Latest news with #Care4Calais
The Guardian
4 days ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
First people to be returned to France under UK's ‘one in, one out' asylum deal
People who arrived in the UK on a small boat have been detained under Keir Starmer's 'one in, one out' deal for the first time and are expected to be returned to France within three weeks, the Home Office has said. Detentions began on Wednesday lunchtime as those identified in the Channel were held in immigration removal centres pending their removal. The UK would be expected to make referrals to France within three days, and the French authorities would be expected to respond within 14 days, officials said. A small proportion of people arriving on small boats will be selected for removal to France and, in return, Britain will accept an equal number of asylum seekers from France. The Home Office released footage of a group of men who were being assessed for possible removal. With their faces blurred, they were shown walking into a tent for medical assessment. A second film showed them being screened by Border Force staff. Questions remain over the treaty implementing the 'one in, one out' agreement. Immigration lawyers say its confusingly worded terms could be challenged by anyone attempting to block their return to France. The charity that successfully challenged the previous government's Rwanda plan said it was now examining whether it could launch a case against Labour's 'morally repugnant' policy. Steve Smith, the CEO of Care4Calais, said: 'Channel crossings are driven by a lack of safe routes, and here we have the government claiming to be opening a very limited, safe route, but they are locking people up before it's opened. These first detainees are being denied access to justice. 'Lets be clear, however. This grubby deal is all about permanently denying people the right to sanctuary. Offering a safe route to one person who has a strong case to be offered protection, while denying somebody else, who may have an equally strong case, is abhorrent. It must be challenged, and we are keeping all our options open to do so.' The reciprocal scheme allowing asylum seekers with links to the UK has also begun. Applicants must satisfy the eligibility and suitability criteria, including uploading a passport or other identity documents as well as a recent photograph. Those selected will have to pass further stringent security checks and biometric controls, meaning that only those individuals whom the UK government has approved for entry will be allowed through the new route. People from war-torn and drought-hit countries such as Eritrea could be excluded from the scheme by the requirement for official documents, a charity has warned. A Refugee Legal Support spokesperson said: 'This week in Calais, we spoke with many people from Eritrea and almost none of them have copies of their Eritrean passports because they were never able to obtain one. Eritrean nationals are the top nationality crossing the Channel in 2025; 86% of Eritrean asylum seekers receive a positive decision, but almost all will be excluded from this scheme.' As the one-in, one-out pilot scheme continues into its implementation phase, the Home Office is also launching a campaign warning people not to risk their money or their life, to be promoted in the coming days across multiple channels. The deal has been trumpeted by ministers as a 'gamechanging' deal but Home Office sources said it would apply only to about 50 asylum seekers at first. Yvette Cooper, the home secretary, did not confirm how many people were being prepared to be returned to France and said the government would resist any legal challenges. 'The transfers to immigration removal centres are under way as we speak, so we won't provide operational details at this point that criminal gangs can simply use and exploit. 'But no one should be in any doubt: anyone who arrives from now on is eligible for immediate detention and return,' she said. 'It's the beginning of the pilot and it will build as well over time, but we're also clear that France is a safe country, so we will robustly defend against any legal challenge that people try.' A copy of the agreement was released on Tuesday as the prime minister comes under increasing pressure to stop boats carrying asylum seekers from crossing the Channel. The UK will pay the costs of transporting asylum seekers to and from France. The deal will have to be renewed by 11 June next year, and can be ended at a month's notice by either side. If people have an outstanding claim for asylum, they cannot be removed, the deal says. France can reject a requested removal if it 'considers that an individual would be a threat to public policy, internal security, public health or the international relations of any of the Schengen states'. So far in 2025, more than 25,000 people have arrived in the UK after crossing the Channel in small boats – a record for this point in the year since data began being collected in 2018. That is up 48% on the same time last year.
Daily Mirror
5 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Mirror
Fury as small boat detentions begin amid threat of human rights legal challenges
The Home Office has announced a first wave of detentions of small boat arrivals set to be returned to France, but human rights groups have voiced their outrage Human rights groups have voiced their outrage after a first wave of small boat detentions for return to France were announced. Campaigners have hinted they are weighing up a legal challenge over the new returns agreement - which will see people who made the dangerous Channel crossing kicked out. The Home Office said those taken into detention after arriving in Kent yesterday are expected to be sent back to France within a fortnight. In exchange people with a legitimate case to settle in the UK - who have never attempted a small crossing - will be admitted in their place. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper branded the first wave of detentions an "important step forward". It comes after Keir Starmer hails a major UK-France deal to tackle Channel small boat crossings. But Steve Smith, chief executive of refugee charity Care4Calais said the group is "keeping all our options open" on challenging the scheme. He said: "This grubby deal is all about permanently denying people the right to sanctuary. Offering a safe route to one person who has a strong case to be offered protection, while denying somebody else, who may have an equally strong case, is abhorrent. "It must be challenged, and we are keeping all our options open to do so.' And Kolbassia Haoussou, director of survivor leadership at Freedom from Torture said: 'Locking people up who've endured the unimaginable horror of torture will only reopen deep psychological wounds and disrupt the often already long and difficult road to recovery. 'Most people in the UK are caring and they believe in the importance of providing protection to people fleeing war and torture. But while this pilot offers a pathway to safety for some, it relies on the brutal mass detention of others." The Home Office told The Mirror that an application scheme for people who want to travel via a new safe route from France would be opened on Thursday. The Government hopes that the new agreement with France, which was struck between Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron in July, will deter people from putting their lives in the hands of smuggling gangs. Steve Valdez-Symonds, Amnesty International UK's refugee and migrant rights director, said: 'People are being unjustly punished simply for exercising their right to seek asylum in the UK - through the only route left open to them. 'Even if the Government fails to block their claims or send them back to France, they will still endure needless detention and harm to their mental health. The fear, isolation, and uncertainty are especially harrowing for people who have already suffered serious abuse and trauma during their journeys and in the countries they've fled." He added: 'Rather than offering protection to those fleeing war and persecution, the UK is shamefully using them as political pawns in a wider deterrence strategy. This reckless policy not only ignores the root causes of migration but risks pushing smugglers toward more dangerous and hidden routes. 'All of this is done under a deeply flawed deal with France - a deal that sacrifices human lives for political convenience.' More than 25,000 people have made the dangerous journey so far this year. In 2024 at least 78 people, including children, died trying to reach the UK. Ms Cooper said: "Yesterday, under the terms of this groundbreaking new treaty, the first group of people to cross the Channel were detained after their arrival at Western Jet Foil (in Kent) and will now be held in detention until they can be returned to France. That sends a message to every migrant currently thinking of paying organised crime gangs to go to the UK that they will be risking their lives and throwing away their money if they get into a small boat. 'No one should be making this illegal and dangerous journey that undermines our border security and lines the pockets of the criminal gangs." The Government claims that the returns agreement - the first with mainland Europe since Brexit - is a breakthrough in its efforts to tackle smuggling gangs. In a statment the Home Office said: "Border Force, Immigration Enforcement and Home Office officials will continue to work round the clock over the coming weeks to identify and detain individuals under the treaty, and undertake the necessary processes to prepare them for their return to France." Under the agreement, which was reached during a UK-France summit in July, those allowed into the UK will be checked in advance for signs they could pose a security threat.
The Independent
04-08-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Reform UK leader accused of making unsubstantiated claims
Nigel Farage, leader of Reform UK, claimed at a press conference that asylum seekers exploit the UK system, receive benefits, and work illegally. His remarks followed an incident where protesters reportedly attempted to enter a hotel housing asylum seekers in Canary Wharf. Charities like Care4Calais and Hope Not Hate criticised Farage, accusing him of spreading "unevidenced fears" and divisive "populist politics". Care4Calais stated Farage's rhetoric sows division and endangers people seeking sanctuary, drawing parallels to past race riots. Farage also alleged a "cover-up" regarding an alleged rape in Nuneaton and made unsubstantiated claims about safety in London, which were refuted by the Mayor's office.
The Independent
04-08-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Nigel Farage accused of spreading ‘unevidenced fears' about asylum seekers
Nigel Farage has been accused by charities of spreading 'unevidenced fears' over asylum seekers in his latest tirade on those who illegally enter the UK on small boats. Speaking at a press conference on Monday, the Reform UK leader claimed foreign migrants made the dangerous crossing 'because they know they have an over 99 per cent chance of staying'. He said they came to be 'looked after' with free healthcare and £49-a-week 'pocket money', adding 'while they are at it probably work illegally either in delivery services or drugs or whatever it may be'. His comments came less than 24 hours after protesters were accused of trying to break into a hotel housing asylum seekers in Canary Wharf. In response to a reporter's question, Mr Farage rejected he was steering people into fear to persuade them to vote for Reform. He said: 'We have to recognise something, there are some people who come from certain cultures that pose a danger to our society.' But his comments have been met with a strong reaction from charities. Care4Calais, a British charity supporting asylum seekers in France, said Mr Farage's 'populist politics' were a danger to UK communities. Chief executive Steve Smith said: "It's hardly surprising that the politician who inflamed last summer's race riots would spread unevidenced fear about people seeking sanctuary again. 'His [Mr Farage's] form of populism doesn't require facts, it is built on dangerous, unsourced, ill-informed divisive soundbites. It sows division in our communities, and like last summer race riots, it puts the lives of people seeking sanctuary in danger." Hope Not Hate, an advocacy group that campaigns against racism, also reacted to the comments at the press conference, held to unveil Reform UK's policy for the criminal justice system. A charity spokesperson said: 'Farage trades on fear because it galvanises his supporter base and keeps the spotlight on the issues he wants to exploit, immigration and 'law and order'. By talking up crime he positions himself as the lone strong-man solution. 'However, Reform's approach to law and order is deeply hypocritical. Reform figures have excused rioters at anti-migrant protests, and even praised vandalism of ULEZ cameras. It's cuffs for opponents and leniency for friends. " The office of Sadiq Khan also responded to a remark made by Mr Farage in which he told a reporter she would not walk through the West End of London after 9pm wearing jewellery. The office shared Met Police data that showed the number of robberies had fallen 20 per cent over the past 12 months, compared to a decrease of 12 per cent across London. A spokesperson said: 'Nothing is more important to the Mayor than keeping Londoners safe.' Reform UK has been approached by The Independent for comment. Also at the press conference, Mr Farage claimed there has been a 'cover-up' of details about an alleged rape of a 12-year-old girl in Nuneaton. Two men have been charged in relation to the alleged incident in the Warwickshire town. Mr Farage linked a perceived lack of information from police to what happened in Southport last July, saying he wanted to discuss a 'cover-up that in many ways is reminiscent of what happened after the Southport killings last year'.
BBC News
26-07-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Epping asylum seekers afraid to exit hotel during protests
Asylum seekers living at a hotel focused on by protesters have been left too scared to go outside, a charity boss groups have clashed outside The Bell Hotel in Epping, Essex, during several demonstrations since 13 Smith, the chief executive of Refugee charity Care4Calais, claimed at least one of the migrants had been chased by protesters while out for a officers have made 18 arrests and charged ten people in connection with disorder outside the hotel on High Road. Tensions heightened on 17 July, when missiles were thrown and constables were hurt during clashes. Mr Smith, whose staff have been supporting the asylum seekers, said the alleged violence left many "too worried" to go outside."It's a pretty depressing situation to find yourself in, when you've already been through significant terrors elsewhere in the world," he said."Some of the residents have told us how they've been chased by the far-right when they simply went out for a walk or to buy milk."It reminded them of the reasons why they've been forced to leave their home countries in the first place," he added. The charity boss said an 80-year-old worker had a brick thrown at him during an episode of disorder outside the seekers have been housed there since 2020, it is on Thursday evening, Epping Forest District Council voted to urge the government to close the hotel, which the BBC understands is housing about 140 venue has been thrust into the national spotlight after a man living there was charged with sexual assault, harassment and inciting a girl to engage in sexual Kebatu, 41, from Ethiopia, has denied the offences and remains on remand in custody. During the council meeting, Janet Whitehouse, a Liberal Democrat councillor, said: "I agree that The Bell Hotel needs to be closed but we don't know the circumstances of the individuals who have been placed there. "Sadly there are many places in the world where there is conflict and people have to flee."Chris Whitbread, the Conservative leader of the authority, suggested there were "not the facilities here to support them" in Epping. 'Real world consequences' Ben-Julian Harrington, the chief constable of Essex Police, urged people to not spread misinformation online about the to reporters on Wednesday, he said malicious rumours were having "real world consequences", but stressed most protesters had been Solomon, the chief executive of Refugee Council, added on Friday: "Rhetoric that dehumanises people who've come to Britain seeking sanctuary creates a climate where violence can flourish."He accused a "violent majority" of hijacking concerns about asylum hotels, stating their use had become "flashpoints". People living in Epping who have been protesting against the use of the hotel as migrant accommodation have told the BBC they felt less safe in the town since it was used for asylum told BBC Essex: "I walk up and down the High Street all the time. I've lived in Epping all my life, I've never seen anything like this and I talk to people all the time, so I know that the concerns they have are real."Police received 2,000 fewer reports of crime in the Epping district in the year to the end of June, compared with the 12 months to June total, 9,049 offences were reported over the most recent period.A Home Office spokesman said it was working to close asylum hotels and "restore order". Follow Essex news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
