Latest news with #migration
Forbes
13 minutes ago
- Business
- Forbes
EU To Introduce ‘Punitive' External Funding Clause To Reduce Migration
European Union flag in front of the European Commission. Amid a confusing roll-out of the latest long-term budget proposal, the European Commission has signaled it will move to a more 'punitive' approach in trying to get developing countries to take back more deportations of their citizens. The change, which will affect the way money is spent from the EU's $233bn external funding instrument, would see the bloc suspend or even cancel development assistance if countries don't co-operate with the EU's ambitions to reduce migration and increase deportations of failed asylum seekers. The Commission's proposal for the next budget period - which acts as a curtain-raiser for future negotiation and sets the likely tone for what will be the final budget - has already generated a lot of controversy and seen policy analysts scrambling to understand what's coming. The proposal reflects the dominant policy agenda of the Commission - namely defense, competitiveness and border security. To that end, various funding instruments have been grouped together to form mega-funds known as 'National and regional partnership plans.' These mega-funds will give a lot more discretion to member states to dole out money as they see fit, rather than being constrained by spending targets set by the EU. This, in practice, has some asylum and migration researchers and advocates concerned that member states will neglect funding for programs to better support people already seeking shelter in Europe, and spend it rather on building up their borders - something many member states have made it clear they want to do. While pointing out that a lot remains unclear when it comes to how the new budget will affect people on the move, 'what we know is that the proposal is to increase resources for funds that have sponsored violent border surveillance in the past,' says Chiara Catelli, Project Officer at the undocumented migrant charity PICUM. "The same goes for Frontex, an agency that's been accused of complicity in human rights violations at the borders multiple times.' Buried within the budget proposal is another clause that has set a lot of migration advocates on edge. Within the proposal text around the new external funding instrument - to be known as the Global Europe Instrument - it states that development funding for poor countries outside the EU could be suspended or even cut off, if those countries don't cooperate with the EU in accepting deportations of their citizens from the bloc. While the EU - and other major powers - have often used their economic might to convince poorer countries to follow their agenda, it is a new step to have enshrined in law such a 'punitive' approach, at least for the EU. It does, however, mirror broader policy developments in the EU and U.K., the latter of which is reportedly considering overall migration and visa policy as a lever to convince third countries to welcome back 'returns.' At the same time, the EU is believed to be exploring how it may use trade policy as a similar lever, an idea expressed by a Belgian politician in June.
Khaleej Times
2 hours ago
- Science
- Khaleej Times
UAE releases 81 falcons into wild in Kazakhstan in May; some tracked with satellite devices
Eighty one falcons were released into the wild in Kazakhstan in May 2025, as the Sheikh Zayed Falcon Release Programme (SZFRP) enters its fourth decade. This brings the total number of falcons released by the programme since its establishment in 1995 to 2,355. All falcons in the programme underwent a series of veterinary examinations and intensive training, the installation of identification metal rings, and the implantation of electronic chips. Ten falcons (five falcons of each species) were provided with satellite tracking devices whose batteries are powered by solar energy, to monitor survival rates, spread and migration routes, and to collect scientific data that is used to develop rehabilitation, training and release methods. The programme continued in Kazakhstan for the ninth consecutive year, with the release of 53 peregrine falcons and 28 saker falcons within their migratory range, which includes parts of Kazakhstan, Russia, China, Mongolia, and neighboring countries. These areas feature rugged mountains and vast plains, providing abundant prey for the falcons. The initiative aims to increase falcon populations and protect them from the risks of expanding human activities at the expense of natural habitats, unsustainable breeding practices, climate change, and other factors that put them at risk of extinction.
Finextra
3 hours ago
- Business
- Finextra
Monzo migrates investment accounts to Seccl
Monzo is to migrate its investment and pension product portfolio to Octopus-owned embedded investment platform Seccl. 1 Since September 2023, Monzo customers have been able to open investment accounts and access a range of multi-asset funds directly within the app. As well as a Stocks and Shares ISA and General Investment Account (GIA), Monzo also launched a pension tracing and consolidation service in July 2024. The investment proposition has so far attracted over 300,000 customers, whose assets will now be migrated to Seccl as it takes over the provision of custody, wrapper administration and investment services. BlackRock will continue to manage the funds available to Monzo Investments and Pensions customers. Monzo selected Seccl as its new technology partner in January and the first assets were placed on the Bath, UK-based technology provider's platform in May. By the beginning of July, new Monzo investment accounts were powered by Seccl. The migration of its existing investor base is scheduled for September. As part of the migration, Monzo is introducing a range of new features - starting with a fully digital accumulation SIPP (to which customers can make new contributions, as well as consolidate existing pensions) and the ability to trade ETFs. Andy Smart, CPO of Monzo says: 'In line with our mission to make money work for everyone, we've helped to demystify investing for thousands of customers, making it simple, transparent and affordable. Working with Seccl means we can go even further and introduce more exciting features and tools that help our customers grow their money, all within the Monzo app.'
Telegraph
3 hours ago
- Business
- Telegraph
Exposed: Pakistani migrants using £50k fake visa documents to scam way into Britain
Migrants are scamming their way into Britain using forged visa documents bought from consultants boasting openly about weak border controls. Pakistani migrants are paying up to £50,000 for visa applications, which the Home Office is waving through despite being littered with errors and falsehoods. One application obtained by The Telegraph includes a job reference from a fake hospital that said staff would 'recommend her for any position she may to seeking. We wish her all the best in future'. The Telegraph also posed as a migrant seeking a UK visa from the consultant who had drawn up these fake documents. He boasted of a 98 per cent chance of successful entry into the UK within three months. Syed Kamran Haider, the chief executive of Mirpur Visa Consultant (MVC) in the Pakistan-administered region of Kashmir, was found to be operating openly online, where he advertises loopholes in the UK asylum system, which experts described as 'easy to manipulate'. The investigation raises further questions for Sir Keir Starmer, whose premiership has been partly defined by a growing migration crisis. The Prime Minister came under further pressure this month over details of his 'one in, one out' migration, which will only see 50 people per week sent back. While small boat crossings hit record highs, The Telegraph investigation found that migrants from Pakistan were also gaining backdoor entry into the UK. There were 10,542 asylum applications filed last year by Pakistanis – more than from any other country – representing an 80 per cent increase from the year before, government data show. But Pakistanis have never been among the top 10 nationalities arriving in the UK via small boats. Harjap Bhangal, a UK-based immigration lawyer, said: 'They don't need to come on small boats because they come on visas. They are one of the biggest groups that come on visas, and don't go back.' Mr Haider's MVC firm, identified by The Telegraph, is charging thousands of pounds to falsify their clients' documents, including fake CVs and bank statements, to use in their visa applications. These documents are required as applicants must demonstrate they fit a number of eligibility criteria, including the ability to support themselves in the UK. The Telegraph obtained falsified paperwork – a fake CV and letter attesting to employment history – that it understands was produced by MVC and submitted in a UK work visa application that was ultimately successful. A fake letter supporting the migrant's application purported to be from 'Riaz International Hospital' in Mirpur. It 'certified' that the Pakistani individual had worked from March 1 2019 to May 5 2020 as a nursing care assistant in the hospital. The letter had grammatical errors, including a line that read: 'During this period, her services were found to be satisfactory in caring out the job duties.' One of the responsibilities stated was nonsensical: 'Responsible to take and record of vital signs in takes outputs empty drains.' The Telegraph found that 'Riaz International Hospital' existed only for two years from 2012 to 2014, serving as a temporary location when the original Riaz Hospital Mirpur was undergoing renovations. Dr Riaz Ahmed, the chief executive of the real Riaz Hospital Mirpur since it opened in 1978, said that the letter The Telegraph reviewed was a 'bogus certificate', as it lacked an official hospital seal and a legitimate signature. He also confirmed that the letter listed an incorrect address and old phone numbers no longer in use by the hospital. Nobody picked up when The Telegraph called those numbers. A false CV created by MVC for the same visa applicant also claims past employment at Riaz International Hospital, and describes a range of responsibilities for the purported job, including 'treat emergency injuries' and 'record patients' medical records and monitor vital signs'. It lists educational certifications, all purportedly to be obtained in Mirpur, located in the disputed region of Kashmir – also where MVC is headquartered. With these fake documents, that person was granted a skilled worker visa that allowed her to enter the UK in 2023, according to documents reviewed by The Telegraph. She is understood to have remained in Britain ever since. In most instances, people claiming asylum cannot work in the UK while their cases are being decided – a process that can take more than a year, given a backlog of applications waiting to be reviewed. But there is a loophole – those who first enter the UK on a work visa can retain their right to work while waiting for a decision from the Home Office on their asylum claims. The Home Office also processes visa applications. Mr Bhangal said: 'If you claim asylum before that visa runs out, you can still work. The Home Office is a broken institution... They are not realising where the loopholes are [and] what is being done, what migrants are doing.' MVC fees vary depending on whether the 'consultant' is providing fake documents for a student or work visa, and for which country. For instance, support for a UK visa starts at £32,700, while a work visa to Bulgaria is £9,150. On top of that, there are extra fees for the consultant (£200), 'file-making' costs (£30) and a specific fee for creating fake bank statements (£2,615). Even an initial video call of a few minutes with the MVC director requires payment of about £15. Mr Haider, boasting of his success rate, told a Telegraph reporter posing as a potential client: 'I will do everything, I will support. Five to seven lakh Pakistani rupees (£1,300 to £1,800) will be spent on creating a bank statement… The bank statement will be from Mirpur. It is no problem, and no one will ask you why [the statement] is from Mirpur. 'God forbid, if the visa isn't approved, the costs for the bank statement, visa and my fees are non-refundable.' He also offered a more affordable option – a UK student visa application. 'In this way, a person can go for around 40 to 45 lakh Pakistani rupees (£10,500 to £12,000), and then find some way or solution after arriving there.' Mr Haider features in a vast series of videos posted on YouTube and other social media sites, in which he gives a broad overview of various visa loopholes – how to enter France as a tourist, Belarus for blue-collar work, Canada for construction jobs, Greece for farm labour and Bulgaria for work without prior education. 'Good news for people who want to study or get a work permit in the UK!' he said in a video posted a month ago. Mr Haider, seated behind a desk, then explains how people who cannot afford his high fees of £40,000 to support a UK work visa, or do not score well on the IELTS test – an international standardised test of English proficiency required for some visas – can instead sign up for a diploma in nursing and midwifery to obtain a student visa. He said: 'The fee for this is £2,000 to £2,500. [The application] does not require IELTS… These people, if you go to the UK, can then convert it into a work permit. Jobs are available with a minimum wage of £23 per hour.' Mr Haider does not give the full details in his videos – someone entering the UK on a student visa for a nursing diploma program could later be eligible to apply for a work visa, but there is no guarantee that it will be approved. All of the videos end with a plug for his services: 'Those who want to apply, the contact numbers of our staff are provided below.' After exhausting options within the UK to remain, including applying for asylum, some people then submit a second asylum application to the European Union, in order to extend their time in Britain. Current rules require applicants to have 'genuine ties' to the EU – past residence or employment, or family already there. Those without such connections, however, can still submit what is essentially a fake application, which can buy them additional time to work in the UK while the claim is processed, noted Mr Bhangal. 'These visa 'consultants' are 'selling them a dream,' said Mr Bhangal. He added: '[They are] selling a product essentially to people who don't want to come back [home]. They have found their market. [It's] quite a sophisticated scam.' In May, Sir Keir announced that skilled workers will be required to have a degree to get a job in the UK under new laws as part of the Government's effort to reduce net migration. However, Mr Bhangal said the UK has an 'easy system to manipulate' as the Home Office is 'broken'. He said: 'The trend for Pakistanis is to get a visa and come over, then claim asylum – so the asylum claims come from students who don't go to university, or people who come on dodgy healthcare visas and then don't find work; and visitor visas, as a large number are people who come as families. 'The situation back home is just dire for these people, and they need to get out, [but] they don't want to run the risk of traipsing all over Europe. 'Literally, they've been promised the idea of – you sit on a plane, get off, get through immigration and then you can claim asylum.' Pakistanis fleeing for Europe leave for a number of reasons – some are persecuted because of their religious beliefs, while others hope to find greater economic opportunity. The real GDP per capita in Pakistan ranks among the lowest tier in the world, at around £3,970, according to the CIA World Factbook. In the UK, GDP per capita is more than ten times, at £40,000. The Telegraph has contacted the Home Office and Mr Haider for comment.
Daily Mail
6 hours ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
Free movement by the back door? EU citizens will be able to work in UK for up to three years as Starmer bows to Brussels ‘youth mobility' demands
European Union citizens could be allowed to work in Britain for up to three years under a reciprocal 'youth mobility scheme', a senior minister has indicated. Nick Thomas-Symonds said he aimed to model the scheme on those the UK already has with Australia, New Zealand, Japan and South Korea. These allow those aged 18-30 to live and work her for two years, with a possible year extension, but have a cap on the number allowed it. The EU Relations Minister had been battling Home Secretary Yvette Cooper, who reportedly wanted the scheme to have a 12-month limit, as those here for longer feature in migration statistics. The length of the scheme Mr Thomas-Symonds is looking to confirm with Brussels is likely to raise fears that it is a way of re-introducing freedom of movement for thousands of foreign workers. The UK's mobility agreement with Australia is capped at 45,00, although only 9,750 visas were issued in 2024. But the EU has pushed for a much higher cap. Speaking to the Times Mr Thomas-Symonds said he planned to 'deliver the smart, controlled, balanced scheme that I agreed on in the common understanding', which would be longer than 12 months. 'There's 13 of them that already exist, and it's in that context that we will be negotiating with the EU but the idea or suggestion that this is somehow freedom of movement is completely wrong,' he said. 'Nobody says we have freedom of movement with Andorra or Uruguay, with whom we already have youth mobility schemes.' In May EU official last night suggested it would want the scheme to be similar in scale to the one Britain has with Australia. However, given the EU's population is 450million, compared to Australia's 26million, it raises the prospect of allowing in 500,000 from the continent. The Brussels official told the Times at the time: 'Are Australians better than Europeans? If the same model applies, then the numbers would have to be much higher or it would be hurtful. 'What is the British problem with our young people, our children?' D owning Street has insisted there are a series of 'red lines' for those continuing discussions. These include EU migrants not being able to bring dependents or claim benefits under the proposed scheme, while they must pay to use the NHS. No10 also stressed there would be a cap on the number of youth visas that would be issued to EU nationals.
