UK access to EU crime and illegal migration data reportedly denied
British negotiators have been hoping to reach a deal on gaining access to the Schengen Information System (SIS), a vital tool for sharing police alerts across borders within the area where 29 countries have abolished passport controls.
However, European officials were reported by the Times to have ruled out allowing access to it and to the bloc's centralised fingerprinting system, Eurodac, which stores information on illegal migrants.
Access to the records would be a significant boost to attempts by the Labour government to clear Britain's asylum claims and appeals backlog at a time when political opponents on the populist right are on the rise.
The prime minister suggested last year at an Interpol annual general assembly in Glasgow that EU leaders had shown an interest in giving the UK access to the intelligence database used to identify people seeking asylum.
Asked whether he could detect enthusiasm from EU leaders about giving the UK access to Eurodac data as part of a new security deal, he told journalists: 'Yes, there is an appetite to work more closely with us on this. Because look, these are shared challenges.'
Daniel Moylan, the Conservative transport spokesman, said on Monday that the prime minister had cast his reset of relations with the EU as a 'magic bullet' to deliver on Labour's manifesto pledge to 'smash the gangs' when it came to illegal Channel crossings.
'It's not working. He needs to start taking action in the UK and stop creeping to Brussels,' Lord Moylan added.
A UK government spokesperson said: 'We are not providing a running commentary on our discussions with the EU. These are ongoing and cover a wide range of issues.
'Together we want to build a safer, more secure and more prosperous UK and we have been clear that we will always act in the national interest to secure the best outcomes for the UK.
The European Commission has been approached for comment.
In the absence of a deal on giving access to Eurodac and Schengen data, one area of potential progress revolves around work and travel freedoms. The EU is prepared to make major concessions in negotiations to allow British and European 18- to 30-year-olds to travel and work freely, the Guardian reported last month.
However, there have been suggestions that figures in the British government have made access to EU databases a 'red line' in negotiations over such a youth mobility scheme.
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The previous UK government signed a deal earlier last year for Britain work more closely with the EU's border agency to stop small boats crossing the Channel.
But the lack of access to the Eurodac fingerprinting system – which stores more than 7m fingerprint records and was lost to Britain with the ending of the Brexit transition period in December 2020 – limits potential collaboration.
Access would help returns by proving individuals had rightful residence in other countries.
Cooperation to tackle illegal migration, together with counter terror cooperation, is part of the three pillars which the UK government has been working on as part of a touted 'reset' of UK-EU relations. The others are on foreign policy and security cooperation and growth and trade cooperation.
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The Guardian
27 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Trump gives assurances to Europeans over talks with Putin on Ukraine
Donald Trump told European leaders on Wednesday he would be seeking a ceasefire in Ukraine at his summit with Vladimir Putin on Friday and gave reassurances that he would not make any territorial concessions without Kyiv's full involvement. Trump's approach at the video conference, disclosed by France's Emmanuel Macron, appeared to reassure some of the leaders, who were making a final collective plea to the unpredictable US president that he had a duty to protect Ukraine's sovereignty – and European security – at the talks in Alaska. The European leaders spoke with Trump and his vice-president, JD Vance, in a hastily convened one-hour meeting in an effort to shape Trump's negotiating strategy. The Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and European leaders have been excluded from the Alaska summit and fear that Trump, intent on fulfilling his election campaign guarantee that he could easily end the bloodshed in Ukraine, will make concessions that compromise Ukraine's future sovereignty. But Trump underlined his promise that the summit was not in itself a substantive negotiation but what he described as a 'feel-out' to test Putin's terms to sign a temporary ceasefire that would then lead to talks with the Ukrainians. The European intervention involved a group of European leaders and Zelenskyy discussing the US negotiating strategy with Trump and Vance. Afterwards the German chancellor, Friedrich Merz, stressed that Europe wanted Trump to be successful in Alaska but that it had made clear to the US president that Ukrainian and European interests had to be protected at the summit. Macron said no serious discussions had taken place about Russian-Ukrainian land swaps inside Ukraine, and Trump had anyway underlined that any such discussions could only be negotiated with Kyiv. He said Trump would fight for a trilateral meeting between Ukraine, the US and Russia and that such a meeting would be held in Europe. The Nato secretary general, Mark Rutte, said the ball was now in Russia's court on whether it wanted a ceasefire, and he said the transatlantic alliance was united. One European diplomat said: 'Overall the meeting was reassuring in that our points came across, but the question remains whether Trump will stick to the agreed script when he gets into the room with Putin.' Trump met heads of state and government leaders from Germany, the UK, France, Italy, Poland and Finland, as well as the European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen. Later, the European leaders were due to report back to the so-called coalition of the willing, the group of western countries that have in principle signed up to provide practical military guarantees to protect Ukrainian sovereignty in the event of a peace settlement. The guarantees issue was raised in the call with Trump. But the Europeans' main objective had been to seek reassurances from the notoriously fickle Trump that he would not be lured into making irretrievable pledges requiring Ukraine to make concessions of land as the price for securing Putin's agreement to a ceasefire. They also tried to extract bankable guarantees that Trump was still prepared to deploy as yet unused economic levers that could damage Russian revenues and play into Putin's assessment of his bargaining strength. With news of significant Russian military advances emerging from the battlefield, Zelenskyy travelled to Berlin to be at the side of Merz during the meeting – both a show of solidarity and a means of reducing the risk of a row between Zelenskyy and Trump. European leaders have been careful in public to welcome Trump's summit but in private fear Trump is bent on improving US-Russia relations and sees a loss of Ukrainian sovereignty as a necessary and unavoidable price to secure that objective. In advance of the meeting, Trump complimented the European leaders as great people who wanted to get a deal done, but he has been vague about his strategy, including the terms he will offer to induce Putin to agree to a ceasefire, which is Ukraine's precondition for talks. Vance, better briefed than his president, thinks Europe has to show greater leadership by admitting that painful concessions are necessary to end a war Ukraine does not have the troops to win. Zelenskyy revealed that the overall personnel ratio between Ukraine and Russia stood at one to three in favour of Russia, while in artillery the ratio is one to 2.4. The issues at play are territorial concessions, military guarantees to ensure Russia does not restart the fighting, and Ukraine's future relationship with western institutions including Nato. Zelenskyy has vowed that the Ukrainian military will not voluntarily surrender territory in Donetsk and Luhansk, but Russia is insisting these will become Russian either at the negotiating table or through force. Trump vented his fury at media reporting of his meeting with Putin, writing on Truth Social: 'The media is being really, really unfair about my meeting with Putin. They keep quoting fired losers and really stupid people like John Bolton, who just said that even though the meeting is on US soil, 'Putin has already won'. What the hell is this? We win EVERYTHING.' The treasury secretary, Scott Bessant, said further sanctions or secondary tariffs could yet be placed on Russia's trading partners if the Alaska meeting did not go well. But Trump has so far refused to bow to the domestic political pressure to impose gamechanging tariffs on Russia's trading partners. He has vowed to increase tariffs on Indian imports to 50% at the end of the month, but this may be a negotiating ploy ahead of trade talks. New US sanctions on China, Russia's greatest economic backer, have been deferred until November. A confident Moscow dismissed the importance of Europe's consultation with Trump. The foreign ministry spokesperson Alexei Fadeyev said: 'We consider the consultations requested by the Europeans to be politically and practically insignificant actions. Verbally, the Europeans support the diplomatic efforts of Washington and Moscow to resolve the Ukrainian crisis, but in reality the European Union is sabotaging them.' Russia says the Alaska meeting is likely to address the full gamut of Russian-American bilateral relations, and not just Ukraine. 'We hope that this meeting will allow the leaders to focus on the full range of issues, from the crisis in Ukraine to the obstacles that hinder normal and constructive dialogue, which is crucial to ensuring international peace and stability,' the spokesperson said. The veteran Russian foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, will be present at the Alaska talks. Before the meeting, the Hungarian prime minister, Viktor Orbán, tried to pour salt into Europe's wounds by saying Russia had won the war. 'We talk as if the situation is a war without end but it is not. The Ukrainians have lost the war. Russia has won this war,' he said. Orbán said the only question was 'when and under what circumstances the west, which supports the Ukrainians, will admit that this happened and what the consequences will be'. Orbán is the only EU leader who has not supported a joint statement stating that Ukraine must decide its own future.
Daily Mail
27 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Keir Starmer warns 'borders must not be changed by force' as PM and EU leaders put pressure on Donald Trump not to hand parts of Ukraine to Russia
Sir Keir Starmer today warned 'borders must not be changed by force' as he joined EU leaders in pressuring Donald Trump not to hand parts of Ukraine to Russia. The Prime Minister and some of his European counterparts joined a call this afternoon with the US President and Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky. The emergency virtual summit comes ahead of Mr Trump's meeting with Russia's Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday. There are worries in London and other European capitals that Mr Trump will offer to cede Ukrainian territory to Russia as part of a ceasefire deal. The PM used Wednesday's call to thank Mr Trump for his efforts in trying to secure an end to the three-year conflict in Ukraine. He said the US President's actions had created a 'viable' chance of a peace agreement. But he also pledged his 'unwavering' support for Ukraine, after Mr Zelensky blasted Mr Trump's suggestion that a peace agreement could include 'land-swapping'. As well as Sir Keir, Mr Trump and Mr Zelensky, Wednesday's call also included the leaders of France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Finland, and EU and NATO officials. A Downing Street spokesperson said: 'All leaders agreed this week marks an important moment for the future of Ukraine. 'They thanked President Trump for his efforts in bringing Putin to the table in pursuit of a ceasefire to end to the ongoing bloodshed. 'The PM was clear that our support for Ukraine is unwavering - international borders must not be changed by force and Ukraine must have robust and credible security guarantees to defend its territorial integrity as part of any deal. 'Europe stands ready to support this and will continue to work alongside President Trump and President Zelenskyy for a just and lasting peace in Ukraine, they added. 'They looked forward to speaking again following the meeting in Alaska on Friday.' In his own comments following Wednesday's call, Mr Zelensky revealed how he told Mr Trump that Mr Putin is 'bluffing' about his desire to end the war. 'I told the US President and all our European colleagues that Putin is bluffing,' the Ukrainian President said. 'He is trying to apply pressure before the meeting in Alaska along all parts of the Ukrainian front. Russia is trying to show that it can occupy all of Ukraine.' Mr Zelensky added that he wanted a three-way meeting with Mr Trump and Mr Putin, saying no talks about Ukraine should exclude Kyiv. Earlier this week, ahead of the Trump-Putin meeting, Mr Zelensky declared he will not hand his country's eastern Donbas region to Russia as the price for peace. He warned, if handed to the Kremlin, Mr Putin would merely use the region as a 'springboard for a future new offensive' on Ukraine. Ahead of Wednesday's summit, a European diplomatic source told The i Paper that permanent changes to the Ukraine-Russia border would not be accepted. They added that land swaps must be off the table in Mr Trump's discussions with Mr Putin. But there are also reported tensions between the UK and EU capitals, with a British official revealing concerns about 'unhelpful running commentary' from European leaders about the Trump-Putin talks. 'Unlike our European colleagues, we are not publicly out there making demands of the Americans,' they told The Telegraph. 'A lot of the way the Europeans seem to be behaving, they're going to annoy the Americans, they're going to annoy Trump if they start making demands and if they put out red lines.' It comes after Mr Merz and Kaja Kallas, the EU's top diplomat, both publicly called for Mr Zelensky to be allowed to attend the talks in Alaska. Ms Kallas said: 'We cannot accept that territorial issues between Russia and America are discussed or even decided over the heads of Europeans and Ukrainians.' Later on Wednesday, Sir Keir co-chaired a meeting of the so-called 'coalition of the willing' meeting to update wider partners on the day's discussions. The coalition of the willing is an international effort to support Ukraine towards a lasting peace, led by the UK, France and Ukraine. It is made up of 31 countries that have pledged strengthened support for Kyiv, including 27 European countries, as well as Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Japan. Mr Zelensky said at a news briefing on Tuesday that Mr Putin wants Ukraine to withdraw from the remaining 30 per cent of the Donetsk region that Kyiv controls as part of a ceasefire deal. This was conveyed to him by US officials, Mr Zelensky added. However, he reiterated that Ukraine would not withdraw from territories it controls because it is unconstitutional and would only serve as a springboard for a future Russian invasion. Mr Trump has also signalled he thinks Ukraine might need to cede territory in order to end the conflict, stating there is likely to be 'some land-swapping going on'. Speaking during a lengthy press conference on Monday, Mr Trump pledged to 'try to get back' some of Ukraine's 'oceanfront property' from Russia. He said: 'We're going to change the lines, the battle lines. Russia has occupied a big portion of Ukraine. They've occupied some very prime territory. We're going to try and get some of that territory back for Ukraine. 'They have taken largely – in real estate we call it oceanfront property. That's always the most valuable property.' A statement released by the EU on Tuesday read: 'A just and lasting peace that brings stability and security must respect international law, including the principles of independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity and that international borders must not be changed by force. 'The people of Ukraine must have the freedom to decide their future. The path to peace in Ukraine cannot be decided without Ukraine. 'Meaningful negotiations can only take place in the context of a ceasefire or reduction of hostilities.' In response, Mr Zelensky said on X (formerly Twitter): 'I am grateful to the leaders of Europe for their clear support for our independence, territorial integrity, and precisely such an active approach to diplomacy that can help end this war with a dignified peace. 'Indeed, We all support President Trump's determination, and together we must shape positions that will not allow Russia to deceive the world once again. 'We see that the Russian army is not preparing to end the war. On the contrary, they are making movements that indicate preparations for new offensive operations. 'In such circumstances, it is important that the unity of the world is not threatened. 'As long as they continue the war and the occupation, all of us together must maintain our pressure – the pressure of strength, the pressure of sanctions, the pressure of diplomacy.'
The Independent
29 minutes ago
- The Independent
Labour councillor ‘horrified' by ‘cutting throats' comment at rally, jury told
A Labour councillor who called for far-right activists' throats to be cut at an anti-racism rally has told a jury he felt 'horrified' after realising what he had said. Ricky Jones, 58, described far-right activists as 'disgusting Nazi fascists', his trial at Snaresbrook Crown Court heard. The comments were made in the wake of rioting after the Southport murders last summer. He told jurors on Wednesday that his comment did not refer to far-right protesters involved in the riots at the time, but to those who had reportedly left National Front stickers on a train with razor blades hidden behind them. A video showing Jones addressing the crowd in Walthamstow, east London, on August 7 last year, went viral on social media after the protest. Wearing a black polo top and surrounded by cheering supporters, the councillor said: 'You've got women and children using these trains during the summer holidays. 'They don't give a shit about who they hurt. 'They are disgusting Nazi fascists. We need to cut all their throats and get rid of them all.' He also drew his finger across his throat as he spoke to the crowd. Jones, who at the time worked as an official for the Transport Salaried Staff's Association (TSSA) union, later sent an edited version of his speech video to union members, the court heard. Asked by his defence barrister, Hossein Zahir KC, why he edited the video, Jones replied: 'When I had time to view the footage after the demonstration, I was shocked at what I had actually said. 'I was horrified. 'Under no circumstances did I want to portray that to anybody, so I edited that last bit out.' The unedited video was eventually posted on social media platform X, formerly Twitter, where it attracted millions of views, the trial heard. Jones told jurors he felt 'very emotional and very upset' after receiving pictures, the day before the rally, of National Front stickers that had been left on a train, which had razor blades hidden behind them – supposedly so that people who tried to remove the stickers would injure themselves. He had also received reports from union members that more razor blades had been found stuck between seats, Jones added. 'I was very concerned about what had happened on the train. 'I was thinking, this (the speech) is a good opportunity to raise what happened.' The father-of-four and grandfather described the mood in the crowd at the time as 'happy and joyful', adding: 'There clearly wasn't any upset or anger from any people in that scene, because they clearly knew it was about what happened on the train.' Prosecutor Ben Holt, cross-examining, told the defendant: 'Your words about slitting people's throats were not cheerful or happy.' Jones replied: 'I totally agree, I'm ashamed.' The defendant however denied intending to encourage violence towards far-right protesters. 'What violence could have anyone caused to those people in the train?' Jones said. 'It was nonsensical – I didn't believe there was a risk.' Jones, who has been a borough councillor in Dartford, Kent, since 2019, was suspended by the Labour Party the day after the alleged incident. He was arrested on August 8 last year and interviewed at Brixton Police Station that night. The demonstration had been organised in response to plans for a far-right march outside Waltham Forest Immigration Bureau. It followed the disorder in parts of the UK last summer after the Southport murders. Jones, of Dartford, denies one count of encouraging violent disorder. The trial continues.
