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Why are we such mugs? Take a deep breath and read the 25-year saga of two illegal Iraqi migrants who became people-smuggling kingpins, ran rings round our legal system and cost taxpayers £1million
Two Iraqi Kurdish men accused of leading a people-smuggling operation are still living in Britain, more than 25 years after arriving unlawfully, despite failed asylum claims and a long-running effort to deport them. Their case highlights how legal and prosecutorial errors, followed by repeated appeals, have prolonged removal proceedings and added to public costs.
The men were arrested in Reading after being caught handing £16,000 to a lorry driver; prosecutors said the payment was for bringing four migrants into the UK. A recent Special Immigration Appeals Commission appeal was rejected, but the pair are appealing again. The article says the case has involved 13 publicly funded barristers at its latest hearing and is believed to have cost taxpayers more than £1 million; authorities also suspect the men may still be involved in smuggling.
In short
- Two Iraqi men remain in Britain amid a prolonged deportation case.
- They were arrested over a payment linked to smuggling four migrants.
- The legal proceedings are estimated to have cost more than £1 million.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
The case can be seen as evidence that legal and prosecutorial errors, combined with repeated appeals, have made removal proceedings too slow and costly. If people suspected of serious offending can remain in the country for decades, the public has a legitimate interest in a system that resolves cases more efficiently and enforces removal decisions effectively.
The case against
Even people accused of serious crimes are entitled to fair hearings, and appeals can be necessary to correct mistakes or assess risks that affect whether removal is lawful. The length and cost of this case may point to failures in how authorities handled it, rather than showing that procedural safeguards themselves are excessive; suspected ongoing involvement in smuggling should also not be treated as proven.