3 h. ago Yvette Cooper pauses new refugee family reunions in fresh asylum crackdown

Charities warn the changes will ‘push more desperate people into the arms of smugglers in an effort to reunite with loved ones’

Events

3 h. ago Yvette Cooper accused of pushing children towards people smugglers by halting refugee scheme

Home secretary under fire over suspension of family reunion system that she said was at risk of exploitationYvette Cooper has been accused of pushing children “into the arms of people smugglers” after halting a scheme allowing refugees to bring their family to the UK.The home secretary said the refugee family reunion route was at risk of exploitation and she would “temporarily suspend new applications” until tougher rules are introduced next year. Continue reading...

Events

21 h. ago Voices: Rachel Reeves: My mission to make life easier for working parents

As Labour introduces 30 hours of free childcare a week for children as young as nine months old, the chancellor Rachel Reeves explains how the government plans to help Britain’s squeezed working families

Events

21 h. ago Record disruptions of people smuggling gangs last year including seizures of small boats

After the small boats crisis dominated headlines over the summer, Home Secretary Yvette Cooper will take the issue head on as she outlines significant reforms to Britain’s asylum system

Events

53 h. ago Government bans Israeli officials from Britain's biggest arms fair over war in Gaza

The UK government has barred Israeli officials from attending the country's biggest arms fair over growing concern about the war in Gaza. 

Politics

5 d. ago The Guardian view on UK attitudes to Europe: Labour is following where it could be leading | Editorial

There are signs of ministerial courage in making the case for closer ties to our neighbours, but the government could go further and fasterBritain’s relationship with the European Union was not a prominent issue in national debate when Sir Keir Starmer became prime minister, and Downing Street has striven to keep it that way. Labour strategists have seen Europe as a fissile topic, and Sir Keir’s opposition to Brexit in the 2016 referendum as a liability with swing voters. The prime minister has moved Britain closer to Europe, but in timid increments. The summit that formally “reset” relations early this year was long on statements of ambition, but short on substance. The government’s private recognition that economic logics impel Britain back into a European orbit has been in constant tension with fear of making that case in public.The balance now appears to be shifting. In a speech on Wednesday, Nick Thomas-Symonds, the Cabinet Office minister responsible for EU relations, made the...

Politics

5 d. ago Voices: Want to see how quickly Farage’s migrant plan would unravel? Just look at Greece

Several of the draconian schemes that a Reform UK government would implement in Britain have already been tried by Athens – and failed, says Thimios Tzallas

Events

5 d. ago ‘I sit alone and talk to myself’: a family ripped apart by Europe’s migration crisis

An Algerian mother blames people smugglers and opportunists for the death of both her daughters. Now she cares for four grandchildren aloneEach morning Zahia leaves the home she shares with her four grandchildren in the Algerian coastal city of Bou Ismaïl and heads to her job cleaning a primary school. For the past year she has lived alone with them, after the death of both her daughters ripped their family apart.Their tragic story started on 5 October 2021, when Zahia’s youngest daughter, Feryal, then 23, decided to leave Algeria with her husband, Aissa, and their son Amjad, aged 2. At the time neither had jobs – although Aissa worked occasionally as a horseback tour guide – but they were both determined to improve their lives. Continue reading...

Events

6 d. ago British Army faces criticism despite a historic payout over Kenyan wildfires

Britain's government has agreed to pay millions to Kenyans to settle a lawsuit after its military forces lost legal immunity in Kenya

Events

7 d. ago Albanian gang member 'who smuggled people into Britain' says the Government could stop crossings tomorrow... but claims 'it doesn't want to'

The people smuggler said he thought Labour is not stopping small boats (pictured, file photo) from crossing the Channel because it bolsters the country's workforce.

Politics

8 d. ago Criminals to face being banned from pubs under new sentencing powers

Courts will be given greater freedom to ban offenders from activities including going to sports matches or concerts.

Events

1 week ago Woman, 49, is arrested amid probe into the supply of small boats to people smugglers

The arrest of the 29-year-old woman follows a National Crime Agency investigation (NCA) into a network suspected of supplying small boats and maritime equipment from Türkiye.

Events

1 week ago South African breeder is accused of $14 million rhino horn smuggling ring

South African prosecutors have accused a well-known rhino breeder of operating a global rhino horn smuggling network alongside five other people

Economics

1 week ago UK has backed down on demand to access US Apple user data, spy chief says

Tulsi Gabbbard says Home Office no longer demanding ‘backdoor’ to encrypted materialThe UK government has dropped its insistence that Apple allows law enforcement officials “backdoor” access to US customer data, Donald Trump’s spy chief, Tulsi Gabbard, says.The US director of national intelligence posted the claim on X following a months-long dispute embroiling the iPhone manufacturer, the UK government and the US president. Trump had weighed in to accuse Britain of behaving like China, telling the prime minister, Keir Starmer: “You can’t do this”. Continue reading...

Politics

2 w. ago KEVIN MAGUIRE: 'Brextremists and Trumpists have proved their unfitness to govern Britain'

The Mirror's Kevin Maguire argues that Brextremists and Trumpists have proved they are unfit to ever govern Britain again, saying "they must never be trusted"

Politics

2 w. ago Special forces commandos could be used to tackle people smugglers bringing migrants to UK

Defence chiefs have ordered special forces to target ruthless people smugglers shipping illegal migrants across the channel

Events

2 w. ago Illegal migrants hiding in lorries could be behind surge in food poisoning outbreaks that has seen up to 3,000 trucks contaminated, claims report

Lorries were the most common route used by people smugglers to hide migrants before tighter security around ports and the Channel Tunnel led to rise in small boat crossings.

Events

2 w. ago Outrage as transport regulator finds illegal migrants hiding in lorries could be behind explosion in food poisoning outbreaks: '3,000 trucks contaminated'

Lorries were the most common route used by people smugglers to hide migrants before tighter security around ports and the Channel Tunnel led to rise in small boat crossings.

Events

2 w. ago Live facial recognition is 'worrying for our democracy', experts warn as the government expands the 'Orwellian' system across Britain

Experts have warned of a 'frightening expansion' of 'Orwellian' technology as the government expands the use of facial recognition across the country.

Events

2 w. ago Starmer accused of ‘abject failure’ as people smuggling arrests fall under Labour

National Crime Agency arrests for people smuggling went down last year, as the new Labour government promised more resources to target immigration crime.

Events