Two Iraqi Kurds who arrived in Britain illegally in 2001 have spent 25 years evading deportation, engaging in a legal battle that has cost taxpayers over £1 million. The pair, identified only as G4 and G5, were apprehended by the National Crime Agency (NCA) in 2016 for their involvement in a large-scale people-smuggling operation that brought migrants into the UK hidden in lorries. Despite being caught "red-handed" and later having their British citizenship revoked in 2022, they have managed to return to the UK and continue their legal fight.
Judges have described the case as unprecedented and farcical, noting that the men have "lied to every public authority" they have encountered. The NCA suspected them of continued smuggling activities, potentially even facilitating the entry of individuals linked to the Isis terrorist group. The men, who live with their families and have seven children between them, have faced accusations of fraud, including car insurance fraud, cigarette duty evasion, and benefits fraud.
The operation, dubbed 'Operation Dahoon,' involved 350 officers and spanned years, tracking the gang to camps in northern France. Evidence gathered, including a notebook detailing fees of around £8,000 per smuggled person, pointed to a sophisticated operation. Lorry drivers were reportedly offered between £2,500 and £3,000 per migrant.
Although arrested in 2017 and 2018, the Crown Prosecution Service decided not to charge them in 2019, a decision a High Court judge later deemed incorrect. The men remained at large, and one had his British passport renewed in 2020. The Home Office revoked their citizenship in August 2022 while they were on holiday in Iraq.
However, the pair returned to Britain shortly after. G5 arrived less than two weeks after his citizenship was cancelled, and G4 followed in February 2023. They presented a "cut-throat defence" during their appeal to have their citizenship reinstated, each blaming the other. The Special Immigration Appeals Commission (SIAC) found both men to be "incredible and unreliable witnesses," deeming their evidence "vague, evasive and mendacious."
The legal battle has involved numerous barristers, including four KCs, and extensive court proceedings. The cost of the NCA's decade-long investigation and subsequent hearings has exceeded £1 million. The men are continuing their fight to remain in the UK under the Human Rights Act, arguing that deportation would breach their right to family life. SIAC rejected these claims, stating that life in the Kurdistan region of Iraq is safe for the vast majority.
While G4 and G5 continue their legal challenges, the only other member of their smuggling gang to be successfully prosecuted, Muhammad Zada, fled before his trial and was jailed for 20 years in his absence in 2024. The protracted legal saga surrounding G4 and G5 has drawn parallels to previous high-profile cases, such as that of hate cleric Abu Qatada and Shamima Begum, highlighting concerns about the UK's asylum and justice systems.