated and not give up on your search. Candidates need to make sure they are following up appropriately for roles they have applied.

Arda Atalay, head of Mena private sector at LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Rudy Bier, managing partner of Kinetic Business Solutions and Ben Kinerman Daltrey, co-founder of KinFitz

More on this story:
More coverage from the Future Forum
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Zayed Sustainability Prize
While you're here
The burning issue

The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE. 

Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on

Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins

Read part one: how cars came to the UAE

 

More from this story
School uniforms report
On Women's Day
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Key facilities
  • Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
  • Premier League-standard football pitch
  • 400m Olympic running track
  • NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
  • 600-seat auditorium
  • Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
  • An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
  • Specialist robotics and science laboratories
  • AR and VR-enabled learning centres
  • Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
While you're here
World Mental Health Day
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
More on animal trafficking
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
More from this package
The alternatives

• Founded in 2014, Telr is a payment aggregator and gateway with an office in Silicon Oasis. It’s e-commerce entry plan costs Dh349 monthly (plus VAT). QR codes direct customers to an online payment page and merchants can generate payments through messaging apps.

• Business Bay’s Pallapay claims 40,000-plus active merchants who can invoice customers and receive payment by card. Fees range from 1.99 per cent plus Dh1 per transaction depending on payment method and location, such as online or via UAE mobile.

• Tap started in May 2013 in Kuwait, allowing Middle East businesses to bill, accept, receive and make payments online “easier, faster and smoother” via goSell and goCollect. It supports more than 10,000 merchants. Monthly fees range from US$65-100, plus card charges of 2.75-3.75 per cent and Dh1.2 per sale.

• 2checkout’s “all-in-one payment gateway and merchant account” accepts payments in 200-plus markets for 2.4-3.9 per cent, plus a Dh1.2-Dh1.8 currency conversion charge. The US provider processes online shop and mobile transactions and has 17,000-plus active digital commerce users.

• PayPal is probably the best-known online goods payment method - usually used for eBay purchases -  but can be used to receive funds, providing everyone’s signed up. Costs from 2.9 per cent plus Dh1.2 per transaction.

More from Neighbourhood Watch
On Women's Day
What are the influencer academy modules?
  1. Mastery of audio-visual content creation. 
  2. Cinematography, shots and movement.
  3. All aspects of post-production.
  4. Emerging technologies and VFX with AI and CGI.
  5. Understanding of marketing objectives and audience engagement.
  6. Tourism industry knowledge.
  7. Professional ethics.
Towering concerns
Our commentary on Brexit
The five pillars of Islam

1. Fasting

2. Prayer

3. Hajj

4. Shahada

5. Zakat 

T20 World Cup Qualifier

October 18 – November 2

Opening fixtures

Friday, October 18

ICC Academy: 10am, Scotland v Singapore, 2.10pm, Netherlands v Kenya

Zayed Cricket Stadium: 2.10pm, Hong Kong v Ireland, 7.30pm, Oman v UAE

UAE squad

Ahmed Raza (captain), Rohan Mustafa, Ashfaq Ahmed, Rameez Shahzad, Darius D’Silva, Mohammed Usman, Mohammed Boota, Zawar Farid, Ghulam Shabber, Junaid Siddique, Sultan Ahmed, Imran Haider, Waheed Ahmed, Chirag Suri, Zahoor Khan

Players out: Mohammed Naveed, Shaiman Anwar, Qadeer Ahmed

Players in: Junaid Siddique, Darius D’Silva, Waheed Ahmed

Killing of Qassem Suleimani

Origin
Dan Brown
Doubleday

Tomorrow 2021
The five pillars of Islam

1. Fasting

2. Prayer

3. Hajj

4. Shahada

5. Zakat 

While you're here
MORE ON AFGHANISTAN
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Power: 510hp at 9,000rpm
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
Price: From Dh801,800
While you're here
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
Plastic tipping point
Our commentary on Brexit
More on Quran memorisation:
World Mental Health Day
E-cigarettes report
Lexus LX700h specs

Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor

Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm

Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm

Transmission: 10-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh590,000

While you're here
Transgender report
On Women's Day

Small Victories: The True Story of Faith No More by Adrian Harte
Jawbone Press

The specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo

Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm

Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm

Transmission: 9-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh117,059

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The five pillars of Islam
You might also like
2018 ICC World Twenty20 Asian Western Sub Regional Qualifier

Event info: The tournament in Kuwait is the first phase of the qualifying process for sides from Asia for the 2020 World T20 in Australia. The UAE must finish within the top three teams out of the six at the competition to advance to the Asia regional finals. Success at regional finals would mean progression to the World T20 Qualifier.

Teams: UAE, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Maldives, Qatar

Friday fixtures: 9.30am (UAE time) - Kuwait v Maldives, Qatar v UAE; 3pm - Saudi Arabia v Bahrain

The years Ramadan fell in May

1987

1954

1921

1888

The specs: 2018 Mercedes-Benz GLA

Price, base / as tested Dh150,900 / Dh173,600

Engine 2.0L inline four-cylinder

Transmission Seven-speed automatic

Power 211hp @ 5,500rpm

Torque 350Nm @ 1,200rpm

Fuel economy, combined 6.4L / 100km

Updated: September 10, 2025, 2:06 PM`
MigrantsRefugeesCrime