Shayma Bakht
Reporter for The Times specialising in migration and smuggling routes, who conducted on-the-ground reporting in Rania, northern Iraq for this episode.
Best podcasts with Shayma Bakht
Ranked by the Snipd community
Apr 13, 2026 • 27min
INVESTIGATION: Meet the smuggling kingpins behind the deadly Channel crossings
Shayma Bakht, a Times reporter who tracked smuggling routes to northern Iraq, visits Rania to uncover who runs Channel crossings. The conversation traces why locals join smuggling networks, the hierarchy from foot soldiers to kingpins, recruitment methods, hawala money flows and the limits of law enforcement. Short on solutions, long on surprising on-the-ground detail and human stories.
Aug 12, 2025 • 33min
Inside the fastest growing human trafficking route to the UK
Shayma Bakht, a dedicated News Reporter at The Times focusing on migration, provides an eye-opening insight into the urgent issue of human trafficking from Vietnam to the UK. She reveals how economic disparities drive thousands to undertake perilous journeys in hopes of a brighter future. The conversation uncovers the unexpected role of smuggling networks and social media in shaping these experiences. With personal stories and stark realities of life in migrant encampments, Bakht highlights the complexities and challenges surrounding this growing crisis.
