Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has announced plans to deploy the Royal Navy to the English Channel to intercept asylum seeker dinghies and return them to France or Belgium under 'Operation Fortress', drawing skepticism from experts and swift rejection from French officials.
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has unveiled plans for a major military operation in the Channel to stop migrant boats, as the party faces separate financial investigations.
Monday's UK front pages highlight police warnings over early prisoner release, government plans to tackle small boat crossings, Prince Harry's hopes for a public reunion with King Charles, proposed education curriculum changes, and polling supporting a wealth tax. Other stories include food shortage concerns, a call to scrap pro-union strike laws, and speculation about FIFA President Gianni Infantino's future.
Rightwing influencers and politicians, including Chris Philp and Nigel Farage, depict Dover as an "invasion" frontline due to small boat crossings, using it for social media content. However, local residents express frustration over this portrayal, while a refugee charity highlights the positive contributions of asylum seekers, challenging the narrative.
The U.S. military conducted strikes on approximately 90 Iranian military targets, including air defense systems and missile sites, following Iran's attacks on commercial vessels. President Trump declared the US-Iran ceasefire "over" and expressed disinterest in further deals.
US forces conducted retaliatory strikes against Iran after Tehran attacked commercial ships near the Strait of Hormuz. President Trump declared a ceasefire agreement "over" and expressed disinterest in further negotiations with Iran.
President Trump stated he is no longer interested in a deal with Iran, hours after declaring their ceasefire "over" due to renewed hostilities in the Strait of Hormuz. This follows Iran's attack on commercial vessels and the U.S. revoking sanctions waivers.
The UK and France are amending their "one in, one out" migrant treaty after people deported to France were found returning to the UK via lorries. The new classification "returnee case" will allow previously deported individuals to be sent back to France again, regardless of their method of return.
French riot police, deployed under a UK-France deal, are authorised to use water cannon, CS gas, and batons against asylum seekers in northern France. The £660m deal aims to prevent small boat launches, but refugee charities condemn the potential use of water cannon as "sickening" and inhumane.
French riot police deployed in northern France under a £660m UK deal are authorised to use water cannon, CS gas, and batons against asylum seekers. Refugee charities have condemned the move as "sickening" and "inhumane".
Two men, Mohammad Tajik and Alnour Ali, have been jailed in the UK for endangering others during sea crossings, marking the first sentences under a new law. Tajik received two years and Ali 27 months for their roles in steering overcrowded boats.
Two men, Alnour Mohamed Ali (Sudanese) and Mohammed Tajik (Afghan), have been jailed in the UK for piloting small boats across the Channel, marking the first sentences under a new law targeting those who endanger lives at sea. Both admitted to piloting overcrowded vessels carrying dozens of people, facing sentences of 27 and 24 months respectively.
Langkawi, Malaysia, known for its tourist attractions, faces maritime smuggling challenges, including illegal migrants, contraband, and subsidized petrol, evading authorities due to its geography and fast nighttime operations.
The UK Home Office is extending a controversial "one in, one out" asylum scheme with France until October 1st. The deal, initially a pilot, forcibly returns one asylum seeker to France for each one legally admitted to the UK. Despite the extension, asylum seekers express dismay, citing continued crossings and disappearances in France.
US forces sank six Iranian boats in the Strait of Hormuz on Monday while attempting to reopen it. The UAE reported being attacked by Iran for the first time since April, with drones and missiles targeting oil facilities and ships, wounding Indian nationals.
Kurdish Syrian man, 26, said he fled forced conscription by YPG militia because he ‘didn’t want to kill people’An asylum seeker sent back to France under the controversial “one in, one out” scheme faces being returned to Syria after authorities in Paris ruled it was safe to do so, in what is believed to be the first case of its kind.When the British prime minister, Keir Starmer, and the French president, Emmanuel Macron, announced the “groundbreaking” deal in July 2025 to stop small boats crowded with asylum seekers from crossing the Channel – by forcibly returning one small-boat asylum seeker to France in exchange for bringing one in northern France legally to the UK – they emphasised that France was a safe country for returnees. Continue reading...
Donald Trump has ordered the US Navy to destroy Iranian small boats, citing alleged mine-laying activities in the Strait of Hormuz. The order challenges current administration claims that Iran's naval capabilities have been effectively neutralized.
The UK has agreed to pay for 200 French officers to detain and deport asylum seekers from 10 specific nationalities under a new £662m deal with France. The detain-and-deport scheme targets nationals from Eritrea, Afghanistan, Iran, Sudan, Somalia, Ethiopia, Iraq, Syria, Vietnam and Yemen at a new removal site in Dunkirk. The deal includes a £162m payment-by-results package on top of a new three-year £500m baseline agreement, with the Dunkirk facility expected to open by end of 2026.
A proposed three-year deal with Paris is aimed at stopping migrants crossing the Channel on small boats.
Three-year deal includes funding for a riot squad to ‘disperse’ people trying to board small boatsThe UK government has agreed to pay France another £660m to curb the number of asylum seekers travelling across the Channel, including plans to fund a riot squad to “contain and disperse” people trying to board small boats.Under a three-year deal to be signed on Thursday by the home secretary, Shabana Mahmood, 1,100 enforcement, intelligence and military officers – an increase of 40% – will be employed to track down smuggling gangs and people seeking refuge. Continue reading...
