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Telegraph
an hour ago
- Business
- Telegraph
Labour won't be forgiven for failing to tackle immigration
If the 2024 election was in part a rebuke of the Conservative Party's total failure to control migration, 2029 is shaping up to be a far more painful experience for the Labour party. Sir Keir Starmer may have hoped that his immigration white paper, coupled with the fall in net migration triggered by the last policies put in place by the outgoing Tory government, would buy him breathing space until the salience of migration fell again, and he would be freed to talk about other topics. If so, this week should have shredded any such illusions. Both legal and illegal migration are running out of control, with justifiable public anger over the scale of the Government's failure to impose order. More than 1,000 migrants crossed the Channel on Saturday while British and French rescue boats stood by to escort them in. So great was the demand to be transported into Dover that coast guards put out appeals for fishing boats to assist vessels in trouble as Border Force and lifeboats were overwhelmed by the effort of rescuing migrants. Stunning images from France, meanwhile, showed the value of Sir Keir Starmer's much vaunted European cooperation in 'smashing the criminal gangs'. French police were seen simply standing by and watching as migrants loaded their boat for the crossing. The current situation is a travesty in which migrants are encouraged to endanger themselves in order to manufacture a rescue on to British shores, while the French state – which has no greater wish to play host and benefactor to these people than Britain does – does little to stop them. Sir Keir cannot divest himself of blame for this absurdity. His scrapping of the Rwanda deterrent directly removed one of the few ways in which Britain could bring itself to diminish the flow. As a career human rights lawyer and Left-wing activist, the Prime Minister is almost uniquely ill-suited to the task of devising an alternative. He has surrounded himself with like-minded individuals, not least the Attorney General Richard Hermer, and set as his North star the gold-plated adherence to the outdated international rules that allow the vile trade in people to be carried out. If Britain wishes to smash the gangs, it must smash the incentives that bring people here, tackling illegal employment, particularly in the gig economy, radically tightening the criteria for asylum, deporting those whose claims are denied, reducing the grounds for appeal, and ultimately revisiting the idea of a system in which claimants who arrive illegally are transferred to a safe third country. The current illegal migration system suits no one. It enriches dangerous criminals, selects those who have the resources to make the journey to Britain rather than those most imperilled, undermines public safety and support for legal migration, and will, if unchecked, destroy what sympathy for the refugee convention remains. This would be a tragedy. Britain is a country that is open to those who are genuinely in need. It is the task of the Government to make sure that this hospitality, and the taxpayer, are not taken advantage of. Yet even on legal migration – supposedly filtered and controlled – the evidence is that it is manifestly failing to do so. Figures published this week show that the state is handing nearly £1 billion each month in Universal Credit payments to households containing at least one foreign national. While some may have married British nationals, the fact that these payments have doubled over the past three years suggests that something has gone badly wrong at the heart of our benefits system. Despite the apparent beliefs of many in Westminster, Britain is not the world's welfare state. Moreover, the rationale for migration is not that it is good for the migrant, but that it is good for Britain. The people of this country accept willingly new members who pay their way, contribute, and work to assimilate into our society. To find ourselves instead asked to pay for the upkeep of those who arrived on our shores courtesy of a system that was supposed to provide economic and fiscal strength is an illustration of utter failure. Just as measures must be taken to control illegal migration, the flow of low-skilled, low prospect migrants into Britain must also be curtailed. The criteria for entry should be considerably tightened, eligibility for benefits confined to those with citizenship, and pathways to both that status and indefinite leave to remain tightened considerably, with rules put in place to ensure that only those who make a positive fiscal contribution qualify. The legitimacy of the British state is based on the consent of the governed to the rule of their elected representatives. After 15 years of votes to lower migration, and 15 years of broken promises, patience is beginning to wear thin, with surging support for Reform UK emblematic of an increasing rejection of the current political establishment. Unless Sir Keir can find the iron within himself to crack down on both legal and illegal migration, he is unlikely to be granted a second term in Downing Street.
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- General
- Yahoo
Coastguard ‘overloaded with migrant rescues' send SOS to fishermen
Coastguards issued an appeal for fishing boats to assist a yacht and kayaks in trouble in the Channel because all Border Force vessels and lifeboats were overloaded rescuing migrants. The appeal was put out over the radio on Saturday as Border Force, the Coastguard, RNLI and French vessels dealt with an estimated 15 small boats packed with migrants attempting the perilous crossing. The contingency move provided breathing space for rescue services to be deployed at a later point to the kayaks and the yacht, which had issued an alert as it was taking on water. Saturday was expected to be a potential record day for 2025 after a week of bad weather, with initial estimates suggesting it could exceed the 828 migrants who crossed in one day earlier in May, the highest total so far this year. Two patrol aircraft, four out of the five Border Force vessels, seven French vessels, including Abeille Normandie, Ridens, Oyapock, and a warship, and two lifeboats were deployed on Saturday morning as hundreds of migrants launched their dinghies. Some 13,671 migrants have so far crossed the Channel this year, the highest number in the period since the first migrants arrived on small boats in 2018. It is 30 per cent up on last year. Yvette Cooper, the Home Secretary, has suggested that the number of crossings has surged because of the higher number of good weather 'red days' so far in 2025. The Telegraph revealed on Friday that France has so far intercepted fewer than 40 per cent of Channel migrants this year, the lowest proportion since the first small boats arrived, despite a £480 million funding deal with Britain to help stop crossings. Ministers believe that a series of legal changes in France and Germany will, however, stem the flow of migrants. The French have amended laws so police can stop boats at sea for the first time. It will enable police to use their own boats in shallow waters to take on people-smugglers carrying migrants in overloaded vessels. French ministers are also planning to restore the offence of an 'illegal stay' in France, which would allow the police to arrest migrants and smugglers before they attempt a crossing. Currently, migrants who attempt to cross the Channel are only considered to have committed an offence when they launch the boat. Germany – where many of the migrant boats are stored before being deployed to the French coast – is also tightening its law to make it easier to prosecute those helping to smuggle migrants to the UK. Facilitating people-smuggling is not technically illegal in Germany if it is to a third country outside the EU which, following Brexit, includes the UK. Under the new agreement, Germany has pledged to make the activity a clear criminal offence. A Home Office spokesman said: 'We all want to end dangerous small boat crossings, which threaten lives and undermine our border security. 'The people-smuggling gangs do not care if the vulnerable people they exploit live or die, as long as they pay and we will stop at nothing to dismantle their business models and bring them to justice. 'That is why this Government has put together a serious plan to take down these networks at every stage. 'Through international intelligence sharing under our Border Security Command, enhanced enforcement operations in northern France and tougher legislation in the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill, we are strengthening international partnerships and boosting our ability to identify, disrupt, and dismantle criminal gangs whilst strengthening the security of our borders.' Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Wales Online
6 hours ago
- Wales Online
Holidaymakers caught smuggling 37kg of cannabis after dream Thai trip
Holidaymakers caught smuggling 37kg of cannabis after dream Thai trip A judge later described their actions as 'naïve and stupid' Lewis Ellis and James Poutch have been sentenced Two young men who jetted off for a three-week holiday in Thailand ended up in the dock after being stopped at Manchester Airport on their return. Lewis Ellis and James Poutch had travelled to the South-east Asian country in April to attend the Water Festival. But when they landed back in the UK, they were stopped by customs officials — and questioned about what they were bringing home. Ellis, 20, immediately came clean, telling officers: 'I have cannabis in my bag, I may as well tell you because you're going to see it.' Border Force officers went on to discover a total of 37 kilograms of cannabis, packed in vacuum-sealed plastic packages, inside the two men's luggage. Both later pleaded guilty to being concerned in the fraudulent evasion of a prohibition on the importation of class B drugs. Don't miss a court report by signing up to our crime newsletter here A judge later described their actions as 'naïve and stupid' and handed down suspended sentences. Prosecutor Georgia Kennedy-Curnow told the court that Ellis and Poutch, 19, were stopped at Manchester Airport after arriving on a flight from Bangkok via Abu Dhabi. She said Ellis explained he had been on a leisure trip with a friend he knew from school. A search of Ellis' suitcase revealed 19.83 kilograms of cannabis. James Poutch (Image: Facebook ) Poutch was stopped shortly after. He told officials he had packed the suitcase himself and was not carrying it on anyone else's behalf. His luggage contained 17.22 kilograms of the drug. 'The defendant said he had lost his phone abroad and both defendants gave no comment in their interviews,' Ms Kennedy-Curnow said. Defence barrister Simon Hustler, representing both men, told the court: 'The defendants would not seek to persuade the court that this was anything other than naked stupidity by two young men. 'Their families are in court today and are as livid as they were when they were before the lower court.' Lewis Ellis (Image: Facebook ) Mr Hustler added that Ellis, who had eight previous convictions, was now in a 'last chance saloon.' Sentencing the pair, Recorder Geoffrey Lowe said: 'You had an operational function in the chain, to courier these drugs into another country. 'This was naive and stupid for both of you - you exposed yourselves to the risk of imprisonment.' Poutch, of Fenby Gardens, Bradford, received a 16-month sentence, suspended for two years. Mr Hustler explained that both men had paid for the trip themselves and initially travelled with the intention of attending the Water Festival. It was during their time in Thailand that they encountered individuals and agreed to transport the drugs. Ellis, of no fixed abode, was sentenced to 18 months, also suspended for two years. Article continues below Both were ordered to complete 240 hours of unpaid work and 20 rehabilitation activity requirement days.
Telegraph
7 hours ago
- General
- Telegraph
Coastguard ‘overloaded with migrant rescues' send SOS to fishermen
Coastguards issued an appeal for fishing boats to assist a yacht and kayaks in trouble in the Channel because all Border Force vessels and lifeboats were overloaded rescuing migrants. The appeal was put out over the radio on Saturday as Border Force, the Coastguard, RNLI and French vessels dealt with an estimated 15 small boats packed with migrants attempting the perilous crossing. The contingency move provided breathing space for rescue services to be deployed at a later point to the kayaks and the yacht, which had issued an alert as it was taking on water. Saturday was expected to be a potential record day for 2025 after a week of bad weather, with initial estimates suggesting it could exceed the 828 migrants who crossed in one day earlier in May, the highest total so far this year. Two patrol aircraft, four out of the five Border Force vessels, seven French vessels, including Abeille Normandie, Ridens, Oyapock, and a warship, and two lifeboats were deployed on Saturday morning as hundreds of migrants launched their dinghies. Some 13,671 migrants have so far crossed the Channel this year, the highest number in the period since the first migrants arrived on small boats in 2018. It is 30 per cent up on last year. Yvette Cooper, the Home Secretary, has suggested that the number of crossings has surged because of the higher number of good weather 'red days' so far in 2025. The Telegraph revealed on Friday that France has so far intercepted fewer than 40 per cent of Channel migrants this year, the lowest proportion since the first small boats arrived, despite a £480 million funding deal with Britain to help stop crossings. Ministers believe that a series of legal changes in France and Germany will, however, stem the flow of migrants. The French have amended laws so police can stop boats at sea for the first time. It will enable police to use their own boats in shallow waters to take on people-smugglers carrying migrants in overloaded vessels. French ministers are also planning to restore the offence of an 'illegal stay' in France, which would allow the police to arrest migrants and smugglers before they attempt a crossing. Currently, migrants who attempt to cross the Channel are only considered to have committed an offence when they launch the boat. Germany – where many of the migrant boats are stored before being deployed to the French coast – is also tightening its law to make it easier to prosecute those helping to smuggle migrants to the UK. Germany acts on people-smuggling Facilitating people-smuggling is not technically illegal in Germany if it is to a third country outside the EU which, following Brexit, includes the UK. Under the new agreement, Germany has pledged to make the activity a clear criminal offence. A Home Office spokesman said: 'We all want to end dangerous small boat crossings, which threaten lives and undermine our border security. 'The people-smuggling gangs do not care if the vulnerable people they exploit live or die, as long as they pay and we will stop at nothing to dismantle their business models and bring them to justice. That is why this Government has put together a serious plan to take down these networks at every stage. 'Through international intelligence sharing under our Border Security Command, enhanced enforcement operations in northern France and tougher legislation in the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill, we are strengthening international partnerships and boosting our ability to identify, disrupt, and dismantle criminal gangs whilst strengthening the security of our borders.'
Daily Record
2 days ago
- Sport
- Daily Record
Ex-Greenock Morton player sent girlfriend to Thailand to smuggle drugs she thought was gold
Jay Emmanuel-Thomas acted as an intermediary between drug suppliers in Thailand and pushers in the UK, an investigation revealed. An ex-Greenock Morton player sent his girlfriend and her friend on a drug smuggling trip to Thailand to bring £600,000 worth of cannabis into the UK. Jay Emmanuel-Thomas, 34, who played for the club last year until his arrest, admitted to recruiting Yasmin Piotrowska and Rosie Rowland to carry the drugs. The pair were stopped and searched at London Stansted Airport on September 2, 2024, and told Border Force officers they believed they were transporting gold. Thomas' girlfriend Piotrowska, 33, and Rowland, 29, were each carrying two suitcases, which were searched to reveal a total of 60kg of cannabis - 15kg in each case. They were later charged with smuggling cannabis, Glasgow Live reports. Following their arrest, Thomas said: "I just feel sorry for the girls." However, Thomas, from Gourock, Inverclyde pleaded guilty to orchestrating the smuggling operation in an appearance at Chelmsford Crown Court earlier this month. The two women were acquitted after the crown offered no evidence against either of them. The National Crime Agency (NCA) said Thomas was an intermediary between suppliers in Thailand and drug pushers in the UK. Their investigation revealed that the women had made an almost identical journey in July 2024 with Thomas' encouragement, with all expenses paid and a promised reward of £2,500. Thomas had previously played for Thai club PTT Rayong in 2019. He signed for Morton last July, but was sacked following his arrest on September 18. David Philips, NCA senior investigating officer, said: "Organised crime groups make significant profits by trafficking and selling perceived high-quality cannabis legally grown in the US, Canada and Thailand illegally in the UK. " Organised criminals like Thomas can be very persuasive and offer payment to couriers. But the risk of getting caught is very high and it simply isn't worth it." Thomas is due to be sentenced at a later date.
