WhatsApp messages Albanian fixer despatched to determined migrants

These are the WhatsApp messages an Albanian fixer despatched to determined migrants as she helped human traffickers smuggle them into Britain.

Hundreds of messages from Ujeza Kurmekaj’s telephone confirmed her ‘key function’ in linking folks smugglers with passengers, the National Crime Agency (NCA) mentioned.

The 32-year-old girl facilitated crossings from France for Albanian nationals earlier than her arrest final 12 months, sending directions on who to choose up.

Messages to her contacts in France included ‘household, one’, ‘three girls, youngsters, 14, 17, 12 years outdated’ and ‘we’ve got right here one household, man, spouse, one youngster’.

Other conversations indicated circumstances – together with ‘very unhealthy sea’ – and map location pins instructing the place to choose migrants up, or the place boats have been positioned within the Channel.

Ujeza Kurmekaj (pictured) facilitated crossings from France for Albanian nationals earlier than her arrest final 12 months, sending directions on who to choose up

Messages to her contacts in France included ‘household one, three girls, youngsters, 14 17 12 years outdated’ and ‘we’ve got right here one household, man, spouse, one youngster’

Other conversations indicated circumstances, together with ‘very unhealthy sea’, and map location pins instructing the place to choose migrants up or the place boats have been positioned within the Channel

She was arrested by NCA officers at her residence in Banbury, Oxfordshire, final October earlier than being charged in September with facilitating unlawful immigration.

The fixer pleaded responsible to the cost at Oxford Crown Court earlier this month earlier than being sentenced  to seven and a half years in jail on Friday.

Ms Kurmekaj will likely be deported robotically on her launch from jail. 

Her telephone additionally contained 21 photographs of Albanian ID playing cards and passports which, when checked on immigration techniques, confirmed that 9 of the people had arrived within the UK by small boat.

NCA senior investigating officer Andy MacGill mentioned: ‘Ujeza Kurmekaj performed a significant function as a dealer, linking migrants with folks smugglers who might transport them on harmful journeys throughout the Channel.

‘For this, she would organize funds of lots of of euros per individual.

‘Kurmekaj had little curiosity within the security and safety of the folks she was arranging crossings for, solely that she and her employers obtained fee.

‘Disrupting and dismantling organised crime teams answerable for folks smuggling is a precedence for the NCA and we’ll proceed to focus on offenders concerned at each step of the journey.’

Hundreds of messages from Ujeza Kurmekaj’s telephone confirmed her ‘key function’ in linking folks smugglers with passengers, the National Crime Agency (NCA) mentioned

Pictured: Ujeza Kurmekaj being arrested

She was arrested by NCA officers at her residence in Banbury, Oxfordshire, final October earlier than being charged in September with facilitating unlawful immigration

A graph displaying a comparability between the estimated variety of migrants arriving into the UK

A complete of 1,869 folks made the perilous journey throughout the 21-mile Dover Strait in 40 boats final month – a median of 47 migrants crammed into every inflatable dinghy.

The whole variety of asylum seekers to succeed in the UK to date this 12 months stands at 26,699 in 546 boats.

Last 12 months noticed a document 45,755 migrants cross the Channel – 60 per cent increased than 2021’s whole of 28,526.

This comes as The Home Office considers granting an efficient amnesty for migrants who’ve arrived within the UK since July after holding 1000’s in detention for ‘indefinite’ durations for potential deportation to Rwanda with no entry to the asylum system.

On Wednesday, the Supreme Court dominated that Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s plan to deport arrivals instantly would break the legislation in a crushing blow to the federal government.