‘The migrants are everywhere': People smugglers are winning the battle of the beach
Behind them, a crowd of 200 or so migrants are herded like cattle, waist-deep in the water, waiting their turn. The people smugglers shout and shove them into position.
More than 70 passengers are eventually squeezed on board the barely seaworthy vessel, their feet dangling over the side, ready to motor towards Dover. A French police patrol boat lazily circles the inflatable dinghy, watching the chaos unfold.
It is 6am on Gravelines beach, and all in a day's work for the smugglers who increasingly control this sweeping stretch of coastline.
All they have to do now is wade through the surf and head back unhindered towards the dunes 300 metres away to regroup and plan tomorrow's crossings.
The scenes are painfully familiar to any of the 1200 gendarmes deployed along France's northern beaches. Some told London's Telegraph they are outmanoeuvred and outnumbered by the smugglers, who adapt their tactics at pace.
'We are helpless ... there is a French expression 'donner de la tête', we are overwhelmed and don't know where to start, we don't know where to go, there are so many boats leaving,' says Marc Musiol, a French border police officer in Pas-de-Calais.
One well-placed international policing source labelled the situation a 'failure'.
Since the beginning of this year, there have been 22,360 arrivals via small boats into the UK – an almost 60 per cent increase on last year.
The numbers are rising as British Prime Minister Keir Starmer promises to 'smash the gangs' and hails a new deal with French President Emmanuel Macron to stem the tide.
But authorities here suggest the 'one-in, one-out' pledge is not worth the paper it is written on. Some also pour scorn on Macron for talking tough without following through with concrete changes.
The scene on the beaches of Gravelines this week is one replicated along the coast of northern France day in, day out, when the weather permits.
In the early hours, police patrol cars scour the 200 kilometres of coastline between the border of Belgium and the Bay de Somme estuary. Police use drones fitted with night-vision technology to scan the dunes where the migrants, mostly young adult men, will camp for the night before they attempt to cross the Channel.
But the distances make it easy for smugglers and migrants to hide from stretched authorities. Gendarmes drive beige 4x4s in teams of three, moving down the shoreline and surveying the waters for inflatable dinghies.
'We are here every night, it is always the same, it never changes,' one officer said as he patrolled a beach car park. 'The migrants are everywhere.'
The London Telegraph encountered six patrols in the space of two hours during a 3am drive from Calais towards Wimereux, a seaside commune south of Boulogne and another known hotspot for Channel crossings.
Interceptions remain scarce.
Smugglers launch simultaneous crossings from up to 10 beaches to divide police attention and resources. Pre-inflated dinghies are launched from waterways and canals dozens of kilometres from the pick-up point and sail down the coast.
The smugglers use weather apps, such as Windy, on their phones to help them plan their crossings. The apps provide up-to-the-second information on wind speed, direction and the swell.
Sentries linked to the smuggling gangs are posted in the dunes and near the camps to watch for the boats. They alert over the phone that the dinghy is arriving and that it is time for its passengers to get on board.
Musiol, the border police officer, said: 'There are always small groups of smugglers who know our beaches very, very well.'
Often carrying nothing other than orange life jackets around their necks, the migrants sprint across the beach, hoping to do so before the police have time to react. Sometimes officers do, and fire a salvo of tear gas from grenade launchers. But this is often not enough.
'You have smugglers and their friends who throw stones at the police officers to distract them and to get the migrants onto the boat as quickly as possible,' one officer said. He estimated there are only three to six police for every 50 migrants trying to enter the sea.
'We have a lack of officers and you have a huge, huge amount of the coast to monitor,' he said. 'It is not possible with the number of personnel the border police have, the gendarmerie, to monitor this entire stretch of coastline and beach.'
The camps where migrants live are even more lawless. Inside the main camp at Loon Plage, 12 kilometres south-west of Dunkirk, shootings and stabbings between warring gangs for control of the best beaches are commonplace. On July 8, a 44-year-old Kurd from Iraq was shot five times in the legs at the camp.
About two dozen armed police were deployed that day to quell the violence. The month before, two migrants were shot dead and another five injured.
Balkan crime groups have established themselves as the dominant players in orchestrating the operations, but police sources say East African gangs out of Eritrea, especially, are rivalling them.
One police source with knowledge of the people-smuggling gangs said efforts to stop the migrants were futile without a strategy to break up the wider smuggling networks.
'If you are dealing with it in Calais, you have failed, you are never going to succeed,' they said. 'You have got to look at it earlier on and deal with the cause of all of these problems.
'They are going to keep trying. A week later, they are going to give it another go. What else are they going to do, camp in Calais for the rest of their life? It's just not realistic.'
Locals along the coast, meanwhile, are fed up with seeing their coastline dominated by years of crisis and inaction.
Alain Boonefaes, the deputy mayor of Gravelines, whose remit includes the town's safety and security, admitted the problem is endemic and there is little to be done.
The seaside resort town, 30 kilometres south-east of Dunkirk, relies on tourism for survival but can experience up to 350 migrant departures in a single evening.
The mayor and many others in the town are deeply sceptical about Macron's one-in-one-out policy, agreed with Starmer during the French president's three-day visit to London last week.
The trial would allow the UK to return selected numbers of small boat arrivals to France. In exchange, the UK will admit an equal number of asylum seekers with legitimate ties, such as family.
Even the police are sceptical. 'Macron has made political announcements and not concrete ones,' Musiol said. 'We have the impression that nothing will change in terms of the police officers' work itself.
'You can put a police officer on every beach on the Opal Coast. The migrants will continue to come. We must stop this problem at the source – that is, in the country of origin.'
He said there was 'no lasting solution that could stop the problem' along the coast here and in Britain, where migrants arrived and were ushered into camps and hotels.
On Thursday morning, the London Telegraph saw first-hand the limits of the policing operation. Gendarmes fired a salvo of tear gas into the dunes 300 metres from the shore, where hundreds of migrants had camped overnight.
Coughing and spluttering, they were led out onto the beach by the smugglers, away from the haze of white smoke and towards the shore.
There they sat and waited for about 10 minutes for the 'taxi boat', launched from the west on River Aa, which runs through the centre of Gravelines and leads out into the sea, to arrive.
The majority of the migrants were young men from the Middle East or Vietnam. An Iranian family of four – mother and father, Karwan and Sara, and son and daughter, Alina and Mohammed – were a rare sight.
Sara, one of only three women in the crowd, spoke in broken English of how her family had travelled nearly 9000 kilometres from Tehran and had journeyed through Turkey and Germany to reach Calais.
She indicated they had spent 10 days at one of the camps near Dunkirk. This was their first attempt at a crossing.
Sara dabbed tears from her eyes with her headscarf, watching Alina, her pink trousers pulled up to her knees, splash and dance joyfully in the water, oblivious to the perils around her.
Karwan gave no answer when asked what had made the family leave Tehran. He waded through the water as a 'taxi boat', already filled with 50 or so passengers, drew near to the shore.
Sara and Karwan walked through the surf holding each other's hands, also clutching life jackets. Around them, smugglers bullied their human cargo into place.
Alina and Mohammed were carried on the shoulders of smugglers and handed over to migrants already on board the boats, who hauled them in. They were followed by their mother and father, who sat in the centre of the flimsy dinghy.
The passengers cheered and waved to those left behind on the beach and sailed, under a police escort, towards the UK.
One of those left on the shore was Leo, a 25-year-old aspiring engineering student from Ghazni, in eastern Afghanistan, who had paid smugglers €1500 ($2700) to ferry him across the Channel.
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He had hoped to join his sister, who had made it to the UK last week via a small boat and is living in Manchester.
'I left because of the Taliban,' he said. 'This was my first go. I will go again. I will go to London. My sister is married. The rest of my family, my papa, my mother, are still in Afghanistan.'
Leo had fled his home country at the age of 13, making his way through Iran, Turkey, Germany, Sweden, and now Calais over the course of more than a decade.
He followed the others up the hill towards the dune and back to the ramshackle, gang-ridden camp he calls home in Dunkirk.

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Sky News AU
6 minutes ago
- Sky News AU
What Ghislaine Maxwell really knows - and why she could finally spill all on Jeffrey Epstein: sources
Ex-socialite Ghislaine Maxwell will try to cut a deal with federal authorities during a jailhouse meeting with Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, sources told The Post. Blanche said Tuesday he plans to meet with the convicted madam, currently serving a 20- year sentence in Florida for sex trafficking young women for her former boss, notorious pedophile Jeffrey Epstein. 'She's going to make a deal,' said Alan Dershowitz, a lawyer and law professor who was pals with, and previously represented, Epstein, who died in federal custody in August 2019. 'That's the way things are done. They make deals with the mafia, so I'm certain they are going to try to make a deal with her.' A separate legal expert explained meeting with Blanche presents an opportunity for Maxwell to potentially lessen her sentence or get out of prison in exchange for spiling secrets about her and Epstein's life, which she has closely guarded since his death. Dershowitz has referred to Maxwell, 63, as the 'Rosetta stone' of information about Epstein, and told The Post Tuesday 'she knows everything — not just about the perpetrators but the victims. And she knows about the victims who became perpetrators.' Some of Epstein's victims – which number over 1,000 in total according to the Department of Justice – were groomed to recruit other young women, according to court papers. Maxwell has been closely associated with Epstein since the death of her publishing magnate father Robert Maxwell in 1991. The pair were inseparable at high society parties across New York and the world spanning the next two decades. Maxwell benefitted from Epstein's mysteriously accumulated fortune, while she was seen as his social fixer, able to gain the somewhat unrefined character access to rarefied society circles. Maxwell – who was, at one point, Epstein's girlfriend – got him access even to the UK royal family and facilitated his friendship with Prince Andrew. The British prince shelled out more than $16 million to Virginia Giuffre, one of the young women recruited by Maxwell and Epstein. Giuffre, who took her own life in April, also alleged she had been passed around as a sex slave to others, although their identities have never properly been established. Maxwell said through her brother she would be willing to testify before a Congressional Committee on her relationship with Epstein. It could be the first time federal prosecutors hear her version of events, as both her defense lawyers and prosecutors said they had not engaged in plea negotiations which would require such an interview before her trial. Her lawyers at the time said she did not need to negotiate as she was innocent. The case has been thrust back into the spotlight by the justice department's promise to release all the information gathered by the FBI from raiding Epstein's properties earlier this year, only to then walk it back. A Justice Department-FBI joint memo concluded the 66-year-old financier killed himself in a federal lockup and did not have a 'client list' of powerful friends who allegedly took part in sexual encounters with underage women. With no more information expected to be released by the federal government, Maxwell's version of events once again becomes of prime importance. She is believed to have kept silent while her appeals process played out for fear of jeopardizing her chances in the case. However, with most of her possibilities of appeal recently exhausted – apart from one petition to the Supreme Court – she may now feel compelled to give her side of the story. Her brother, Ian Maxwell, speaks to his sister frequently and has, alongside other members of his family, fought her corner since her initial arrest in 2020. He also denied the existence of a client list of powerful people girls had been trafficked to. 'Let's not try and big it up for more than it is. I think it was a high-quality address book. I don't think it constitutes 'a list', let alone a list of alleged people to whom young minor girls were trafficked,' Ian told 'Piers Morgan Uncensored'. 'Ghislaine's position on this, for what it's worth, has been, she doesn't ever believe that such a list existed.' Ian Maxwell has also said he believes his sister should never have been prosecuted due to a deal Epstein cut with Florida federal prosecutors when he was first convicted of sex offenses in 2007. In exchange for pleading guilty to lesser charges of soliciting a prostitute, the deal Epstein signed said he and any co-conspirators would be immune from further federal prosecution. New York prosecutors later argued successfully in court that the deal's jurisdiction ended in Florida. Maxwell was then convicted after a trial in New York in 2021, and has been serving her sentence at the Federal Correctional Institution in Tallahassee, a low security prison, since July 2022. Her family has long claimed the prison is unsafe and Maxwell is subject to poor living conditions, and frequently placed in solitary confinement. They also say they fear for her life. 'Prisons are very dangerous places and we know from Ghislaine that there are serious staff shortages and more dangerous higher-risk-category prisoners now being admitted to … Tallahassee,' said Ian Maxwell. With questions about the circumstances of Epstein's death in federal prison in 2019 still raging, some fear for Ghislaine's wellbeing and vulnerability while in prison. President Trump has blasted the Epstein saga as a 'hoax' and ripped a faction of his supporters who have fixated on the scandal, which involved allegations of orgies and sexual encounters on Epstein's private plane, his homes in Palm Beach and Manhattan as well as Little St. James, his former private island in the Caribbean. However, he approved of the outreach to Maxwell on Tuesday, saying: 'I think it would be something — sounds appropriate to do, yeah,' according to Politico. Originally published as What Ghislaine Maxwell really knows - and why she could finally spill all on Jeffrey Epstein: sources

Sydney Morning Herald
11 hours ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
Let's lower the voting age and see some progress
Herald opinion writers Vivienne Skinner and Brad Emery discussed the pros and cons of lowering the voting age to 16 in Australia after England's move to join Wales and Scotland (' Sixteen is sweet to step up to the polls', ' An interest in politics is great, but only adults should be allowed to vote ', July 23). I was delighted to read that independent MP Monique Ryan intends to bring a private member's bill to Parliament on this issue. Initially, I would support the vote for 16 and 17-year-olds to be voluntary, with a view to make it compulsory over time. Democracy worldwide is under pressure with elderly, self-serving leaders mainly concerned with holding on to power. In a world rapidly changing environmentally, socially and geopolitically, we have old men making decisions that will largely affect the young, who have no voice. This change would almost certainly increase the progressive vote, and may be why British PM Keir Starmer is putting it forward. It could work for Anthony Albanese, too. Now is the time to refresh our democracy and make our society as representative as the UK's. Andrew Caro, Greenwich While there are thoughtful arguments each way, my feeling is that 16 is too young. People such as Tanya Plibersek and Monique Ryan move in relatively select society in which politics is of interest and importance, so perhaps have a biased view of how much ability and interest the average 16-year-old has. There is also the maturity factor, which is not necessarily based on chronological age. Let them reach at least 18, while encouraging them to become politically aware and hopefully more able to make reasoned, logical, responsible decisions. Augusta Monro, Dural I must challenge columnist Brad Emery on his assertion that 16 and 17-year-olds are 'considered minors in every other regulatory contexts'. At 16, youths can legally have sex and bring children into the world (in most states) – one of the most important decisions of their lives. At 16, you can register as an organ donor, get an abortion, get married (with permission), get a learner's permit, apply for youth allowance, consent to medical and dental treatment, have your own Medicare card and work full-time. You only have to look at the 'School Strike 4 Climate' protests, in which thousands of youths took part, to see the commitment that young Australian have to civic duty. I believe that the voting age should be lowered to 16 now. Bruce Welch, Marrickville Australia has one of the lowest ages of criminal responsibility in the Western world. If 10-year-olds can be tried as adults for crimes, then surely they should also be allowed to vote. Either they are capable of adult decisions, or they are not. Bart Fielden, Lindfield Marine tragedy The toxic algal bloom on South Australia's coastline should indeed be taken seriously (' Government all at sea on toxic algal bloom ', July 23). The Great Barrier Reef has already suffered several mass bleachings, largely due to ocean warming. Now a widespread algal bloom has put South Australia's Great Southern Reef under threat. It is heartbreaking to see the devastation of coastal treasures like the Coorong, which once had an abundance of thriving birdlife and wetland vegetation. Many readers will remember the iconic film Storm Boy, which was set in this location. Again, a marine heatwave was a major contributor. Environment Minister Murray Watt has finally decided to visit Adelaide with a pledge of $14 million to deal with the algal bloom disaster. But what's the point of Labor spending that money when at the same time it approves fossil fuel projects? The government must account for the effects of global warming when dealing with such disasters. Anne O'Hara, Wanniassa (ACT) Gender writes Correspondent Ryszard Linkiewicz claims fewer boys read books nowadays because male authors have been 'purged from reading lists' (Letters, July 23). But why should boys only be interested in stories written by men? At school, we girls read F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway, Joseph Conrad and other male authors. We read them despite the fact they were written by men, about men, with only the occasional one-dimensional female character to whom we might relate. It is sad that boys only have what Linkiewicz calls 'poorly written tripe' by the likes of Helen Garner, Kate Grenville, A.S. Byatt, Doris Lessing and other women. What a pity that, according to him, those whose 'literacy skills develop more slowly' can't find anything of interest in the works of such (female) giants of the literary canon. Gerianne Rudd, Toowong (Qld) There are several Australian male authors who are writing and publishing books now, all available to boys. I've just finished Mark Brandi's latest book Eden and have read his Wimmera and Southern Aurora, all of which have boys or men as the main characters, and are easy to read. Then there's also Tim Winton and Trent Dalton, plus Aaron Blabey with his graphic novels Bad Guys. The graphic novels in particular are a good way to encourage reading among boys and young men. Rosemary Wolf, Mount Warrigal Ryszard Linkiewicz notes that NSW schools have replaced distinguished authors with 'poorly written tripe'. I feel this has long been the case. Ryszard is lucky he didn't sit the HSC in 1970, when we studied such literary gems as Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights. So many hours of boredom. Trevor McCarroll, Gerringong No right to rule Yet more correspondents (Letters, July 23) resorting to disparaging statements such as 'sense of entitlement' and ' their right to rule' to attack Gisele Kapterian for exercising her right, on behalf of those who supported her, to ensure that in an incredibly close election, every voter's true intention is properly accounted for. That is the entitlement of every candidate in our elections, and our system was established to enable that to happen. No one in this country has a right to rule, and even if they thought they did, it would be only to govern, not rule, and face their electors every three years. Peter Thornton, Killara Reality lost The Israeli ambassador to Australia was very quick to admonish the Australian government, along with 27 other countries, for their call to end the Gaza war, saying they were 'disconnected from reality and it sends the wrong message to Hamas' (' Penny Wong: Israel condemnation channels Australians' 'distress' over Gaza ', July 22). He conveniently forgets the reality that this whole catastrophe would not have happened had it not been for the abject failure of the Israeli government, the IDF, the Shin Bet (internal security service) and Mossad to protect Israel citizens from the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023. Perhaps he's the one 'disconnected from reality', and no amount of killing people seeking humanitarian aid is going to change that. Alexis Lander, Kensington Definition dilemma I read closely the piece by Adam Slomin about the definition of antisemitism. (' Defining antisemitism is no threat to free speech. Without a definition, we are adrift ', July 23). Unfortunately, the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance's working definition of antisemitism would be more easily accepted if Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netenyahu and his government also adopted that definition, instead of calling all criticism of Israel's policies and actions 'antisemitic'. If Israel cannot accept that definition as best practice, why should anyone else? Doug Richards, Tamarama I find it extraordinary that Herald correspondents should suggest that the best way to combat antisemitism is for Jews to publicly disassociate themselves from Israel (Letters, July 23). I doubt that these writers would say that Arabs or Muslims must publicly condemn Hamas, or the Syrian, Iranian, Saudi Arabian, Afghani or Indonesian regimes. What about Australians of Chinese, Russian or American origin or connections? Should they have to condemn 'their' regimes? Opposition to particular actions by Israeli settlers or the government is not antisemitic as many Jewish people and Israelis prove. But the ideas that the Jewish state is uniquely evil and that all Jews are implicated in everything it does are, and should be, roundly rejected. John Sexton, Centennial Park Chinese Australians aren't directed to 'unequivocally denounce the actions' of the Chinese government in Tibet or Xinjiang or against Taiwan to stop harassment and firebombing and graffiti of their businesses and cultural centres, Dave Bailey (Letters, July 23). Indonesian Australians aren't told to 'disassociate themselves from the worst things happening in' West Papua to stop doxxing and protests directed at them at universities or art performances, Jennifer Briggs. It's only Jewish Australians who apparently deserve to suffer persecution for the actions of a foreign state. Richard Abram, Bexley Victims of tobacco war On the illegal tobacco debate, I agree with the obvious premise that cigarettes cause harm, and cheap cigarettes keep people using them. But if the plan is simply to close down the illegal tobacco market, I worry for many habitual smokers on low incomes (' Eviction, jail and fines for illegal tobacco sellers', July 23). As a psychologist, I work with a number of people on disability support pensions who live with severe mental illnesses. Cigarettes are a part of their way of life, and they're just not interested in quitting. If they are forced to go back to highly taxed/priced legal cigarettes, they will forego food and other necessities in order to keep smoking. I've seen this happen. Even though they're well aware of the terrible health prospects, cigarettes nevertheless help many people to keep going. Sadly, they're not keen on patches or gum. So, whatever is done about illegal cigarettes, allowances need to be made for many on low incomes who will continue smoking regardless. Otherwise their quality of life and mental health will crash. Jim Filshie, Kingsgrove I hardly think any landlord is going to evict a retailer for selling illegal tobacco. I recall reading that these same sellers are offering landlords above market rates to rent their premises and with today's vacancy rates in strip retail shops, I'd suggest it would be a rarity to see any landlord evict a tenant for anything apart from rent arrears. Barb La Ganza, North Narrabeen I think that tough legislation and penalties is the right approach rather than lowering the tax rate on tobacco products. However, it remains to be seen if the words will be put into action. It has been more than eleven years since smoking was banned in all cafes and restaurants, and I have seen little evidence of enforcement. Reports to Health NSW and local councils achieve nothing. Bob Edgar, Moss Vale HECS anomaly Ross Gittins quite rightly points out the stupidity of the Morrison government's Job Ready program, which resulted in arts degrees costing $50,000 (' Cutting HECS debt is the least Albanese could do for young Australians ', July 23). Why the new Labor government hasn't changed this policy is a mystery. Reducing students' HECS debts by 20 per cent is a good start, but surely preventing future extreme and unfair tertiary debt must be on the agenda. As they say, 'it's a no brainer'. Eric Sekula, Turramurra While the government tinkers with HECS debts in a rather ineffective attempt to reduce financial burdens on the young, it is quite amazing that university education in EU countries like France, Germany and Sweden is almost free. Furthermore, living allowances are provided which reduce the need to work part-time. Governments there heavily subsidise universities and the considerable benefit is little disincentive for university study even for the relatively poor. These policies obviously do much to reduce inequality. The secret is of course higher average taxation and the realisation that university degrees will result in higher salaries and thus more tax being paid during a lifetime of work. Geoff Harding, Chatswood Tax outrage There are certainly valid arguments for a tax on high-value family homes (Letters, July 23), but the government also urgently needs to address the miserable contributions from the oil and gas industry, among others. According to The Australia Institute and despite the industry's insistence that it pays substantial tax, nurses paid $7 billion more tax during the past 10 years than oil and gas companies paid in company tax and Petroleum Resource Rent Tax. In short, nurses paid $52 billion and the oil and gas companies $45 billion. Finally, the oil and gas industry 'exports 80 per cent of Australia's gas, gets most of the gas it exports for free, is a small employer and pays little tax'. It is hoped that Jim Chalmers' economic summit will not be dominated by the usual rent seekers. Alison Stewart, Riverview Super changes The story in the Herald (' Average pay of $240k to be hit by super tax', July 23) outlines a number of scenarios for people who will be hit by Labor's superannuation tax changes. But what the report fails to mention is that both a husband and a wife can have $3 million each in super. It also doesn't ask the question 'why do people running a farm have the farm included in superannuation?' Also, many farming families also have trust accounts, thus decreasing their taxable income. It's all legal but not an option for the average Australian. If everyone wants the Labor government to enact the policies it took to the recent election, then the money has to be found from somewhere, particularly as companies are not reinvesting to create growth in the economy. Peter Nelson, Moss Vale Welfare state It has become all too apparent that Australian society is fast becoming a welfare state following many years of government handouts (' Australia risks becoming a 'welfare state', study warns ', July 23). In many instances, this has been initiated to win elections. While government support is appreciated by those with urgent or specific needs, far too many now see it as an easy alternative to employment and making a contribution to society. With government spending approaching 40 per cent of gross domestic product and the emphasis currently on how to increase productivity, the answer clearly lies within government itself. The issue of debt – private and government – must be addressed if productivity is to be increased, or, accept that peak productivity and economic growth has been reached. Efficiency is just not a private sector issue but also a government issue with ever-increasing public sector employment. Australia's standard of living cannot be totally reliant upon an ever- smaller private sector. Just look at the number of business failures over the past few years. Bruce Clydsdale, Bathurst Moved to tears Your story on Labor MP Ali France has to be one of the most moving pieces of journalism in a long, long time (' How Ali France's late son's words propelled her to parliament ', July 23). Her compassion and courage, which included both the loss of her son, in addition to her disability, are just phenomenal and reduced me to tears. I sincerely hope we hear a lot more from Ali for a long time to come. Rose Lysnar, Sherwood (Qld) Ali France's maiden speech was inspiring. Let's hope that the 48th parliament provides a safe, supportive workplace which embodies her values of service, fairness, kindness and perseverance. Viv Mackenzie, Port Hacking Ali France is a beacon of hope for the many Australians living with grief and/or disability. We now have a strong voice in federal parliament. Sending grateful thanks to the voters of Dickson. Margot Alaba, Balgowlah

Sky News AU
11 hours ago
- Sky News AU
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer tells cabinet to prepare for more unrest
The British Prime Minister told his cabinet to prepare for many more fiery protests over migrant crime in English towns, if "social cohesion" isn't mended. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has warned his cabinet that more anti-illegal migration protests lie ahead if social cohesion isn't mended, as his government struggles with an influx of illegal migrants crossing the English Channel. Mr Starmer is reported to have said to his ministers that more protest will follow if the government does not deliver on its promise to cut immigration and stop illegal boat crossings in the English Channel. Meanwhile, Downing Street's executive director of policy and delivery Liz Lloyd warned that social cohesion was "fraying at the edges." It comes after a series of protests against migrant hotels - recently in the Essex town of Epping in the southeast of England, and in the Norfolk town of Diss in the east of England. Speaking on GB News, Reform UK leader Nigel Farage said there was a risk of a summer of civil disobedience on a grand scale. — Nigel Farage MP (@Nigel_Farage) July 22, 2025 "Don't underestimate the simmering anger and disgust there is in this country," he warned, highlighting weekly arrivals of "many hundreds of undocumented young males". Mr Farage also said most people attending the anti-immigration protests are concerned families who are worried about social cohesion. "Do I understand how people in Epping feel? You bet your life I do." In a statement, Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner - who is also the UK housing minister - said immigration and deprivation was fraying social cohesion. Presenting the UK's Plan for Neighbourhoods, Ms Rayner said 17 of 18 neighbourhoods that experienced rioting last year were among the most deprived in England. "While Britain was a successful multi-ethnic, multi-faith country, the government had to show it had a plan to address people's concerns and provide opportunities for everyone to flourish," she warned. She said it was 'incumbent on the government to acknowledge the real concerns people have and to deliver improvements to people's lives and their communities.' Opinion polling in the UK suggests that if a general election was held today Reform UK would most likely be the largest party, with the governing Labour party - which swept to power after 14 years of Conservative governments - reduced to the opposition.