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News.com.au
31 minutes ago
- News.com.au
UK says first migrants held under return deal with France
The UK said Thursday it had detained the first migrants under a new "one-in, one-out" deal with France in which it can return people crossing the Channel on small boats. The agreement, which came into force on Wednesday, seeks to curb record levels of irregular Channel crossings, which are causing discontent in Britain and helping fuel the rise of the hard-right Reform UK party. "Detentions began for those who arrived in the UK on a small boat yesterday lunchtime (Wednesday). They will be held in immigration removal centres pending their removal," the interior ministry said in a statement. The detained individuals are expected to be removed to France in the "coming weeks", it added. Under the arrangement -- for now a pilot scheme set to run until June 2026 -- irregular migrants arriving on UK shores can be detained and then returned to France if they are deemed ineligible for asylum. This would include those who have passed through a "safe country" to reach the UK, according to a Home Office fact sheet. In exchange, London will accept an equal number of migrants from France who can apply for a visa to enter the UK via an online platform, giving priority to nationalities most vulnerable to smugglers and people with ties in Britain. If approved, they will have a three-month period in which they can enter the UK and apply for asylum. - 'Important step' - "If you break the law to enter this country, you will face being sent back. When I say I will stop at nothing to secure our borders, I mean it," Prime Minister Keir Starmer wrote on X after the announcement of the detentions. His government will refer the detainees' cases to France within three days, and the French authorities will be expected to respond within 14 days. The whole process of returning someone could take three months and the UK will cover all the costs until the migrant is handed over, according to the treaty. Unaccompanied minors will not be eligible for deportation under the scheme. The reciprocal process to allow migrants to submit an expression of interest to come the UK also began on Thursday. Applicants must upload a passport or other identity documents as well as a recent photograph and will have to pass further security checks and biometric controls. Interior minister Yvette Cooper said that the detentions "send a message to every migrant currently thinking of paying organised crime gangs to go to the UK that they will be risking their lives and throwing away their money if they get into a small boat. "Criminal gangs have spent seven years embedding themselves along our border and it will take time to unravel them, but these detentions are an important step towards undermining their business model and unravelling the false promises they make," she added. Refugee charities have criticised the deal, urging the British government to provide more safe and legal routes for asylum seekers instead. The number of migrants making the dangerous journey in flimsy dinghies this year crossed 25,000 at the end of July, the highest tally ever at this point in the year. In recent weeks, anti-immigration demonstrators and counter-protesters have clashed outside hotels housing asylum seekers in Britain, with some marches turning violent.
Sky News AU
2 hours ago
- Sky News AU
'Are you f****** joking?': Bunnings employee leaves TikTok star in tears after sharing sold-out Bluey gnomes
TikTok personality Christian Hull has been brought to tears by a Bunnings employee's generosity during a recent store visit while trying to hunt down a sold-out item. Hull recorded a recent trip to the hardware chain in which he was trying to get his hands on the sought-after 'Bride and Groom' gnomes from the ABC cartoon series Bluey. Bunnings recently restocked a fresh line of Bluey-themed garden gnomes and other show-related merchandise as part of a tie-in with the popular children's TV series. As part of the promotion, Bunnings has rebranded several stores across the country to 'Hammerbarn' – the fictional hardware store featured in Bluey. @christianmhull WHAT A ROLLERCOASTER! New Bluey husbands (gnomes) launched in Bunnings this morning and I thought I'd missed out! ♬ original sound - Christian Hull The gnomes, which first appeared on shelves for a limited time last year, have once again sparked a buying frenzy after returning to shelves last month. Bunnings has introduced a purchase limit of 4 gnomes per customer to avoid bulk-buying of the limited-edition product or reselling the $19 figures for profit. In his now-viral TikTok, Hull recorded himself searching a Bunnings store for the hard-to-find 'bride and groom' editions of the gnomes. One of the workers at the store informed Christian that most of the gnomes were already sold out but suggested he check the range in aisles 13 and 14. The Bluey gnomes have sparked a frenzy. Picture: NewsWire/ Gaye Gerard. At first, Hull appeared crestfallen after realising the gnomes were sold out. However, a friendly Bunnings staff member named Alycia stepped in to save the day after hearing word of Hull's hunt. 'I hid two for you!,' the staff member said. 'Are you f****** joking?,' a shocked Hull replied. The ABC recently removed the "hammerbarn" episode that sparked the gnome craze. Picture: ABC. The kind staff member then disappeared out the back before returning with the two prized gnomes. 'WHAT A ROLLERCOASTER! New Bluey husbands (gnomes) launched in Bunnings this morning and I thought I'd missed out!,' Hull captioned the clip, which has attracted almost 700,000 views in a few days. The heartwarming moment comes days after the ABC controversially removed the 'Hammerbarn' episode that sparked the gnome craze from their iView streaming service. It is understood the national broadcaster is prevented from partaking in commercial partnerships and will restore the episode at a later date after the Bunnings promotion ends. 'As the ABC cannot align with a commercial brand or partnership, the Bluey episode 'Hammerbarn' will temporarily be unavailable on ABC iView,' an ABC spokesperson told last week. 'However, 'Hammerbarn' will return to ABC iView at a later date. All other episodes of Bluey seasons 1-3 remain on ABC iView for Bluey fans to enjoy.'
West Australian
4 hours ago
- West Australian
Live cattle export ban class action claimants launch appeal against Federal Court's June ruling
Claimants in the long-running class action against the Federal Government's 2011 live cattle export ban have launched an appeal, challenging a recent Federal Court ruling that the ban had no long-term impact on export numbers. As reported by ABC's WA Country Hour on August 7, the appeal is focused on the Court's findings regarding the extent of damages suffered by the industry, and the level of compensation being offered by the government. The class action, led by NT-based Brett Cattle Company, is seeking $510 million in compensation plus costs and interest — but only $215 million was offered to claimants by the Federal Government under Anthony Albanese. Class action participant and former Hedland Export Depot owner Paul Brown told the Countryman in June the offered amount was 'gross', 'inadequate', 'paltry', and 'bordering on negligent'. The Federal Government, under former PM Julia Gillard, suspended Australia's live cattle trade to Indonesia for six months after footage was shown on ABC of cattle being mistreated and slaughtered without being stunned. The move left 88,000 cattle bound for international shores stranded, and ground the live cattle export industry to a halt. Australia's pastoral industry has been at war with the Federal Government in the years since, with a class action of 300 cattle producers launched in 2014 in an attempt to claim $510 million in compensation. But Mr Brown said the ban had a devastating effect on Australian pastoralists beyond financial circumstances — he said the amount failed to include any provision for compensation, loss of business, anguish, or stress. The Federal Court sided with the class action in 2020, saying the ban was unlawful, but lead complainant — NT-based Brett Cattle Company — is the only plaintiff to have received any compensation after the Federal Court's finding in 2020. In June, Federal Court Justice Tom Thawley that live cattle exports in 2012 and 2013 were not affected by ban in 2011 — a claim pastoralists have vehemently denied. Figures from Meat and Livestock Australia show Australia exported 521,000 head of live cattle to Indonesia in 2010, 413,000 in 2011, 278,000 in 2012, and 452,000 in 2013.
