Two Ghana government ministers among 9 killed in helicopter crash
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Yahoo
22 minutes ago
- Yahoo
UK to deport foreign criminals to free up jail space in latest immigration crackdown
The UK is set to deport foreign criminals to free up prison space in the government's latest immigration crackdown. Justice secretary Shabana Mahmood vowed the offenders will be sent 'packing' immediately when they receive a custodial sentence. The proposed law change – which could save taxpayers an average of £54,000 per year, per prison place – would apply to prisoners serving fixed-term 'determinate' sentences. Authorities would also retain their power not to deport a criminal but instead keep them in custody, for example, if the offender was planning further crimes against the UK's interests or national security. 'Our message is clear,' Ms Mahmood said. 'If you abuse our hospitality and break our laws, we will send you packing.' She added: 'Deportations are up under this government, and with this new law they will happen earlier than ever before.' Almost 5,200 foreign national offenders have been deported since July 2024, a 14 per cent increase on the 12 months prior, according to the government. The justice secretary's announcement follows a tweak in the law in June - expected to come into force in September - which will see prisoners face deportation 30 per cent into their prison sentence rather than the current 50 per cent. The government will need parliament to greenlight its proposal to bring this down to 0 per cent. According to a Labour source, the previous Conservative government relied on prison transfer agreements with other countries to deport foreign national offenders, in deals which allow inmates to serve their custodial sentence in their 'home' country. This saw 945 prisoners sent to jails abroad between 2010 and 2023, equal to less than one-and-a-half criminals per week. Foreign national offenders make up around 12 per cent of the prison population. Conservative shadow justice secretary Robert Jenrick said: 'In Starmer's topsy-turvy world investors are fleeing the country in their droves while record numbers of violent and sexual offenders from abroad are put up in our prisons. It's a farce. 'Yet again Starmer has refused to confront our broken human rights laws. He needs to grow a backbone and change them so we can actually deport these individuals. The safety of the British public is infinitely more important than the 'rights' of sick foreign criminals. 'If countries won't take back their nationals, Starmer should suspend visas and foreign aid. His soft-touch approach isn't working.' The prison population currently stands at 88,007, just 514 below the record high of 88,521, which was reached on 6 September last year. The government has vowed to create 14,000 new prison places by 2031. Ms Mahmood has also accepted a string of recommendations following a major report by David Gauke, which will see some offenders serve less of their sentence in custody in sweeping reforms expected to ease pressure on prisons. The proposed law change comes amid the government's wider crackdown on immigration. Labour has put a pledge to tackle the number of people coming to the UK on small boats at the centre of its plan for government. Last week, figures showed that the number of migrants arriving in the UK after crossing the English Channel topped 25,000 – the earliest point in a calendar year at which the 25,000 mark has been passed since data on Channel crossings was first reported in 2018. With boat crossings at a record high, and the asylum backlog still above 75,000, there is mounting pressure on ministers to take more drastic action – pressure which is exacerbated by the success of Reform UK in the polls. Meanwhile, escalating protests are breaking out across the UK opposing the use of hotels to house asylum seekers. In recent days, the government announced further measures to support its crackdown on illegal migration, including pouring an extra £100m into the efforts. The money will support the pilot of the UK's new 'one in, one out' deal with France, paying for up to 300 more National Crime Agency officers and new technology and equipment to step up intelligence-gathering on smuggling gangs. The first small boat migrants were detained this week under the UK's new returns agreement with Emmanuel Macron and could be sent back to France within weeks. The agreement, announced by the prime minister in a joint press conference with the French president last month, means that for each small boat migrant sent back across the English Channel, an asylum seeker will be allowed to enter the UK from France under a legal route.
Yahoo
22 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Shabana Mahmood vows to send foreign criminals ‘packing' when they are jailed
Foreign criminals will be sent 'packing', deported immediately when they receive a custodial sentence, the Justice Secretary has pledged. Shabana Mahmood has proposed a law change, which could save taxpayers an average £54,000 per year, per prison place. The changes would apply to prisoners serving fixed-term 'determinate' sentences, and authorities would retain their power not to deport a criminal but instead keep them in custody, for example, if the offender was planning further crimes against the UK's interests or national security. 'Our message is clear,' Ms Mahmood said. 'If you abuse our hospitality and break our laws, we will send you packing.' She also said: 'Deportations are up under this Government, and with this new law they will happen earlier than ever before.' Almost 5,200 foreign national offenders have been deported since July 2024, a 14% increase on the 12 months prior, according to the Government. The Justice Secretary's announcement follows a tweak in the law in June, expected to come into force in September, so prisoners face deportation 30% into their prison sentence rather than the current 50%. The Government will need Parliament to greenlight its proposal to bring this down to 0%. According to a Labour source, the previous Conservative government relied on prison transfer agreements with other countries to deport foreign national offenders, in deals which allow inmates to serve their custodial sentence in their 'home' country. This saw 945 prisoners sent to jails abroad between 2010 and 2023, equal to less than one-and-a-half criminals per week. Foreign national offenders make up around 12% of the prison population. Conservative shadow justice secretary Robert Jenrick said: 'In Starmer's topsy turvy world investors are fleeing the country in their droves while record numbers of violent and sexual offenders from abroad are put up in our prisons. It's a farce. 'Yet again Starmer has refused to confront our broken human rights laws. 'He needs to grow a backbone and change them so we can actually deport these individuals. 'The safety of the British public is infinitely more important than the 'rights' of sick foreign criminals. 'If countries won't take back their nationals, Starmer should suspend visas and foreign aid. His soft-touch approach isn't working.'
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Thousands march against plan to build massive bridge linking Sicily to Italy's mainland
Italy Bridge ROME (AP) — Thousands of people marched in the Sicilian city of Messina on Saturday to protest a government plan to build a bridge that would connect the Italian mainland with Sicily in a massive 13.5-billion-euro ($15.5 billion) infrastructure project. Protesters staunchly oppose the Strait of Messina Bridge project over its scale, earthquake threats, environmental impact and the specter of mafia interference. The idea to build a bridge to connect Sicily to the rest of Italy has been debated off and on for decades but always delayed due to these concerns. The project, however, took a major step forward when a government committee overseeing strategic public investments approved the plan this week. Transport Minister Matteo Salvini, the project's main political backer, called it 'the biggest infrastructure project in the West.' Salvini cited studies estimating the project would create up to 120,000 jobs annually and help stimulate economic growth in economically lagging southern Italy, as billions more are invested in surrounding road and infrastructure improvements. Opponents are not convinced by these arguments. They are also angry that about 500 families would have to be expropriated in order for the bridge to be built. 'The Strait of Messina can't be touched,' protesters shouted as they marched in Messina. Many carried banners that said 'No Ponte' (No Bridge). Organizers estimated crowd size at 10,000 people. The proposed bridge would span nearly 3.7 kilometers (2.2 miles) with a suspended section of 3.3 kilometers (more than 2 miles). It would surpass Turkey's Canakkale Bridge by 1,277 meters (4,189 feet) to become the longest suspension bridge in the world. Preliminary work could begin as early as late September or early October, pending approval from Italy's Court of Audit. Full construction is scheduled to begin in 2026, with completion targeted between 2032 and 2033. Plans for a bridge have been approved and canceled multiple times since the Italian government first solicited proposals for one in 1969. Premier Giorgia Meloni's administration revived the project in 2023. With three car lanes in each direction flanked by a double-track railway, the bridge would have the capacity to carry 6,000 cars an hour and 200 trains a day — reducing the time to cross the strait by ferry from up to 100 minutes to 10 minutes by car. Trains would save 2/12 hours in transit time, Salvini said. The project could also support Italy's commitment to raise defense spending to 5% of GDP targeted by NATO, as the government has indicated it would classify the bridge as defense-related. Italy argues that the bridge would form a strategic corridor for rapid troop movements and equipment deployment, qualifying it as 'security-enhancing infrastructure.' Environmental groups, however, have lodged complaints with the EU, citing concerns that the project would impact migratory birds. Italy's president has also insisted that the project remain subject to anti-mafia legislation that applies to all large-scale infrastructure projects. Salvini pledged that keeping organized crime out of the project was a top priority. Solve the daily Crossword
