Latest news with #illegalimmigration
Telegraph
3 hours ago
- Politics
- Telegraph
Sunak lied about stopping the boats, says Braverman
Suella Braverman has attacked Rishi Sunak for breaking his promise to ' stop the boats ', saying he 'wasn't willing to do what's necessary' to bring down illegal immigration. Mrs Braverman, who was sacked by Mr Sunak as home secretary in November 2023, suggested the former prime minister had misled the electorate by repeating the slogan throughout his premiership. 'Stop the boats' was one of his five key pledges. Speaking to The Telegraph's Daily T podcast, Mrs Braverman said: 'By the time of the last general election, he'd already failed at stopping the boats. 'He'd had just over a year to stop the boats. He'd passed two laws to stop the boats, he had promised to stop the boats. He'd broken the promise by the time of the general election. I don't think anyone believed him.' Pushed on whether Mr Sunak was telling the truth, she replied: 'Deep down, I don't think he wanted to do what was necessary. I mean, you'd have to ask him what his intention was when he was saying those things. But ultimately, it's alright making a promise to stop the boats. But you've got to be willing to do what's necessary. It might be difficult, but it is necessary.' Her comments are likely to deepen the rift between the pair after Mr Sunak sacked Mrs Braverman after she wrote an article arguing there was 'a perception that senior police officers play favourites when it comes to protesters' and were tougher on Right-wing extremists than pro-Palestinian 'mobs'. This week, the Tory MP Fareham and Waterlooville unveiled her legal blueprint for how the UK could quit the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), rejecting 'apocalyptic' claims by the Left of the Tory party and centrist politicians that this would threaten peace in Northern Ireland. In a 56-page document, the former attorney general argues the UK should rewrite the 1998 Good Friday Agreement, stripping out ECHR references and replacing them with domestic UK and common law human rights principles. Writing for The Telegraph this week, she argued: 'This is not simply judicial activism; it is a form of judicial imperialism. The time for debating whether we should leave is over. The question now is how we leave.' Kemi Badenoch, the Tory leader, has appointed Lord Wolfson, the shadow attorney general, to head a review into whether the UK should leave the convention or not. On legal migration, Mrs Braverman said she supported Reform's net zero policy, saying: 'I think it's a good idea actually. I think that we need to commit to a cap but we need to actually be honest about what that cap is. And I think, 'as low as possible' or 'in the tens of thousands' is not credible. 'So I can see where Reform is coming from. They're trying to give a number and show seriousness about the commitment. Ultimately we need fewer people to come into this country.' She also advocated Donald Trump travel bans for some countries, and said: 'If you look at the data and at where the most illegal arrivals are coming from then I think there needs to be more robust action. If there are countries who are unwilling to take back their offenders, then we should have some kind of ban. 'That's the problem with this country, to a large degree. We don't follow through with robust consequences, whether it's our weak human rights laws or our pathetic policies towards countries who don't cooperate with us. That's why we're seen as a soft touch.'
BBC News
5 hours ago
- BBC News
Migrant smuggling charges after yacht found off Isle of Wight
Two men have been charged with plotting to smuggle migrants into the UK on a yacht from northern boat, with seven people on board, was found by a Border Force cutter off the Isle of Wight on Sunday afternoon and was escorted to Gosport Marina, the National Crime Agency (NCA) previously crew, two Ukrainian men, have been charged with facilitating illegal Cherniavskyi, 37, and Oleksandr Yavtushenko, 43, are due to appear before Portsmouth magistrates later. Four of the boat's passengers - three Albanian males and a Vietnamese female - have been handed to immigration authorities, NCA said.A fifth passenger, Pellumb Selimi, 29, from Albania, has arrested for failing to appear in court in connection with drugs offences. He is due to appear before St Albans Crown Court, the NCA added. You can follow BBC Hampshire & Isle of Wight on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
Telegraph
6 hours ago
- Politics
- Telegraph
Ukrainians caught trying to bring in migrants on yacht
Ukrainian people smugglers have been caught attempting to bring migrants illegally into the UK by yacht. The yacht, carrying four Albanians and a Vietnamese national, was intercepted by a Border Force cutter off the Isle of Wight on Sunday afternoon. It is the latest attempt to smuggle migrants into the UK by yacht where, unlike with small boats, they can make a clandestine entry into the UK without their details being logged by Border Force and immigration officials. Its crew, two Ukrainian men aged 43 and 37, were arrested on suspicion of facilitating illegal immigration, said the National Crime Agency (NCA). The five passengers were detained under immigration laws. Julian Harriman, the senior investigating officer, said: 'This operation was part of an ongoing NCA investigation led jointly with French judicial authorities and Gendarmerie Nationale. 'Tackling people smuggling gangs remains a priority for both France and the United Kingdom.' The interception came as an Albanian people smuggler was jailed for seven years and 10 months for also using a hired yacht to try to bring 21 migrants across the Channel. Bleda Bega, 44, was captaining the yacht as it sailed towards the south west coast of England. It was intercepted by Border Force on Sunday April 13 where officers discovered the 21 passengers comprising 20 men and one woman, all Albanian nationals. Dame Angela Eagle, the border security minister, said: 'This sentence shows Border Force work to tackle attempts to enter the UK illegally by these criminal smuggling gangs. They have been using state of the art technology and surveillance capabilities. 'This government has put forward a serious, credible plan to restore order to our asylum system, including tougher legislation, increased returns and enhanced enforcement activity to target illegal working. 'Anyone who seeks to smuggle people into the country in this way faces arrest, prosecution and a jail sentence.' 'Low-risk' yachts A former soldier turned people smuggler said earlier this year that yachts were still being used because of the low risk of being caught at marinas that could be protected with no more security than a caravan site. The ex-soldier, who the BBC named as 'Nick', said he had chosen to speak out because he was 'angry' he had been jailed for a crime that was still very possible to commit. He claimed to know people who, in the past year, had used the same routes and methods as him. The smuggling routes – whether by yacht or ferry – were 'easy' and 'low-risk', he said. Border Force is responsible for securing the 11,000 miles of UK coastline, but the security of harbours and marinas rests with private operators, Charlie Eastaugh, the force's director of maritime, told the BBC. 'We patrol 24/7, we carry out proactive, as well as reactive, operations,' he said – citing the luxury yacht, hiding the 20 Albanians below deck, which was intercepted en route to Newquay in Cornwall last month.
Times
11 hours ago
- Politics
- Times
People smugglers to be named for first time in new sanctions regime
Corrupt police officers and people smugglers will be publicly named for the first time in a new sanctions regime targeting those aiding illegal immigration to Britain. On Wednesday about two dozen people will be named in the first ever list of those who will be barred from the UK and have their assets frozen. Among those to be named on Wednesday are two corrupt police officers from a foreign country suspected of facilitating people smugglers. The Foreign Office has not disclosed which country they work for. The new sanctions regime will target anyone involved in assisting illegal immigration to the UK.
The Independent
13 hours ago
- Business
- The Independent
‘World-first' sanctions to target people-smuggling gangs
The UK government has announced new plans to curb people-smuggling and illegal immigration, particularly targeting those involved in Channel crossings. The Foreign Secretary unveiled a new sanctions regime on Tuesday, set to come into force on Wednesday. These sanctions will enable the freezing of assets and travel bans for individuals and entities facilitating illegal immigration, including gang leaders, corrupt police officers, and suppliers of small boat equipment. The initial wave of sanctions is expected to include over 20 designations, publicly naming those involved and prohibiting UK businesses from dealing with them. Foreign Secretary David Lammy stated this is the world's first sanctions regime specifically targeting people-smuggling gangs, aiming to disrupt their global financial operations.
