UK net migration hits all-time record at 504,000

[Firebat]

UK net migration hit 504,000 in the year to June - the highest figure ever recorded, The Office for National Statistics (ONS) estimates.

The rise is driven by people arriving legally from outside the EU and the resumption of post-pandemic travel.

Reception of Afghan and Ukrainian refugees and people from Hong Kong are other factors.

The government has promised to cut net migration - the difference between the numbers entering and leaving the UK.

Today's figures will intensify debates over the role of overseas workers into the UK economy and wider labour market - weeks after Home Secretary Suella Braverman said she wanted to resurrect a repeatedly missed government target to reduce net migration to below 100,000.

That aim, set by former prime minister David Cameron and supported by Theresa May, was dropped by Boris Johnson who said he would reduce the level while ensuring businesses had access to the skills they needed.

Home Secretary Suella Braverman said the record numbers were "understandable" given the circumstances in Ukraine, Afghanistan and Hong Kong, and the "generosity of the British people".

"But the public rightly expect us to control our borders and we remain committed to reducing migration over time," she said.

Ms Braverman said the current level of migration was putting pressure on accommodation and housing supply, as well as health, education and other public services.

Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper acknowledged there were some unique factors behind this year's figures, but said there was also "real evidence of Conservative mismanagement of both the asylum and immigration systems".

She said the Conservatives "just don't have a grip" of the skills shortage or small-boat asylum cases, saying: "We need action on that, and instead we are not seeing it from the Conservatives."

Overall, an estimated 1.1m people migrated to the UK in the year to June. After subtracting those who emigrated, the UK population has risen by 504,000 - the net migration total. That is a record - a jump from a high of more than 330,000 seen in 2016, the year of the Brexit vote.

Asylum applications, including those arriving in small boats over the English Channel, reached 73,000 in the year to September - a figure that underlines that those migrants represent a very small proportion of all those who arrive in the country in any given period.

The rise in migration has been influenced by people from outside the European Union - including 170,000 people from Ukraine and 76,000 from Hong Kong under a scheme to resettle people who count as British citizens.

Some 277,000 people came to study - with the rate of student visas almost doubling on the previous year.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-63743259

 

[MenInG]

Universities warned of potential job losses today amid claims foreign students could be banned from entering Britain unless they have a place at a top institution.

Rishi Sunak is said to be mulling the move, along with a blanket ban on overseas students bringing their families with them, as he tries to get a grip on immigration.

The Prime Minister yesterday vowed that immigration will fall and hinted at a crackdown on student visas after net numbers coming to the UK soared to a 'breathtaking' record high of 504,000 in the year to June.

Downing Street indicated last night that plans to bring overall numbers down could include putting up barriers for international students' loved ones and restricting admissions to top universities.

But Universities UK president Professor Steve West said any move to restrict overseas student numbers would force some to close as many rely on funding from fees far in excess of those paid by UK students.

'That'd be a complete disaster across the country in towns and cities that rely on unis ... to attract inward investment,' he told LBC.

'Businesses are attracted to where universities are... we're talking in terms of tens of billions of pounds to the economy.

'I don't think we can afford to turn our backs on what is an incredibly successful export industry.'

The move would be in line with proposals being explored by Home Secretary Suella Braverman, who has previously complained about foreign students 'bringing in family members who can piggyback on to their student visa' and 'propping up, frankly, substandard courses in inadequate institutions'.

Around 504,000 more people are estimated to have moved to the UK than left in the 12 months to June 2022, up sharply from 173,000 in the year to June 2021.

The estimates were compiled by the Office for National Statistics (ONS), which said the jump was driven by 'unique' factors including visa schemes for Ukrainians and Hong Kong citizens, and students arriving from outside the European Union.

People arriving on study visas accounted for the largest proportion of long-term immigration of non-EU nationals, at 277,000, according to the ONS.

The Prime Minister's official spokesman insisted Mr Sunak was 'fully committed' to bringing overall immigration levels down and blamed 'unprecedented and unique circumstances' for the record high.

The official said: 'We're considering all options to make sure the immigration system is delivering, and that does include looking at the issue of student dependents and low-quality degrees.'

But such moves could meet resistance from other parts of Whitehall.

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt last week insisted that immigration is required to boost growth.

'There needs to be a long-term plan if we're going to bring down migration in a way that doesn't harm the economy,' he said.

'We are recognising that we will need migration for the years ahead - that will be very important for the economy.'

The Department for Education could raise concerns over universities' funding if the number of high fee-paying international students is cut.

Migration from non-EU countries, specifically students, drove the rise in levels of long-term immigration, said Jay Lindop, ONS deputy director of the centre for international migration.

'With the lifting of travel restrictions in 2021, more students arrived in the UK after studying remotely during the Covid-19 pandemic,' she added.

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/ukne...sedgntp&cvid=89242990722e48958471d385fca0a53e

 

[James]

Funny how these numbers have gone up loads since Brexit

 

[ex-q-zit]

Rishi Sunak Plans Curbs On Foreign Students To Control Migration: Report

UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will be considering "all options", including reducing the number of foreign students, in his bid to bring down the rising net migration in the United Kingdom, according to a report by the BBC.

Mr Sunak will be looking into imposing curbs on foreign students pursuing so-called "low quality" degrees and bringing in dependents, the report said, quoting a Downing Street spokesperson. The spokesperson did not, however, define what is a "low quality" degree.

The UK government's concerns for rising migration have been set off by the latest Office for National Statistics (ONS) figures this week that showed a huge jump in the number of migrants. Net migration to the UK rose from 173,000 in 2021, to 504,000 this year - an increase of 331,000.

International students, especially Indians who took over the Chinese for the first time to make up the majority of student visas, were a big contributor to this spike.

"We're considering all options to make sure the immigration system is delivering. The prime minister is fully committed to bringing overall numbers down," Mr Sunak's spokesman had said on Friday.

But controlling the number of migrants by restricting the number of foreign students presents a tricky task. British universities lean on higher fees from international students to offset the money, they lose by charging British students a lower fee, with some universities even risking bankruptcy if restrictions were imposed on so-called low-quality degrees, the report said.

An Indian community-led students' organisation on Friday urged the government to remove international students from the country's immigration statistics. "Students who are in the UK temporarily, should not be counted as migrants. International students, of which Indians are the biggest cohort, bring a net revenue of GBP 30 billion into the British economy," said Sanam Arora, Chair of National Indian Students and Alumni Union (NISAU) UK.

The Sunak government has promised to cut net migration in the UK with India-origin Home Secretary Suella Braverman earlier complaining about Indian students overstaying in the country. "I have concerns about having an open borders migration policy with India because I don't think that's what people voted for with Brexit. Look at migration in this country - the largest group of people who overstay are Indian migrants," she had said.

NDTV

 

[ex-q-zit]

‘Treated like a criminal’: Nepali student wrongly detained at UK border loses uni place

An international student who flew to the UK to take up a university scholarship was detained at the border and held in custody for 12 days after being unable to answer detailed questions about his course.

Sulav Khadka said he felt as though he had been “treated like a criminal” by Border Force officers who accused him of being a fake student after he landed at Manchester airport in October. The 23-year-old, from Nepal, had a valid visa, proof of his university place and paperwork showing he had paid his first year’s fees in full. But, on arrival in the UK, he was interrogated about intricate details of his course, including being asked to list the titles of the six modules he would be studying.

After a 16-hour journey and having not yet started the degree, he could name only two. He was also asked the name of the exam body that would award his qualification but did not know. That and the fact a letter from his bank in Nepal contained a spelling error led Border Force officers to conclude that he was seeking to evade immigration controls, was not really a student and that he had “little interest” in his course, according to documents seen by the Observer.

Khadka was subsequently transferred to an immigration removal centre in Scotland and told he would be deported. Even after the university’s admissions office provided documents proving he had a place on the course, and confirming that he had paid the course fees, as he had claimed, he was held for a further 10 days.

He was eventually released by the Home Office, which gave him an apology letter saying it had “carefully reviewed” his case and that an error had been made. But by the time it had realised its mistake, Khadka had missed the cut-off for enrolling in his university. When he arrived at his university campus in York on 24 October, he was told it was a week past the late enrolment deadline and that his sponsorship had been withdrawn so he would have to return next year. He is now in limbo, having borrowed thousands of pounds to cover flights, fees and relocation costs, and faces returning home in debt without a clear route to stay in the UK.

“I was treated like a criminal but I did nothing wrong. I couldn’t understand why he detained me. They gave me lots of reasons but I could justify every reason they gave me,” Khadka said. “I showed them my documents and they even called my university. I had all the papers, but they didn’t believe me. This will have a big effect on my future.”

The experience of being detained, threatened with deportation and blocked from his studies has been traumatising for Khadka, who was to be the first in his family to study abroad. He says he cried each night in detention while waiting to learn of his fate.

I couldn’t understand why he detained me. They gave me lots of reasons but I could justify every reason they gave me
Sulav Khadka

For him, the offer of a place studying hospitality and tourism at York St John University was an opportunity to transform his family’s future. He had hoped to return to Nepal to work in the country’s growing tourism industry after completing the £13,000 a year course, for which he had received a partial scholarship.

The day he left Nepal, 11 October, his family and friends gathered at the airport in Kathmandu, gave him an orange scarf for good luck and posed for photos grinning proudly by his side. On Facebook, friends and relatives sent him dozens of messages wishing him a safe flight, littered with love hearts and aeroplane emojis.

After being blocked from taking up his studies, he could not bear to tell them what had happened at first. “I was so excited to study in the UK. I lied to them at first because I didn’t want them to worry about me,” he said.

It also raises questions about why he was detained at all and will add to fears about increasingly hostile treatment for international students. It comes amid reports that the government intends to curb immigration figures by reducing the number of international students, a plan described by the National Union of Students as “hugely cruel”.

Fizza Qureshi, chief executive of the Migrants’ Rights Network, described the case as a “genuinely appalling situation” that shows how “hostile environment policies are embedded in the education system”.

Campaign group Unis Resist Border Controls said it had provided support for several students who had been subjected to “harsh immigration questioning at the border.

“And this level of harassment gets more pronounced if you are racialised or come from countries in the global south,” a spokesperson for the group said.

Another student who arrived in the UK last month said he too had been interrogated at the airport. “The officer first asked about my university details and, after that, most of the questions were related to my finances, even though I had provided all the financial evidence while applying for my visa,” he said. “There were some Pakistani students besides us who were kept in a separate place for not being able to show [their] bank balance in a mobile app. God knows what happened to them.”

As well as asking Khadka to list modules in his course, Border Force accused him of having fake documents, citing a spelling error in a letter from his bank in Nepal as proof, and adding that it was “inconceivable” that such a “prestigious financial institution” would issue documents of “such risible quality”. Almost immediately afterwards, the Border Force letter itself makes several spelling mistakes. “You have liittle [sic] knowledge of your porposed [sic] course and I am therefore drawn to the conclusion that you have little or no interest in it,” it says, misspelling “little” and “proposed”.

In addition, it cited a discrepancy over the amount Khadka had paid. While he said he had paid £9,250 before his arrival, the letter from Border Force says that the university admissions office claimed he had paid only £6,616. A spokeswoman for York St John University denied incorrect information had been provided to Border Force and said it had provided a “standard response” to questions about whether Khadka had paid 50% of his first-year fee – the minimum amount required to secure his place.

It subsequently supplied documents supporting Khadka’s account but said that, even after sending these, he was detained for a further 10 days.

Asked why the university had not held Khadka’s place open for him in the exceptional circumstances, the spokeswoman said that it had been required to report all non-enrolments to the government on 17 October. “On this date, Sulav was still in detention in a holding facility and we understood that he was being returned to Nepal,” she said. She added that starting the course late was “not in a student’s interests”.

In an email sent to Khadka after he pleaded for its help, the university said it could not change the decision and advised him to “return to Nepal soon” so that he does not “run the risk of overstaying when your visa gets curtailed”. It also offered to pay his visa application fees for September 2023. In a comment to the Observer, the university said it had since offered to help with travel costs and temporary accommodation, as well as a tuition-fee refund, but that Khadka had not yet accepted this.

The Home Office was asked detailed questions about Khadka’s case but did not answer them, saying it did not routinely comment on individual cases. A spokesperson said: “We have a crucial role in keeping the UK and its citizens safe. Border Force’s priority is to maintain a secure border and we will not compromise on security.” When the Observer pointed out that Khadka had never posed a security threat, the spokesperson said: “Thank you for your questions, however this is our statement.”

Universities UK said the case was “extremely concerning”, adding: “International students are a huge benefit to the UK. They should feel safe, secure, and welcome.”

MSN

 

[Zaz]

Ive seen a load of south asians who were living in europe ie italy and spain etc come over to uk since brexit and also called their families over too from south asia

How is this possible?

 

[PakLFC]

Bomb more countries to please the Americans. Then complain when all these Iraqis and Afghans come in millions! This is what one George Galloway was trying to warn the blues blooded Brits about years back. Now these people will continue coming no matter what. Rishi will be glad to see more Arab's and Indian's invade the country

 

[Justcrazy]

Stopping student visas is n ot possible in any country , they bring in too much money and it is a big mafia.

 

[mazkhan]

Ive seen a load of south asians who were living in europe ie italy and spain etc come over to uk since brexit and also called their families over too from south asia

How is this possible?

That's why uk left the eu

Because all the third world riff raff was turning up to Europe and those countries just handed them passports or they got nationality through sham marriages and with those Italian or Spanish or Irish passport came to the UK.

Many south Americans did the same got Portuguese Spanish and Italian nationality and then came to the UK.

But they will be reluctant to come now because the economic inflation , health and housing situation here in uk is dire to come here to earn crumbs to send back home their lives will be worse than a street dog back home.

 

[MenInG]

A record 45,728 people crossed the English Channel to the UK on small boats in 2022, up more than 60% on the previous year as migrants continue to risk their lives making the dangerous journey.

The perils of the deep waters separating France and Britain were once again brought painfully into the spotlight over the last 12 months, when four people lost their lives after their boat capsized in freezing waters in December.

SKY

 

[MenInG]

Some 44 migrants have been brought to shore in the UK, in the first small boat crossing of the new year.

The migrants were picked up by the UK's Border Force and taken to Dover.

French authorities say another two boats carrying 80 migrants got into difficulty in the Channel on Monday and were returned to Calais, in France.

Last year, a record 45,756 people succeeded in making the journey - the highest number since records began in 2018.

This marks around a 60% increase on the previous year's figure.

BBC

 

[MenInG]

The Department for Education, the Home Office and the Treasury are planning to prevent master’s students on one-year courses from bringing family members to the UK with them, reports the Financial Times.

UK net migration figures are predicted to show a record high when they are released later in May, putting pressure on the government to take action to tackle immigration.

The number of students bringing family members with them increased by almost 30% in 2022, making up 135,788 student visas. Almost 100,000 of these were granted to family members of Indian and Nigerian students.

Jamie Arrowsmith, director of Universities UK International, said the organisation recognised that the growth in the number of dependants “may have exceeded planning assumption and that this has created some concerns for government, and indeed challenges in some areas of the UK – for example, around access to suitable family accommodation”.

“We are committed to working with government to understand these issues and to find solutions that ensure the UK continues to welcome international students and that we are able to grow numbers in a sustainable way that protects both the quality of the student experience and the UK’s global competitiveness,” he said.

Lil Bremermann-Richard, CEO of Oxford International Education Group, said limiting dependant visas will make it “impossible” for many students to study in the UK.

“If we are truly committed to attracting diverse talent, we need to take into consideration the financial costs that could be involved to secure care alternatives, or to travel back and forth,” she said.

“We also need to remember that students have lots of options; if presented with a choice of studying in the UK and leaving their dependants behind, or studying elsewhere, like Canada for example, with their family, many will choose the latter.

“This policy would exclude a large pool of people from studying at our universities, to the detriment of the UK and our higher education sector.”

A spokesperson from the Home Office said, “The public rightly expect us to control our borders and we remain committed to reducing net migration over time, while ensuring we have the skills our economy and public services needs.”

The proposed policy may not be a blanket ban, but dependant visas could instead be limited to students at top universities or studying “high-value” courses.

“This has created some concerns for government, and indeed challenges in some areas of the UK”

The Times newspaper reported in March that only students enrolled on courses ministers consider to be of high value to the economy, such as science, maths and engineering, will be allowed to bring family members.

There have also been suggestions that university rankings may be used to decide which students are eligible to bring dependants.

Writing on LinkedIn, Phil Baty, chief global affairs officer at Times Higher Education, said, “The talk is of using Times Higher Education’s world rankings, among others, as the mechanism to block access to dependents – restricting access to a tiny handful of UK elite universities in the world top 50 – mainly in London and the South East.”

According to the FT, education secretary Gillian Keegan has agreed to the plans. The cabinet minister previously said she will fight cuts to international student numbers and, earlier this week, told the Education World Forum she is “hugely proud” that there are over 600,000 overseas students in the UK.

Keegan allegedly wants students to ensure students can bring family members if they stay and work in the UK after graduating, despite reports that the Home Office is considering reducing the length of the graduate route from two years to six months.

Arrowsmith called for “clarity and certainty” over visa policy, saying that the government should commit to the targets set out in the International Education strategy and to maintaining the graduate route. He said both of these are “central to the UK’s attractiveness to prospective students, and our reputation as a global leader in international higher education”.

Over the past decade, various politicians have called for student numbers to be excluded from net migration figures.

https://thepienews.com/news/ukinternational-student-dependant-visas/

 

[MenInG]

Net migration rose to 606,000 in the year to December 2022, official statistics show.

The figure smashes the previous post-war high of 504,000 in the year to June last year - and comes despite a Tory 2019 manifesto commitment to "bring overall numbers down".

SKY

 

[Technics 1210]

All down to the Ukrainian "refugees" mostly.

 

[Champ_Pal]

So who is going to pay for these illegal immigrants to settle in? If the Government on hand is dealing with these illegals with limp wrists, more and more will keep showing at their shores. Western nations are stupid.

 

[Technics 1210]

So who is going to pay for these illegal immigrants to settle in? If the Government on hand is dealing with these illegals with limp wrists, more and more will keep showing at their shores. Western nations are stupid.

This is about NET migration, and NET migration is calculated on the basis of LEGAL immigration. This includes Indians on Student VISA, and Ukrainians flocking to the UK in their droves.

 

[Champ_Pal]

This is about NET migration, and NET migration is calculated on the basis of LEGAL immigration. This includes Indians on Student VISA, and Ukrainians flocking to the UK in their droves.

I have no problem with legal immigration. The host nation is aware of who these people are and they can verify if they have any criminal background. Most legal immigrants are well educated too and will not depend on Government handouts. They pay their taxes and will contribute towards nation building.

Illegal immigrants are a total different issue.

 

[Technics 1210]

I have no problem with legal immigration. The host nation is aware of who these people are and they can verify if they have any criminal background. Most legal immigrants are well educated too and will not depend on Government handouts. They pay their taxes and will contribute towards nation building.

Illegal immigrants are a total different issue.

Correct, illegal immigrants are a total different issue, which is why your post on who will pay for illegal immigrants was irrelevant when it comes comes to net-migration.

 

[The Bald Eagle]

A record number of migrants have crossed the English Channel so far this year, according to provisional Home Office figures.

Some 4,644 have made the journey in 2024 - a record for the first three months of a calendar year.

Of the total, 338 people arrived in the UK in seven boats on Tuesday.

Politics latest: New figures spell trouble for one of Rishi Sunak's pledges

The latest data exceeds the previous record high figure of 4,548 for January to March 2022 and had already surpassed the 3,793 arrivals in the first few months of last year.

It comes despite Rishi Sunak's ongoing bid to "stop the boats" and the prime minister saying his plan was working.

Source: Sky News

 

[FearlessRoar]

Nearly 900 migrants arrive in small boats in one day​

More than 880 migrants have arrived in the UK in a single day after crossing the Channel – a new record for the year so far.
Home Office figures show 882 people arrived in 15 small boats on Tuesday.

That was the highest daily total since October 2022, when 1,047 people arrived in UK waters in one day.

The latest crossings bring the total number of arrivals for June to 1,865 people, with 12,313 making the crossing so far this year.

The total so far for 2024 is higher than at the same point in 2022 and 2023.

As off 18 June in 2023, 10,472 people were recorded as making the crossing, compared with 11,659 in 2022.

By 18 June in 2023, the monthly total was 2,862, compared with 2,082 in 2022.

A total of 29,437 people came to the UK on small boats via the Channel in 2023.

That was a drop from the 2022 total of 45,755, which was the highest number since figures began to be collected in 2018.

In the last six and a half years, 126,658 people have arrived in the UK after crossing the Channel.

The Home Office said: "We continue to work closely with our French partners to prevent crossings and save lives."

Migrants: More than 880 people arrive in small boats in a day

The Home Office said 882 people crossed the Channel in 15 boats on Tuesday.

www.bbc.com

 

[Bewal Express]

For the first time in my lifetime we are getting lots of kids from African backgrounds. A real mixed bag- the West African kids aren't the sharpest,whereas the ones from Zimbabwe are very hard working and very sharp.

 

[Champ_Pal]

Nearly 900 migrants arrive in small boats in one day​

More than 880 migrants have arrived in the UK in a single day after crossing the Channel – a new record for the year so far.
Home Office figures show 882 people arrived in 15 small boats on Tuesday.

That was the highest daily total since October 2022, when 1,047 people arrived in UK waters in one day.

The latest crossings bring the total number of arrivals for June to 1,865 people, with 12,313 making the crossing so far this year.

The total so far for 2024 is higher than at the same point in 2022 and 2023.

As off 18 June in 2023, 10,472 people were recorded as making the crossing, compared with 11,659 in 2022.

By 18 June in 2023, the monthly total was 2,862, compared with 2,082 in 2022.

A total of 29,437 people came to the UK on small boats via the Channel in 2023.

That was a drop from the 2022 total of 45,755, which was the highest number since figures began to be collected in 2018.

In the last six and a half years, 126,658 people have arrived in the UK after crossing the Channel.

The Home Office said: "We continue to work closely with our French partners to prevent crossings and save lives."

Migrants: More than 880 people arrive in small boats in a day

The Home Office said 882 people crossed the Channel in 15 boats on Tuesday.

www.bbc.com

Fire at the boats, intimidate them and turn them away.
Any mercy shown, will be an encouragement for future illegals.

 

[FearlessRoar]

Immigration needs to come down, say Ross and Sarwar​

Immigration to the UK needs to fall, according to the Scottish Labour and Scottish Conservative leaders.

During an appearance on BBC Scotland's Sunday Show, both Labour's Anas Sarwar and the Conservatives' Douglas Ross acknowledged the importance of the issue.

Mr Sarwar said there was a "fundamental breakdown between our skills system and our migration system".

And Mr Ross said there was a huge problem with record migration to the UK.

Over the course of the election campaign, the leaders of Scotland's main political parties have been appearing on the programme.

Mr Sarwar said net migration across the UK was too high, and there was a huge asylum backlog.

However, he believed that different parts of the UK had different migration needs.

The Scottish party leader called for the migration system to take into consideration the skills gaps in the workforce, saying there was currently a "breakdown" between the two systems.

Workers already in Scotland should be upskilled, he said, "rather than missing out on opportunities and relying on cheaper migration".

Mr Sarwar continued: "We’ve got to have a migration system that meets our skills need and where our skills gaps are, and utilise investments to create the skills we need here at home.

"I don’t think we’re getting the balance of that right, right now."

Mr Sarwar acknowledged that the need for migrants was different depending on the area of the country and sectors.

Looking at the health and social care sector, he said workers in social care were "disproportionately" from a migrant background.

Mr Sarwar said health and social care was a priority for Scotland just now, yet "there are people paid more to work in supermarkets than to work in our care sector". He said this was unacceptable.

UK Labour leader Keir Starmer previously told the Sunday Show: "We're recruiting too many people from overseas" in the health service and he "would like to see the numbers go down in some areas".

Scottish Conservative leader Mr Ross was asked if Scotland needed migrants to boost the workforce, and replied that despite "record numbers" of legal migrants coming to the UK, people were not "attracted" to Scotland.

Immigration policy is decided by the UK government at Westminster, but Mr Ross said the SNP Scottish government at Holyrood should use its powers to make Scotland a more attractive place for people to live.

He said: "We can do an awful lot with the powers we have here in Scotland when we don’t have a government obsessed with independence.

"We can make sure that our public services here in Scotland deliver for people."

When asked if he still supported the UK Conservative government's plan to send asylum seekers who have "illegally" entered the UK from "safe" countries to Rwanda while their claims are processed, Mr Ross said the scheme was acting as a deterrent.

Mr Ross said the policy had "put people off" from crossing the English Channel.

He said: "The scheme is just getting operational now.

"We have to ensure we make it as difficult as possible for illegal people traffickers to focus on the vulnerable seeking to cross the Channel."

The SNP has said it would like to see a migration system created for Scotland that values those who decide to live, work, study and invest here.

The party has also called for the "demonisation of migrants" to end.

The party said immigrants should not be blocked from claiming benefits and that plans to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda should be scrapped.

According to the Scottish Liberal Democrats, the "hostile environment" towards immigrants should end, and the Rwanda scheme should be shelved - calling it a "disastrous waste of money".

Instead, money should be invested in clearing the asylum backlog.

Immigration needs to come down, say Sarwar and Ross

Anas Sarwar and Douglas Ross explain their parties' positions on immigration during interviews on BBC Scotland's Sunday Show.

www.bbc.com

 

[ElRaja]

the problem with the immigration debate is that its so polarised between let em all in, and send em all back, that you can't have any proper policy over the issue. its obvious there should be a threshold based system, and a target of net immigration to keep the UK population above replacement level, but it clearly will never be enacted.

For the first time in my lifetime we are getting lots of kids from African backgrounds. A real mixed bag- the West African kids aren't the sharpest,whereas the ones from Zimbabwe are very hard working and very sharp.

zimbabweans are very clever and have very high levels of literacy.

one of my zimbabweans friends told me how since they were educated in english whilst africans in south Africa were kept out of the educational system during apartheid, young Zimbabweans moved wholesale into south africa after apartheid ended and took all the corporate jobs breeding a lot of internal resentment.

in his words they have felt a lot more hatred from black south africans then they ever did from white europeans, and this is from someone who grew up in rhodesia as a black guy.

 

[BouncerGuy]

Eight dead after Channel crossing attempt

Eight people have died overnight while trying to cross the Channel from France to England, French police say.

Rescue services were alerted after the boat got into difficulty in waters north of Boulogne-sur-mer in Pas-de-Calais after 01:00 local time (00:00 BST).

The rubber vessel left with 50 people on board and started to sink not long after leaving the coast.

It comes less than two weeks after 12 people, including six children and a pregnant woman, died when a boat carrying dozens of migrants sank.

The incident on 3 September was the deadliest loss of life in the Channel this year.

A UK Government spokesperson confirmed the latest incident and said French authorities were leading the response and investigation.

Foreign Secretary David Lammy said it was "awful" to hear of a "further loss of life" in the Channel.

He told the Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg programme that many people were "of course not able to make it" across the Channel, having seen the types of rubber dinghies people have been using.

He also reiterated the government's plan to work with European partners to tackle the criminal people-smuggling gangs to deter small boat crossings.

Regional prefect Jacques Billant is set to hold a news conference in the town of Ambleteuse at 10:00 local time.

There has been a spate of crossing attempts across the Channel in the last two days with the arrival of calmer weather.

French maritime authorities said that 200 people were rescued in a 24-hour period over Friday and Saturday.

The French coast guard and other first responders rescued people onboard four separate boats - one with 61, another with 55, and two others with 48 and 36 each.

Eighteen attempted crossings were monitored by authorities over the course of the day.

Including the eight latest victims, a total of 45 people have died in the Channel this year - the highest reported number since 2021, according to the UN's International Organisation for Migration.

More than 21,000 people have crossed the Channel this year.

Amnesty International UK said the latest incident was "yet another appalling and avoidable tragedy".

Enver Solomon, CEO of the Refugee Council, said the deaths were not "inevitable" and a comprehensive approach to reduce crossings was needed.

"Enforcement alone is not the solution," he said, adding that there needed to be improved access to safe asylum routes.

BBC

 

[FearlessRoar]

Several migrants including child die in Channel​

Several migrants, including a child, have died while attempting to cross the English Channel, according to the French authorities.

Interior minister Bruno Retailleau said the child was "trampled to death in a boat", saying it was a "terrible tragedy" and people smugglers "have the blood of these people on their hands".

According to local newspaper La Voix du Nord, at least four migrants died – including a young child – in two separate incidents.

A local official is due to give a press conference in Calais later.

Four migrants including child die in Channel crossing attempt

A two-year-old boy's body was found on a migrant boat in the English Channel, French authorities say.

www.bbc.com

 

[Champ_Pal]

Several migrants including child die in Channel​

Several migrants, including a child, have died while attempting to cross the English Channel, according to the French authorities.

Interior minister Bruno Retailleau said the child was "trampled to death in a boat", saying it was a "terrible tragedy" and people smugglers "have the blood of these people on their hands".

According to local newspaper La Voix du Nord, at least four migrants died – including a young child – in two separate incidents.

A local official is due to give a press conference in Calais later.

Four migrants including child die in Channel crossing attempt

A two-year-old boy's body was found on a migrant boat in the English Channel, French authorities say.

www.bbc.com

The blame should go equally on all parties including the origin countries, immigrants, traffickers and mafia, Globalists and British policies.

Until the rewarding of illegal immigrants with asylum stops, more and more will keep showing up at your shores. A small percentage of them will die due to accidents and bad weather.

 

[sweep_shot]

Several migrants including child die in Channel​

Several migrants, including a child, have died while attempting to cross the English Channel, according to the French authorities.

Interior minister Bruno Retailleau said the child was "trampled to death in a boat", saying it was a "terrible tragedy" and people smugglers "have the blood of these people on their hands".

According to local newspaper La Voix du Nord, at least four migrants died – including a young child – in two separate incidents.

A local official is due to give a press conference in Calais later.

Four migrants including child die in Channel crossing attempt

A two-year-old boy's body was found on a migrant boat in the English Channel, French authorities say.

www.bbc.com

People smugglers should be identified and arrested. They are putting vulnerable people in danger.

 

[BouncerGuy]

Four migrants die in new attempts to cross the English Channel

A migrant died Wednesday trying to cross the Channel to Britain, French authorities said, while the date of death was not immediately clear for three more people found dead on beaches.

The finds bring the number of deaths this year linked to crossings in overcrowded dinghies to around 60.

With British and French authorities seeking to crack down on people smuggling gangs, activists say traffickers are now herding larger groups of migrants hoping for a better life in the United Kingdom into increasingly unsafe boats.

The man who died Wednesday was one of around 15 who fell into the sea off Hardelot in northern France, the French Maritime Prefecture of the Channel and North Sea said.

A helicopter transported the migrant to land where he was declared dead.

Fire chief Baptiste Gournay said the man was 28 years old, while prosecutors in Boulogne-sur-Mer said he "may have been Kuwaiti".

In total, 61 people were rescued, including one whose condition was very critical and another five also taken to hospital.

Gournay said three other migrants were also battling for their lives after a second rescue operation off the area of Merlimont, some 20 kilometres (12 miles) to the south.

Many people had tried to cross overnight and in the early morning as weather conditions were calm, the prefecture said.

Hours after the death, three migrants' bodies were discovered on separate beaches in northern France, including at Hardelot.

It was not immediately clear when the men might have died.

"For now, we're counting the dead," assistant prosecutor Patrick Leleu said.

'One death every five days'

On Wednesday morning, a deflated blue and black dinghy lay on the beach in Hardelot, an AFP journalist saw.

Rescue services, including fire trucks with their lights flashing, had been deployed on the shore.

Rescuers led around 20 migrants into a nearby building to warm up.

Some three kilometres (around two miles) away from the coast, journalists saw six soaked migrants, some wrapped in survival blankets, sitting on a bench.

A member of the Utopia 56 charity working with migrants said that several people were suffering from "severe hypothermia" after falling into the sea.

Increasing numbers of migrants and asylum seekers have crossed the Channel since 2018 despite repeated warnings about the perilous journey.

After the deadly accident on Wednesday, not far along the same beach, an AFP reporter saw some 70 people including children wade into the water to board a dinghy. Some had a life jacket, while others clutched a giant inflatable ring.

After the engine failed to start, around 40 people disembarked and returned to the beach.

The inflatable vessel eventually set off with around 30 on board.

Overnight, AFP journalists saw two groups depart in the dark from Sangatte, an area further north near the port city of Calais.

Utopia 56's Celestin Pichaud said the situation was "more than dramatic".

"For several months, it's been one person dying every five days" trying to cross the Channel, he said.

"Land and sea rescue services are completely overwhelmed."

Drownings and deadly crushes on overcrowded boats since January have made 2024 the most dangerous year for migrants trying to reach Britain by sea since 2018.

An Indian man died off the French coast on Sunday as he tried to cross the Channel.

On Wednesday last week, a woman and two men died after their small boat sank in the Channel off Calais.

The week before, a four-month-old baby died in an overloaded boat headed for the United Kingdom.

More than 1,500 migrants have landed on British shores over the past week, according to UK Home Office figures.

SOURCE: https://www.france24.com/en/europe/20241031-migrants-english-channel

 

[BouncerGuy]

Net migration drops 20% to 728,000 after hitting 906,000 peak

Net migration to the UK hit a higher than previously thought record of 906,000 in the year to June 2023, revised official estimates show.

The measure for the difference between the number of people arriving and leaving the country then dropped by 20% in the latest period, the 12 months to June 2024, and now stands at 728,000.

The total for the year to June 2023 has been revised upwards by 166,000 from the initial estimate of 740,000, according to Office for National Statistics (ONS) figures published on Thursday.

A similar change has been made to the estimate for net migration in the year to December 2023, which was initially estimated to be 685,000, and is now thought to be 866,000 – an increase of 181,000.

The ONS said that while remaining high by “historic standards”, net migration is now “beginning to fall”.

The revisions come as the ONS has continued to review its net migration figures as more complete data becomes available and has improved how it estimates the migration behaviour of people arriving in the UK from outside the European Union.

Better analysis of the number of people coming to the UK amid the conflict in Ukraine has also been taken into account.

SOURCE: Evening Standard

 

[mazkhan]

Still thousands of indians and punjabis from pakistan are coming , seeing a lot of these central punjabi lahori types coming now

Every petrol station has an Indian infestation

Be careful when u tap your contactless or receive change from cash many times these lahorian types and indians have given incorrect change or made you tap twice and then helped themselves to the takings in the till.

 

[BouncerGuy]

Migrants brought to UK from remote military island

Migrants stranded for more than three years on the remote Indian Ocean island of Diego Garcia have been brought to the UK.

The Sri Lankan Tamils are permitted to remain in the country for six months, with financial support from the Foreign Office, according to documents seen by the BBC.

Their journey to the UK marks the end of years of complex legal battles waged over thousands of miles over their fate, but their long-term future remains uncertain.

Most of the group of around 60 migrants have been living in a makeshift camp on Diego Garcia - the site of a strategic UK-US military base - since October 2021, when they became the first people ever to file asylum claims there.

On Monday, a government spokesperson described the move as a "one-off, due to the exceptional nature of these cases and in the interests of their welfare".

"This government inherited a deeply troubling situation that remained unresolved under the last administration for years," the spokesperson said.

Tessa Gregory of UK law firm Leigh Day, which represents some of the migrants, said it was the "only sensible solution to end the humanitarian crisis" on the island.

"This vulnerable group which includes 16 children have spent 38 months detained in the most squalid of conditions on Crown land... we hope our clients will now be able to seek safe haven and begin to rebuild their lives," she said.

The BBC gained unprecedented access earlier this year to Diego Garcia and the migrant camp there, where the Tamils were housed in groups in military tents, some of which had leaks and rats nesting inside.

During their time on the island, there were multiple hunger strikes and numerous incidents of self-harm and suicide attempts in response to the conditions, after which some people were transferred to Rwanda for medical treatment.

There were also allegations of sexual assaults and harassment within the camp.

Migrants have told the BBC it was like living in "hell".

Those in Rwanda are also set to arrive in the UK on Tuesday.

One told the BBC: "I hope to turn a new page. I hope my health will improve and I will transform into a new person."

Two men with criminal convictions and another under investigation remain on the island, the BBC understands.

The Tamils’ arrival in the UK comes amid uncertainty over the future of the territory.

The UK announced in October that it was ceding control of the Chagos Islands, of which Diego Garcia is part, to Mauritius. But the new Mauritian prime minister has said he has reservations over the deal, which was struck by his predecessor and has still to be signed, and has asked for an independent review.

The deal is facing opposition from some politicians in the UK and allies of US President-elect Donald Trump.

UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy has played down the criticism, describing it as a “good deal” for both Mauritius and the UK, and saying it addresses US concerns about the future of the Diego Garcia base.

In recent years, the territory has been costing the UK tens of millions of pounds, with the bulk of this categorised under "migrant costs".

Communications obtained by the BBC between Foreign Office officials in July warned that "the costs are increasing and the latest forecast is that these will be £50m per annum" if they were to remain there.

In letters sent to the Tamils on Friday from the Home Office, they were told they were being granted temporary entry clearance to the UK "outside of the Immigration Rules" to allow them to consider their "long-term options".

It stressed that the offer did not "constitute permanent settlement in the UK or recognition of refugee status by the UK government", and said the group would not be permitted to work.

The government says the Chagos Islands, known as the British Indian Ocean Territory (Biot), are "constitutionally distinct" from the UK, with the unusual status leading to the long legal dispute.

Most of the Tamils have been awaiting final decisions on claims for international protection - which the United Nations says is akin to refugee status - or appealing against rejections.

In total, eight have been granted international protection, meaning they cannot be returned to Sri Lanka, the BBC understands.

Successive governments have previously said that bringing the Tamils to the UK would risk creating a "backdoor migration route".

But the government said on Monday that arrangements had been made to ensure this did not happen, citing a deal to send future arrivals to St Helena - another UK territory some 5,000 miles away.

"Once a sovereignty agreement with Mauritius is fully in place they would then take responsibility for any future migrants," the spokesperson said.

BBC

 

[FearlessRoar]

More than 150,000 migrants have crossed Channel to UK in small boats since 2018​

More than 150,000 migrants have arrived in the UK after crossing the English Channel in small boats since 2018.

The government began recording the number of people who have made the dangerous journey almost seven years ago, on 1 January 2018.

The milestone was reached on Boxing Day, when 407 people crossed the Channel on 10 boats - bringing the government's tally to 150,243.

On Christmas Day, more than 450 migrants arrived in the UK in 11 boats.

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has said the government has a moral responsibility to tackle Channel crossings - but is yet to set a target date for when the numbers should fall "sharply".

Ms Cooper has previously appeared to rule out opening more safe and legal routes for asylum seekers to bring down crossings on small boats.

Creating more options was not "an alternative to going after the criminal gangs", she told the Commons' home affairs select committee earlier this month.

The home secretary also told MPs she was "determined to keep making progress" on reducing the number of hotels being used to house asylum seekers, labelling them "completely inappropriate and extremely costly".

More than 22,000 people have arrived in the UK on small boats since Sir Keir Starmer became prime minister in July.

He has put international cooperation with law enforcement agencies across Europe at the heart of his plan to cut the number of arrivals.

He previously said his government "inherited a very bad position", with record numbers of migrants in the first six months of the year.

Sir Keir blamed that on the previous government focusing on what he called the "Rwanda gimmick", saying there was "not enough attention... on taking down the gangs that are running this vile trade".

So far in 2024, 35,898 migrants have crossed the channel into the UK, according to provisional Home Office figures - a 22% increase on this time last year. However, the figure is down 22% on 2022.

This year has been the deadliest since the Channel crisis unfolded, as some 50 people have died while trying to make the crossing, according to incidents recorded by the French coastguard.

More than 150,000 migrants have crossed Channel to UK in small boats since 2018

On Christmas Day, more than 450 migrants arrived in the UK on 11 small boats, and a further 400 people made the journey on Boxing Day.

news.sky.com

 

[BouncerGuy]

Three migrants die attempting to cross Channel

Three people have died attempting to cross the English Channel in a small boat on Sunday morning, the French coastguard says.

People ended up in the water after trying to board a boat off the coast of Sangatte, near Calais, at about 06:00 local time (05:00 GMT).

The three later declared dead were recovered from the water by helicopter, while a further 45 were given treatment on the beach, many suffering from hypothermia. Four were taken to hospital.

It has been the deadliest year on record for Channel crossings.

"It never stops," the mayor of Sangatte Guy Allemand told AFP. "It's crossing after crossing, without any let-up."

He said seven people had needed intensive care.

The French coastguard said a search was ongoing at sea for any other survivors.

The Home Office confirmed there had been an incident in French waters, with French authorities leading the response and investigation.

Pierre-Henri Dumont, MP for the Pas-de-Calais region, told the BBC: "Any attempt to cross the Channel in this way is very, very dangerous - but at this time of year, it is even more deadly."

He said rescue teams can respond quickly, but current temperatures mean "spending even a few minutes in the water" can be fatal.

More than 36,000 people have crossed the Channel in small boats so far this year, surpassing the 2023 total of 29,437, government figures suggest.

The International Organization for Migration (IOM), a UN agency which tracks the number of people who die crossing the Channel, says 77 people have died attempting to make the journey this year.

The Home Office has said it will "stop at nothing" to dismantle people smuggling operations, with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer making "smashing the gangs" who facilitate the crossings one of his top priorities.

A number of other boats were reported to have departed from the coast on Sunday, the French coastguard said in its statement.

BBC

 

[JaDed]

From what I have read Most Millionaires have left UK..and left leaning papers and people have welcomed that..

 

[Bhaijaan]

It’s karma for centuries of Colonialism.

 

[BouncerGuy]

Migrants crossing Channel to UK in 2024 soar by 25 percent

The number of irregular migrants arriving in Britain on small boats soared in 2024, data showed Wednesday, piling pressure on Prime Minister Keir Starmer to stem the dangerous Channel crossings.

Immigration, both irregular and regular, was a major issue at July's general election, which brought Labour to power but also saw a breakthrough for Nigel Farage's hard-right Reform UK party.

Some 36,816 people were detected in the Channel last year, a 25 percent increase from the 29,437 who arrived in 2023, provisional figures from the interior ministry showed.

The 2024 total, however, was still well below the record 45,774 undocumented migrants who arrived on the UK's shores in flimsy inflatable boats in 2022.

At least 76 deaths were recorded in about 20 accidents last year, making it the deadliest year for migrants who are taking ever greater risks to evade Britain's border control.

According to French officials, at least 5,800 people were rescued at sea last year and authorities prevented more than 870 attempted crossings.

Starmer has pledged to crack down on the crossings after his election win returned Labour to government after 14 years in opposition.

Upon entering office, he scrapped the previous Conservative government's controversial scheme to send irregular migrants to Rwanda, branding it a "gimmick".

Instead, he has promised to "smash the gangs" of people traffickers running the crossings and has signed a number of agreements with foreign countries to co-operate on law enforcement.

He has described the smuggling networks as a "global security threat similar to terrorism".

The latest figures mean last year had the second highest number of annual arrivals since data on the crossings began to be collected in 2018. More than 150,000 people have arrived by boat in the last seven years in total.

In the first nine months of last year, Afghan migrants accounted for the single largest group of arrivals, making up 17 percent of the total. People from Vietnam, Iran and Syria were the next largest groups.

Vietnamese migrants appeared to fuel the surge in crossings in 2024. They made up just five percent of arrivals in 2023, well below the January-September 2024 figure of 13 percent.

Brexit

"It's often not possible to pin down a specific reason," for why the numbers fluctuate, Madeleine Sumption, director of the Migration Observatory at Oxford University told AFP.

"The reason that brought numbers a bit higher this year is partly there was some increase in the first half of the year, and then we've seen this kind of sustained increase from October, November, December, which is usually when the numbers start to settle down because the weather's not as good".

More than 3,200 arrived in December alone, including several hundred over Christmas.

Starmer has also set up a new Border Security Command and strengthened cooperation with European partners, including Europol.

Britain has signed joint action plans with Germany and Iraq aimed at tackling the smuggling gangs. They build on earlier agreements signed under the previous Conservative government, including with France and Albania.

Starmer's government also points to an increase in the return of irregular migrants to their countries of origin.

Some 29,000 people were returned between January and early December, a quarter more than in 2023, and a level not seen since 2017, according to the Migration Observatory.

"In terms of what the current government is doing, it's too early to tell you know whether their approach is having an impact on the numbers," said Sumption.

Starmer is also under pressure to reduce legal migration as he tries to fend off growing support for arch-Eurosceptic Farage's hard-right Reform UK, which won roughly four million votes during the July 4 poll -- an unprecedented haul for a far-right party.

Net legal migration is running at historically high levels, and was estimated at 728,000 for the year to June 2024.

The surge has come despite Britons being told during the 2016 Brexit referendum that leaving the European Union would allow the country to "take back control" of its borders.

AFP

 

[BouncerGuy]

UK to deny citizenship to small boat refugees

The government has toughened up rules making it almost impossible for a refugee who arrives in the UK on a small boat to become a British citizen.

New guidance states that anyone who enters the UK illegally having made a dangerous journey, which could be via boat, but also by means such as hiding in a vehicle, will normally be refused citizenship, regardless of the time that has passed.

In a statement, the Home Office said the strengthened measures made it clear that anyone who entered the UK illegally would face having a British citizenship application refused.

But, the change has been condemned by the Refugee Council and some Labour MPs - including Stella Creasy who said the change "meant refugees would forever remain second class citizens".

Changes, first disclosed by the Free Movement blog, were introduced to guidance for visa and immigration staff on Monday.

The changes mean that anyone deemed to have entered the country illegally - including those already here - will not be able to apply for citizenship.

Described as a "clarification" to case worker guidance when assessing if a claimant is of "good character', it says: "Any person applying for citizenship from 10 February 2025, who previously entered the UK illegally will normally be refused, regardless of the time that has passed since the illegal entry took place."

Another new entry to the same guidance says: "A person who applies for citizenship from 10 February 2025 who has previously arrived without a required valid entry clearance or electronic travel authorisation, having made a dangerous journey will normally be refused citizenship.

"A dangerous journey includes, but is not limited to, travelling by small boat or concealed in a vehicle or other conveyance."

Previously, refugees who had arrived by irregular routes would need to wait 10 years before being considered.

Under UK law, it is now an offence to enter the country without permission, while international law states that refugees should not be penalised for illegal entry.

It comes after Labour's new border security bill, which scraps the Conservatives' Rwanda plan and boosts police powers against people smugglers, cleared its first vote in the House of Commons on Monday.

The Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill sets out Labour's plan to treat people smugglers like terrorists, and creates a new crime of endangering another person during an illegal crossing in the Channel.

The Home Office also published footage of enforcement teams raiding 828 premises, including nail bars, car washes, and restaurants, as part of a UK-wide crackdown on illegal working earlier this week.

Commenting on the new guidance for refugees, Labour MP Creasy said she worked with a young man who after fleeing Syria and gaining a degree is now "contributing to our society, and has now got British citizenship".

"This process would deny that," she told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

Creasy also claimed the change to rules on citizenship for refugees would "deny" Paddington Bear from obtaining a British passport.

The fictional character famously arrived in the UK by stowing away on a boat from his home in Peru.

"Essentially it would deny, well, frankly, Paddington," Creasy said.

"Paddington did the same thing. He came by an irregular route, but we gave him sanctuary but wouldn't give him a passport."

Lord Blunkett, the former Labour home secretary, urged the government to "reflect on the societal and cohesion aspects" of the policy.

He called on ministers to consider "the impact on children and their right to UK citizenship and the statelessness which would arrive for individuals if their birth country refused to renew or retain their nationality".

"Surely this Parliament should have a say in such a big change," he told the House of Lords.

In response, Home Office minister Lord Hanson of Flint said children will be "considered sympathetically under existing legislation to date".

The i newspaper reported that children will be exempt from the new guidance on citizenship if caseworkers judge that their illegal means of entry was outside their own control. BBC News has approached the Home Office for comment.

The Refugee Council estimates the guidance will prevent at least 71,000 refugees from obtaining British citizenship.

Enver Solomon, CEO of the charity, said the government's move "flies in the face of reason".

"The British public want refugees who have been given safety in our country to integrate into and contribute to their new communities, so it makes no sense for the government to erect more barriers.

"We know that men women and children who are refugees want to feel part of the country that has given them a home, and support to rebuild their lives.

"We urge ministers to urgently reconsider."

Meanwhile, immigration barrister Colin Yeo claimed on social media that it is a "clear breach of the refugee convention".

Although the Conservatives have yet to respond to the government's decision, Tory leader Kemi Badenoch told the BBC last week that she believes the right to citizenship and permanent residency "should only go to those who have demonstrated a real commitment to the UK".

Badenoch spoke about her proposals to toughen up citizenship rules by making it more difficult for new immigrants to be able to permanently settle in the UK.

Citizenship applications will continue to be considered on a case-by-case basis, it is understood.

A Home Office spokesperson said: "There are already rules that can prevent those arriving illegally from gaining citizenship.

"This guidance further strengthens measures to make it clear that anyone who enters the UK illegally, including small boat arrivals, faces having a British citizenship application refused."

BBC

 

[FearlessRoar]

One dead after attempted Channel crossing​

A migrant has died after trying to cross the English Channel in a small boat on Friday evening, the French coastguard has said.

A further 69 were rescued after the boat sank off the coast of Calais. Only half of those onboard were found to be wearing lifejackets.

Two people were unconscious when brought on to a rescue vessel, the coastguard said - one of whom was rescusitated by medics and the other was later pronounced dead in hospital.

The other migrants onboard were returned to Calais.

Several attempted crossings were reported to the Gris-Nez surveillance and rescue centre on Friday night, a statement on the incident said.

A French vessel began monitoring the small boat after it left Calais. The boat started to take on water towards the end of the night, the coastguard said.

It added that rescue crews "immediately" went to the aid of the small boat.

The unconscious person who could not be resuscitated by medics was evacuated using a Belgian sea rescue helicopter to a hospital in Marck-en-Calais, where they were pronounced dead.

The coastguard said a French Navy Dauphin helicopter was monitoring the area where the boat sank "to confirm the successful recovery of all the castaways".

It warned that the part of the Channel was "a particularly dangerous sector, especially in the middle of winter for precarious and overloaded boats", as it was a busy shipping lane with difficult weather conditions.

Other "life-saving resources" have been deployed in the area due to the numerous reports of attempted crossings on Friday, the coastguard said.

As of 10 February, 1,554 people had crossed the English Channel since the start of 2025.

In 2024 as a whole, 36,816 arrived in the UK on small boats. It was also the deadliest year on record for migrant crossings of the English Channel, according to the United Nations' migration agency.

English Channel: One dead after small boat sinks in attempted crossing

Sixty-nine others were rescued after the boat started to take on water off the coast of Calais.

www.bbc.com

 

[BouncerGuy]

UK net migration in 2024 fell by half to 431,000

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) estimated the figure for last year stood at 431,000, a dramatic drop from the 860,000 recorded in the year to December 2023.

It was the biggest fall in net migration -- the difference between the numbers of people arriving in the UK and those leaving -- since the Covid pandemic.

"Long-term net migration is down by almost 50 percent," the ONS said in its latest report.

"We are seeing reductions in people arriving on work- and study-related visas," it added.

It had also recorded "an increase in emigration over the 12 months to December 2024", especially by those on work and study visas.

The previous Conservative government had toughed the rules for people applying for such visas, insisting on higher salaries and refusing permission for people to bring their families with them.

Migration has become a hot-button issue in UK politics and Starmer unveiled tough new policies on May 12 vowing to "finally take back control" of Britain's borders.

The measures included cutting overseas care workers, doubling the length of time before migrants can qualify for settlement and new powers to deport foreign criminals.

Starmer, who voted for the UK to remain part of the European Union, is under renewed pressure to tackle immigration following surprise gains by the anti-immigration Reform UK party in May local elections.

He said in his speech that Britain risked becoming "an island of strangers", triggering sharp criticism from within his own Labour party for his toughened rhetoric.

'Welcome drop'

The aim of the new measures is to "reduce net migration substantially, with visa numbers falling by up to 100,000 a year by the end of this parliament" in 2029, the interior ministry said in a statement.

Interior minister Yvette Cooper said: "The 300,000 drop in net migration since the election is important and welcome after the figures quadrupled to nearly a million in the last parliament."

She added that nearly 30,000 unsuccessful asylum seekers, many arriving on UK shores in small boats, had been returned to their countries of origin since the general election in July.

But the figures also showed a rise in the numbers claiming asylum from 80,000 people in December 2023 to 95,000 people in December 2024.

And separate figures showed an increase in the numbers of irregular immigrants, with more than 13,500 arriving in the UK since the start of the year, many on small boats.

A woman and a child died off France's northern coast, found in an overloaded boat as they tried to cross the Channel to Britain, French authorities said Wednesday.

A total of 78 migrants died in 2024 while attempting to cross the Channel aboard small boats, a record since the rise of crossings in this area in 2018.

Conservative former home secretary James Cleverly said while Labour "will try to claim credit" for the fall in net migration, the changes were a result of policies enacted by his government.

"This drop is because of the visa rule changes that I put in place," he argued on X.

According to the latest poll of voting intentions by YouGov, the Reform party of hardliner Nigel Farage is ahead in the polls, with 29 percent support, compared to 22 percent for Labour.

Meanwhile, the Liberal Democrats edged ahead of the Conservatives with 17 percent, who were relegated to fourth place on 16 percent.

AFP