Latest news with #asylumseeker
Telegraph
2 days ago
- Politics
- Telegraph
Police chief backs colleague accused of ‘covering up' asylum seeker rape case
A chief constable has backed a police colleague after they were accused of 'covering up' an asylum seeker rape case. Craig Guildford, Chief Constable of West Midlands Police, said police were 'always striving to be transparent', but were governed by rules. Mr Guildford told LBC he would have taken the same action as his colleague from Warwickshire Police, after two men, reported to be Afghan asylum seekers, were charged over the alleged rape of a 12-year-old girl in Nuneaton. Warwickshire Police has admitted it withheld the immigration status of the two suspects. Nigel Farage, Reform UK leader, said he 'absolutely' believes information about charged suspects' immigration status should be made available by police. Yvette Cooper, Home Secretary, has called for more transparency from police about suspects, and said it was an 'operational decision' for forces and the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) over what information to release. When asked about the Home Secretary's comments during a phone-in, Mr Guildford said: 'We're always striving to be transparent in everything that we do, but we're governed by rules. Rules are often set by Parliament, they're set by the CPS, the courts. 'We have to be really careful that we do follow the rules, so we don't just make rules up as we go along. I spoke to my colleague next door in Warwickshire, he's followed the rules. He's done the right thing.' Asked if he would take the same action as his colleague in Warwickshire over the alleged rape case, Mr Guildford said: 'Yes, that's right.' He added: 'I think the problem with providing more information is you've got to be so careful with the protocol that we've got and the guidance that we've got, and we need to make sure that we follow the rules. 'And if we don't, we don't want to come on the wrong side of the argument or prejudice any live proceedings. And that is really key. Can't underline that enough.' The Law Commission has been asked by Sir Keir Starmer to fast track a review of contempt of court rules, which restrict the information that police can put out on the basis that it could prejudice a suspect's fair trial. The commission, which advises ministers on new laws, will make proposals in autumn on what information law enforcement agencies should be able to publish about suspects in attacks such as the murder of three young girls by Axel Rudakubana in Southport last summer. Mr Guildford added: 'At the moment, the rules are under review, and they're under review by the CPS, the National Police Chiefs' Council and, also, there's a Law Commission review. 'And I think what we need to do is wait and see what comes out of there, and then act accordingly and act properly. 'But in terms of the broadest theme of transparency, absolutely, we produce loads of data, and of course we want to give as much information as possible, but we have to operate within the bounds of the rules of the law.' It follows concerns by three of the main policing bodies that the current contempt of court rules risk leaving an information vacuum that could be filled by 'unchecked misinformation and disinformation'. The riots in Southport were partially blamed on false claims circulating on social media that the attacker was a Muslim asylum seeker who had arrived in the UK on a small boat. Other incorrect rumours suggested the killer had been on an MI6 watchlist. The only information released by Merseyside Police about the suspect's identity was that they were a 17-year-old from Banks, in Lancashire, who was originally from Cardiff. Two hours later, the force amended it to 'born in Cardiff'. Police did not divulge family background details, including that the attacker's parents were Christians who had come to the UK from Rwanda. The attacker was not named because he was one week shy of his 18th birthday.
Telegraph
3 days ago
- Telegraph
Asylum seeker ‘sexually assaulted woman' while living at migrant hotel, court hears
An asylum seeker has been accused of sexually assaulting a woman while living at a migrant hotel. Tadi Alemeyeha, 22, pleaded not guilty to the offence, allegedly committed earlier this month, during the brief hearing at Manchester magistrates' court on Thursday. Mr Alemeyeha, who lives at the Britannia Country House Hotel in south Manchester and is understood to be seeking asylum in the UK, followed proceedings with the aid of an interpreter of Amharic, a language mainly spoken in Ethiopia. The defendant was remanded into custody to appear at Minshull Street Crown Court in Manchester on Sept 11.
Daily Mail
5 days ago
- Daily Mail
Pakistani asylum seeker appears in court accused of raping eight-year-old girl and subjecting her to multiple sex attacks
A Pakistani asylum seeker has appeared in court after being accused of repeatedly raping an eight-year-old girl. It is alleged that Kamran Khan, 43, raped the child twice between September 2024 and July 2025 before forcing her to watch a third person engage in sexual activity. He got the eight-year-old to masturbate him until he ejaculated and also put his hand and penis on her vagina, it is claimed. Khan, of Streatham High Road, south London, denied the two counts of rape at Inner London Crown Court, alleged to have taken place in the borough of Lambeth. He further denied two counts of causing a child to watch a sex act, four counts of sexually assaulting a child and two counts of causing a child under thirteen to engage in sexual activity. The accused held his head in his hands as he entered his not guilty pleas, aided by an Urdu interpreter. He was remanded in custody ahead of his seven day trial on January 5 next year. Judge Benedict Kelleher told Khan: 'Failing to attend court when required whether from custody or from bail may be a separate offence. 'If a defendant fails to attend their trial then the trial may proceed in his absence in which case his lawyer may withdraw from the case leaving him unrepresented and the judge may inform the jury of the reason for his absence.'
Daily Mail
27-07-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Protesters in Epping 'want their voices heard' and 'won't stop' until migrant hotel is closed as 'two tier' Starmer starts snooping on social posts
Hundreds of protesters have descended on a hotel at the centre of an anti-migrant storm as demonstrations continue to spread across the country. Over 1,000 are expected outside The Bell Hotel in Epping, Essex, amid a growing clamour for it to be closed after an Ethiopian asylum seeker staying there was charged with sexually assaulting a schoolgirl days after arriving in the UK. Police have thrown a huge ring of steel around the hotel, while officers from forces including Merseyside, Surrey, Lancashire, the City of London and Sussex have been drafted in to the market town support Essex Police. The force has faced questions over its handling of the protests after footage emerged of them escorting pro-migrant activists to the hotel on July 17 - something they initially denied doing. Over the weekend, angry crowds gathered in Norwich, Leeds, Portsmouth, Bournemouth, Southampton and Nottinghamshire - with counter-protesters fighting back by insisting 'refugees are welcome'. The largest demonstration today is set to be at The Bell Hotel, where protesters - some draped in St George's flags - have gathered with large placards saying 'protect our kids' and 'stop the boats'. It comes as it was revealed an elite division of police officers will be assembled to monitor social media for signs of civil unrest - a move which critics argue is controlling free speech. While police will be monitoring what's being said online, officers are also being deployed on the streets. In Epping, protest organiser Sarah White, 40, said they would continue demos until the hotel closed. The mother-of-three said: 'We won't stop. Today is going to be a great opportunity for our voices to be heard. 'It's going to be great to get a message out that we don't want these hotels. It's shocking.' She also condemned those who wanted to 'cause trouble' and said it was hoped to be a 'strictly' peaceful but 'loud' protest. The business owner said: 'This is about sending a clear message that we don't want a hotel in our town housing undocumented men. 'It needs closing down. No area should have them. 'I'm very excited about today.' Mother Rose Thomas, 44, from Basildon, said she was 'excited' for the day. She said: 'There's already a strong message. We don't want the hotels full of men from foreign countries.' Maureen Chapman, 73, has lived in Epping for 50 years and said she felt 'under threat'. She said: 'I have grandchildren living locally. We want this closed and we won't stop until it is. 'It's shocking. I don't feel safe. We're under threat. 'These people moaning, would they want it at the end of their street?' The Epping protests have been sparked by the charging of asylum seeker Hadush Gerberslasie Kebatu, 38, with sexual assault after he allegedly attempted to kiss a 14-year-old girl. He denies the charges. The scenes in Epping have thrown the immigration debate back into the limelight, with demonstrations later held in Norfolk where the Home Office announced plans to change an asylum seeker hotel from housing families to single men. There have also been protests outside the Britannia Hotel in Canary Wharf which is set to be used to offer temporary accommodation for asylum seekers. A major protest is planned outside the four-star hotel in London's financial district again today. Protests against migrant hotels have escalated this weekend with tense stand–offs in Norwich, Portsmouth, Bournemouth and Leeds on Saturday. The anti-migrant sentiment is being fuelled by far-right accounts on social media - and the Government has taken action by setting up an elite force to monitor posts. Detectives are set to be drawn from forces around the country as the Government scrambles to crack down on potential violence by flagging up early signs of civil unrest. The new police division, assembled by the Home Office, will aim to 'maximise social media intelligence' after police forces were heavily criticised for their handling of last year's riots which quickly spread across the country. Angela Rayner last week warned the Government needs to address the 'real concerns that people have about immigration'. But critics say the social media crackdown is 'disturbing' and raises concerns for free speech. Chris Philp, the shadow home secretary, told The Telegraph: 'Two-tier Keir can't police the streets, so he's trying to police opinions instead. They're setting up a central team to monitor what you post, what you share, what you think, because deep down they know the public don't buy what they're selling.' The new police unit, called the National Internet Intelligence Investigations team, will work out of the National Police Coordination Centre in Westminster. The backlash to the plans has reignited anger over a judge's decision to jail Lucy Connolly, a mother-of-one who is married to a Conservative councillor, for 31 months over a racist tweet after the Southport murders. For today's protest, Essex Police have imposed restrictions to curb any violence or disorder, saying it is necessary and proportionate. The force said residents have reported feeling 'trapped', fearful of leaving their homes and anxious about protest activity. There will be a ban on anyone wearing face coverings and there will be designated sites opposite the hotel for protesters. A dispersal order will be in effect from 12pm on Sunday until 8am on Monday, covering Epping town centre and nearby transport hubs. The order gives officers the power to remove anyone suspected of anti-social behaviour. Hotel residents and staff have been advised to remain indoors after 5pm as some experienced verbal and physical harassment, including a resident chased and injured while returning to the hotel, the force added.
The Independent
24-07-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
How social media is helping the far-right spread fear and hate
At around 5.30pm on 7 July, Essex Police officers were called to the High Street in Epping after receiving reports that a man was behaving inappropriately towards a teenage girl. Hadush Kebatu, 38, an asylum seeker from Ethiopia, allegedly tried to kiss a schoolgirl as she ate pizza and he has since been charged with three counts of sexual assault. But news that he had only arrived in the UK eight days earlier via a small boat quickly took hold on social media, sparking a series of protests that turned violent and thrusting the historic Essex town into the heart of an anti-immigration row. What started as a group of locals voicing their grievances outside the Bell Hotel, which is believed to house asylum seekers, has now escalated into what has been described as a 'powder keg situation', with fears it could prompt a wave of riots across the country, similar to those seen last summer. In the past two weeks, prominent leaders in neo-Nazi groups and far-right organisations have been accused of exploiting the situation by pivoting demonstrations towards violence, with some demanding a 'national call for action'. Their weapon of choice? Social media, which the far-right have long been known to harness as a tool to spread fear and hate. Several right-wing activists have rebranded themselves as citizen journalists or political commentators, helping them accrue millions of followers in the UK and across the globe. Joe Mulhall, of the charity Hope Not Hate, said that is dangerous at a time when misinformation online spreads quickly and can whip up tensions. 'It's deeply concerning that a rumour or allegation can spread so quickly and take hold. Last year in Southport, misinformation from influencers like Andrew Tate spread like wildfire about the ethnicity and nationality of the perpetrator of the awful murders. 'When misinformation spreads, it can legitimise existing biases and as a rumour or allegation takes hold, things can quickly move offline.' Among those who have set up the private Facebook page Epping Says No, which advertises the protests, are three members of the group Homeland. Founded in 2023 after splitting from neo-Nazi group Patriotic Alternative, it has been described as the largest fascist group in the UK. This week, one of its prominent members has shared several videos of the protests on social media, and has called for future action, urging: 'If you live in an area that has a hotel occupied by asylum seekers, start organising.' Members of other groups, including former neo-Nazi terror group Combat 18, the British National Party and the Patriots of Britain, have also been spotted at the demonstrations. Mr Mullhall warned that with over-worked and over-stretched police forces, racist and anti-immigration rhetoric online can often fall under the radar. He said the UK 'needs to be ahead of the curve' to clamp down on this activity. 'Tracking these comments and the individuals responsible is tricky,' he said. 'The far-right are no longer divided into neat groupings but are instead thousands of people posting videos outside migrant accommodation, posting rumours and making comments online. 'Gone are the days when the police or social media companies can simply deplatform a particular group to resolve this issue.' Since Elon Musk 's takeover of X, formerly known as Twitter, the platform has changed significantly, with the Tesla founder reportedly tweaking its algorithms and removing its fact-checking mechanisms. This included turning the platform into a pro-Maga Trump echo chamber in the run-up to last year's US presidential elections, and reinstating previously banned figures such as Tommy Robinson and Katie Hopkinson. For Hope Not Hate, it has become a visible and concerning trend to see US figures commenting on UK politics and societal issues, boosting far-right voices, such as those of anti-Islam activist Robinson, who has hinted he will be in attendance at an Epping protest on Sunday. Mr Mullhall said: "The far right has changed dramatically and ironically, knows no borders. What we're seeing now is key figures emerging online. We're no longer looking at organisations but key people who emerge during a time of crisis. 'The far right is international, they move around and they move in pacts and trying to find any weakness. They have no formal leader; there's no single leader, it's like they're a group of fish that move around the internet exploiting situations. 'It is no surprise that we've seen a rise in far-right activity in the UK, US and Europe – these groups and ideas are interconnected.' Dr Karen Middleton, from the University of Portsmouth, who has been an expert witness in the UK government's inquiry into social media, misinformation, and harmful algorithms, said the recent protests in Epping were 'in many ways, a continuation of the riots from last year'. She said: 'Sensationalist and polarising content gathers more clicks, gathers more engagement, so there is a systemic incentive for spreading misinformation online.' She urged large social media platforms to go much further in addressing the spread of misinformation, but warned this was not about limiting free speech. 'This is about taking responsibility for published information that is online that goes to a large number of people, and is very often spread by people with high profiles,' she said. A spokesperson for the National Police Chiefs Council (NPSCC) said communities had a part to play in halting the spread of misinformation and urged people to 'carefully consider' what they read, share, and trust online to avoid stoking tensions. 'We would encourage the public to access formal authorities for accurate information. The spread of disinformation and misinformation by individuals or groups can significantly contribute to community tensions and has real-world implications. We all have a responsibility in this respect, and relevant criminal law applies to online actions,' they added. They also called on social media companies to be vigilant to the spread of false information and to 'ensure harmful content is detected, challenged and removed in a timely manner'.
