Latest news with #AngelaEagle
The Hindu
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
U.K. Minister discussed border security with Indian officials in April
While the U.K. Parliament is discussing a new Bill on immigration and border security, and enforcing tighter visa norms, Dame Angela Eagle, Minister of State (Home Office), the U.K., met Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan in April this year. In the April 15 meeting, which was not publicised by either government, they are said to have discussed, among other things, faster verification and return of Indian migrants detained in the U.K. for illegal stay or entry, and action against criminal gangs. According to the U.K. Home Office's data, from 2020-2025 (till March 31), as many as 2,471 Indians crossed the English Channel to arrive on small boats in the U.K. From January 1-March 31 this year, as many as 86 Indians were apprehended by the British authorities while entering the country on small boats without proper documentation. The U.K Home Office said that, in the past one year, there had been a 45% increase in Indian nationals detained by the immigration authorities, including people who were to be returned. From April 1, 2023 to March 31, 2025, there were 'enforced returns' of at least 816 Indians; 1,500 Indians were denied entry at U.K ports; and 12,291 people returned voluntarily, U.K Home office data show. 'The U.K. and India have a close relationship on Home Affairs, as two democracies that respect and uphold the rule of law. The U.K's Minister of State at the Home Office, Dame Angela Eagle, travelled to Delhi and Chennai in April to discuss the breadth of the U.K.-India Home Affairs partnership,' a spokesperson of the British High Commission said, when asked about the contours of the meeting. The U.K Bill seeks to create a framework of new and enhanced powers and offences to improve the U.K.'s border security, and to strengthen the asylum and immigration system. It also creates 'an array of new, stronger powers for law enforcement agencies to deal with, investigate and prosecute Organised Immigration Crimes (OIC), and it provides additional deterrents and penalties for criminals involved in OIC'. During her visit, Ms. Eagle also signed a protocol with the Ministry of External Affairs to amend the 2021 Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the Migration and Mobility Partnership between India and the U.K.. According to the 2021 agreement, the time frame to verify the antecedents of a person who holds an Indian passport, and who has overstayed the visa, as not more than 30 days from the receipt of the request from the U.K. In instances where a person has acknowledged that he is an Indian but does not have a passport or a 'Visa Overstayer' document, the time limit to establish nationality is 90 days.
Sunday World
24-05-2025
- Politics
- Sunday World
Garda-NCA crackdown on ‘Northern Ireland people-smuggler' crime gang leads to 33 arrests
Twenty-five of the arrests were made in Northern Ireland, four across Manchester and Birmingham and four in the Republic of Ireland Four people have been arrested in the Republic as part of a joint Garda-National Crime Agency crackdown on a "Northern Ireland people-smuggler' crime gang. A total of 33 'illegal entrants and suspected people smugglers' were arrested as part of the Home Office operation tackling abuse of the Common Travel Area. In the sixth such operation of its kind, Home Office Immigration Enforcement teams swooped on ports and airports in Northern Ireland, north-west England and Wales during a three-day operation. Twenty-five of the arrests were made in Northern Ireland, four across Manchester and Birmingham and four in the Republic of Ireland. The operation is part of a renewed crackdown on immigration crime as the UK government restores order to borders through their 'Plan for Change'. Stock image News in 90 Seconds - May 24th 2025 It involved the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI), An Garda Síochána, the National Crime Agency (NCA), other UK police forces, Border Force and international partners who worked to 'gather intelligence, trace offenders and take action against UK border breaches'. Some £17,000 in suspected criminal assets and a heavy goods vehicle worth £144,000 have also been seized while officers issued civil penalties to the value of more than £10,000. Minister for Border Security and Asylum, Dame Angela Eagle said the government was using every tool at its disposal 'to take down the criminal gangs who exploit vulnerable people in order to make quick cash' 'We are breaking down the criminal networks at their root with enforcement visits and arrests up by 38 per cent,' the minister said. 'The government's Plan for Change will ensure that criminal networks who abuse our borders face the full force of the law, which is exactly why we have introduced the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill giving law enforcement new counter-terror style powers to smash the people-smuggling gangs.' Home Office Immigration Enforcement Deputy Director Ben Thomas said law enforcement agencies are dedicated 'to breaking down the business model of criminal gangs who put lives at risk every day, the strength of our partnership and success of this operation serves as evidence'. 'Criminal networks seek to bypass robust border checks through fraudulent means and trap vulnerable people into further illegal activities,' Mr Thomas said. 'The success of this operation marks a significant step up in enforcement activity leading to the arrest of 33 criminals who attempted to abuse the Common Travel Area and undermine the UK's border security.' According to the Home Office, the operation builds on the success of previous enforcement activity in Northern Ireland conducted by the Criminal and Financial Investigations team, part of Home Office Immigration Enforcement. 'Since July 2024 over 60 arrests have been made and over £405,000 of criminal cash seized in the crackdown on abuse of the CTA, protecting migrants at risk of exploitation and disrupting criminality that threatens the public's safety,' the Home Office stated. 'This latest success comes alongside the announcement that nearly 30,000 people with no right to be here have been returned under this government, including a 23% increase in enforced returns and a 14% increase in foreign criminals deported since the election.' It also follows a series of measures introduced by the UK government to tackle organised immigration crime under the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill. This is to enable 'smarter, faster and more effective interventions to protect UK border security' and make it easier to detect, disrupt and deter those seeking to engage in and benefit from organised immigration crime.
Belfast Telegraph
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Belfast Telegraph
33 arrested in Home Office crackdown on people exploiting NI to enter UK
A crackdown on people using Northern Ireland as a back door to enter the UK has seen 33 illegal entrants and suspected people-smugglers arrested. It follows a Home Office operation targeted against those exploiting the Common Travel Area (CTA). Officials seized £17,000 in suspected criminal assets and issued civil penalties worth more than £10,000. Home Office immigration enforcement teams executed a three-day operation tackling abuse of the CTA – comprised of the UK, Ireland, the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man, descending on ports and airports in Northern Ireland, North West England and Wales. The operation, the sixth of its kind, saw collaborative working between the PSNI, An Garda Síochána, the National Crime Agency (NCA), other UK police forces, Border Force and international partners to gather intelligence, trace offenders and take action against UK border breaches. News Catch Up - Thursday 22 May Home Office immigration enforcement deputy director Ben Thomas said: 'Our team alongside law enforcement agencies are dedicated to breaking down the business model of criminal gangs who put lives at risk every day, the strength of our partnership and success of this operation serves as evidence. 'Criminal networks seek to bypass robust border checks through fraudulent means and trap vulnerable people into further illegal activities. 'The success of this operation marks a significant step up in enforcement activity leading to the arrest of 33 criminals who attempted to abuse the Common Travel Area and undermine the UK's border security. 'I would like to thank my team and partners across the country for their around the clock dedication to root out the criminal gangs and bring them to justice, protecting those they exploit and the citizens of the UK.' Home Office minister Dame Angela Eagle said the government was "using every tool at its disposal to take down the criminal gangs who exploit vulnerable people in order to make quick cash". "We are breaking down the criminal networks at their root with enforcement visits and arrests up by 38%," she said. 'The government's Plan for Change will ensure that criminal networks who abuse our borders face the full force of the law, which is exactly why we have introduced the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill giving law enforcement new counter-terror style powers to smash the people smuggling gangs. 'Alongside robust legislation at the heart of this mission, the Border Security Command is coordinating our efforts to reduce irregular migration by working alongside our international partners to restore order to our borders.' Since July 2024 over 60 arrests have been made and over £405,000 of criminal cash seized in the crackdown on abuse of the CTA.
Daily Record
16-05-2025
- Daily Record
Six arrested in immigration raid on Glasgow restaurants and takeaways
Four men and two women were arrested in a crackdown in illegal working. Businesses were also issued with civil penalty referral notices. Six people have been arrested by immigration enforcement officers as part of a crackdown on illegal working in the Glasgow area. Officers from Scotland's Immigration, Compliance and Enforcement (ICE) Team acting on intelligence visited five restaurants and fast food premises in an operation on Thursday evening. The Home Office said four men and two women were arrested for allegedly having no right to work in the UK and overstaying their visas. Five of those arrested have been placed on strict immigration bail and are required to report regularly to the Home Office, while one has been detained pending their removal from the UK, it said. Those arrested included Indian, Iraqi, Colombian, Spanish and Portuguese nationals. All five premises were issued with civil penalty referral notices and the employers could face a fine if found liable, the Home Office said. Lynne Davidson, HM Inspector, Scotland ICE Team, said: 'There is no excuse for ignoring employment and immigration rules and those who do should be in no doubt that they will face the full consequences. 'Businesses have a legal requirement to carry out right to work checks on employees and we will continue to pursue unscrupulous employers and those who break immigration laws.' The Home Office said that in many cases people travelling to the UK are lied to by smuggling gangs who say they will be able to live and work freely when in reality they often have to work inhumane hours, and endure squalid living conditions and minimal pay. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. Minister for border security and asylum Dame Angela Eagle said: 'Illegal working will not be tolerated under this Government. 'That's why we are clamping down on those who abuse our system and going after organised criminals who sell false promises to migrants about their ability to live and work in the UK. 'This operation is just one example of the continuous targeted action we're taking right across the UK to hold rogue employers accountable and finally restore fairness and integrity to our immigration system.'
The National
16-05-2025
- Politics
- The National
Labour on Israel are always shocking. This week was jaw-dropping
IT can be easy to become desensitised to the horrors unfolding in Gaza. Every day the death tally climbs, warnings of man-made famine and even genocide escalate, and many world governments continue to do nothing. Or, in the case of the UK Government, aid in the destruction. That is not a light accusation to level, but the shocking news revealed by the Labour Government's own figures earlier this week leave scant other conclusions to be drawn. It transpired that, despite having made a song and dance about suspending around 10% of the weapons export licences to Israel in September 2024, Labour then oversaw a massive increase in the amount of military equipment being sent to the nation. The figures are so genuinely shocking that at first we could not believe them. But a few phone calls and spreadsheets later, they were confirmed. From October to December 2024, the UK Government licensed £127 million worth of arms exports to Israel. This is more than the value of all the weapons sent from the UK to Israel in 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023 combined. Combined. As Labour ministers pat themselves on the back for suspending a handful of export licences, the value of military equipment being sent has skyrocketed. The hypocrisy is breath-taking – even if they claim the targeting systems and other equipment being sent is defensive in nature. READ MORE: Labour MPs and peers call on UK Government to recognise Palestine And it doesn't stop there. In a twist of fate, the UK Government was in the High Court defending its decision to continue sending F-35 parts to Israel on the same day that those arms export figures were published. At that High Court hearing, Labour had the sheer cheek to argue that the evidence does not support conclusions of a genocide in Gaza. That will be news to Amnesty International, the UN, and even the Spanish government, whose prime minister this week called Israel 'genocidal'. The reason that argument from Labour is particularly galling is because their ministers repeatedly insist that any determination of genocide is not for them. That is a cop-out – and a lie, evidenced by their own argument that actually there is no genocide in Gaza. They are quite happy determining that. Labour are also quite happy cheerleading Israel, a country who let's not forget is actively breaking international law at this very moment – regardless of when you're reading this. Israel is illegally occupying the West Bank, illegally occupying Gaza, and illegally cutting off aid into the region. Its prime minister is wanted for arrest by the International Criminal Court. But instead of treating the country as the international pariah it should be, Labour is cheering it on. The UK Government sent Asylum Minister Angela Eagle down to a discrete pro-Israel love-in at the British museum earlier this week, where she nauseatingly spoke about what a difficult time the country is having. As if none of it is the Israeli government's own doing. It's a bit like telling a domestic abuser that you sympathise with them going through a difficult divorce. All context is stripped away by necessity. To look at that context would be to acknowledge their own evils – even as Labour ministers scoff and tell themselves they are the adults in the room. But there is nothing adult about sending weaponry to Benjamin Netanyahu, a far-right, genocidal maniac. Why are Labour so insistent on defending their right to do so? Whatever their twisted reasoning, they're making the most of it.
