Page 2 - Illegal Migrants

UK launches 'world's first' sanctions to crack down on illegal migration

The UK on Thursday announced the world's first new sanctions regime to combat people smuggling crime rings and block the illicit finance fuelling such operations as part of measures to crack down on illegal migration. The government said the new standalone sanctions are dedicated to targeting irregular migration and organised immigration crime, which will allow the authorities to target individuals and entities enabling dangerous journeys. The new sanctions regime is expected to come into force within the year as experts from across government work with law enforcement and operational Home Office colleagues to stem finance flows at their source and deter smugglers facilitating irregular migratory movements, including dangerous sea crossings across Europe. We must dismantle the crime gangs facilitating breaches of our borders. By crippling illicit finance rings allowing smugglers to traffic vulnerable people across Europe, we will deliver on our Plan for Change and secure UK borders,

Maharashtra ATS arrests 9 Bangladeshis for illegal stay, 43 held in a month

The Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) has arrested nine Bangladeshi nationals for illegally entering India and staying in the country without proper documents, officials said. With this, the ATS has arrested 43 Bangladeshi nationals in 19 cases last month as part of a special drive, an official said on Tuesday. The latest action was taken with the help of local police in Mumbai, Nashik, Nanded and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar in the last four days. Nine Bangladeshi nationals -- eight males and one female -- were arrested, he said. The accused got Aadhaar cards made using forged documents, the official said. Police have registered five cases against them under the Foreigners Act and other relevant legal provisions, he added.

Detention centre to be built in Mumbai for illegal B'deshis: CM Fadnavis

Earlier Thane police's anti-human trafficking cell arrested a Bangladeshi couple living illegally in Kalyan

US deportations reach highest level since 2014, surpassing Trump-years

The latest numbers are higher than deportations in any single year during President-elect Donald Trump's first administration (2017-2021) and represent the highest since 2014

A million migrants in US rely on temporary protection that Trump may target

Maribel Hidalgo fled her native Venezuela a year ago with a 1-year-old son, trudging for days through Panama's Darien Gap, then riding the rails across Mexico to the United States. They were living in the US when the Biden administration announced Venezuelans would be offered Temporary Protected Status, which allows people already in the United States to stay and work legally if their homelands are deemed unsafe. People from 17 countries, including Haiti, Afghanistan, Sudan and recently Lebanon, are currently receiving such relief. But President-elect Donald Trump and his running mate, JD Vance, have promised mass deportations and suggested they would scale back the use of TPS that covers more than 1 million immigrants. They have highlighted unfounded claims that Haitians who live and work legally in Springfield, Ohio, as TPS holders were eating their neighbors' pets. Trump also amplified disputed claims made by the mayor of Aurora, Colorado, about Venezuelan gangs taking over an ...

Will treat people-smuggling gangs like terrorists: UK PM tells Interpol

Prime Minister Keir Starmer says he will double funding for Britain's border security agency and treat people-smuggling gangs like terror networks in an attempt to stop migrants crossing the English Channel in small boats. In a speech Monday to a meeting of the international police organization Interpol, Starmer will say the gangs behind irregular migration are a serious threat to global security. Arguing that the world needs to wake up to the severity of this challenge, Starmer will say that we're taking our approach to counterterrorism, which we know works, and applying it to the gangs, according to extracts released by his office. He'll call for more cooperation between law-enforcement agencies, closer coordination with other countries and unspecified enhanced powers for law-enforcement. Starmer plans to increase the U.K. Border Security Command's two-year budget from 75 million pounds ($97 million) to 150 million pounds ($194 million). The money will be used to fund high-tech .

Police apprehends eight Bangladeshis for illegal stay in Karnataka

Eight Bangladeshi nationals who were staying illegally in Udupi district here were apprehended, police said on Saturday. They were residing in Hoode village in the district for the past three years without valid passports or visas. According to Udupi Superintendent of Police Arun K, the arrest came after one of the accused, identified as Mohammed Maniq, attempted to flee to Dubai from Mangaluru airport using a fake passport. Suspicion from immigration officials led to his arrest at Bajpe airport in the neighbouring Dakshina Kannada district, he said. "Upon interrogation, Maniq revealed that seven other Bangladeshi nationals were staying with him illegally in Hoode village." The information was relayed to the Udupi police, who subsequently conducted a raid in the area. Police detained the seven individuals on Friday and initiated a detailed inquiry into their illegal stay. During the investigation, it was discovered that the accused possessed fake Aadhaar cards. SP Arun stated tha

BSF apprehends 11 Bangladeshi infiltrator and smugglers, seizes Phensedyl

BSF in collaboration with Bangladesh's border guard has heightened security amid unrest in Bangladesh and India upcoming Independence Day celebrations on August 15

11 Bangladeshis held at Agartala Railway Station for illegal entry

A case been registered against these individuals and they will be presented before the court on Sunday

EU elections: Huge voter turnout expected; surveys predict shift to right

Voters are heading to the polls for the European Union's election super Sunday amid concern that a likely shift to the political right will undermine the ability of the world's biggest trading bloc to take decisions as war rages in Ukraine and anti-migrant sentiment mounts. Citizens in 20 countries, from the Alpine nation of Austria to the Mediterranean island of Cyprus, will cast ballots to elect 720 members of the European Parliament. Seats in the assembly are allocated based on population, ranging from six in Malta or Luxembourg to 96 in Germany. Official results of the elections, which are held every five years and began in the Netherlands on Thursday, cannot be published before the last polling stations in the 27 EU nations close those in Italy at 11 p.m. (2100 GMT). Unofficial estimates are due to trickle in from 1615 GMT. An unofficial exit poll on Thursday suggested that Geert Wilders' anti-migrant hard right party should make important gains in the Netherlands, even thoug

Britain's plan to send some migrants to Rwanda hits hurdle in Parliament

A law that will enable Britain to send some asylum-seekers on a one-way trip to Rwanda suffered a setback on Wednesday after Parliament's upper chamber pressed its attempt to amend the contentious legislation. The House of Lords inserted amendments into the Safety of Rwanda Bill, sending it back to the lower House of Commons in a process known as parliamentary ping-pong. The government had hoped members of the Lords would stop blocking the bill on Wednesday, relenting to the parliamentary rule that the unelected Lords ultimately can't overrule the elected Commons. The Lords' resistance underlines the strength of opposition in the upper house, where the governing Conservative Party does not have a majority. The bill is still overwhelmingly likely to become law, but the latest move delays its passage, likely until next week. The legislation will pave the way for deportation flights to take off though opponents plan new legal challenges that could keep them grounded. The Rwanda plan

Migrant boat capsizes near Turkiye's coast; at least 21 people killed

A rubber dinghy carrying migrants sank off Turkiye's northern Aegean coast on Friday, killing at least 21 people, officials said. Turkish coast guard personnel rescued two migrants from the sea off the town of Eceabat in Canakkale province, while two others reached the shore by themselves and notified officials, Gov. Ilhami Aktas said. It was not clear how many people were on the boat when it sank and the coast guard was continuing to search the area, he said. A statement from Aktas' office later said five of the dead were children. The migrants' nationalities were not immediately known. Eighteen rescue boats, a plane, two helicopters and a drone were involved in the search and rescue mission, the statement said. Ambulances were on standby at a nearby port, the state-run Anadolu Agency reported. Although their numbers have declined in recent years, migrants mostly from the Middle East and Africa often leave Turkiye to try to reach Greece in search of a better life in European ...

US sees drop in illegal border crossings after Mexico increases enforcement

Daniel Bermudez's family had fled Venezuela and was headed to the US to seek asylum when the freight train they were riding through Mexico was stopped by immigration officials. His wife tried to explain that her family had permission to go to the US Instead, they flew her to Mexico's southern border as part of a surge of enforcement actions that US officials say have contributed to a sharp drop in illegal border crossings. In addition to forcing migrants from trains, Mexico also resumed flying and busing them to the southern part of the country and started flying some home to Venezuela. Even if temporary, the decrease in illegal crossings is welcome news for the White House. President Joe Biden's administration is locked in talks with Senate negotiators over restricting asylum and USD 110 billion in aid for Ukraine and Israel hangs in the balance. Bermudez said his wife became separated from her family when she talked to authorities as he gathered his stepchild and their belongings

Texas signs bill allowing police to arrest migrants who enter US illegally

Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Monday approved sweeping new powers that allow police to arrest migrants who illegally cross the US border and give local judges authority to order them to leave the country, testing the limits of how far a state can go to enforce immigration laws. Opponents have called the measure the most dramatic attempt by a state to police immigration since a 2010 Arizona law denounced by critics as the Show Me Your Papers bill that was largely struck down by the US Supreme Court. Immigration enforcement is a federal responsibility, and Texas' law is also likely to face swift legal challenges. The law, which takes effect in March, allows any Texas law enforcement officer to arrest people who are suspected of entering the country illegally. Once in custody, they could either agree to a Texas judge's order to leave the US or be prosecuted on misdemeanour charges of illegal entry. Migrants who don't leave could face arrest again under more serious felony ...

Over 60 drown in migrant vessel off Libya while trying to reach Europe: UN

A boat carrying dozens of Europe-bound migrants capsized off the coast of Libya, leaving more than 60 people including women and children dead, the U.N. migration agency said. Saturday's shipwreck was the latest tragedy in this part of the Mediterranean Sea, a key dangerous route for migrants seeking a better life in Europe, where, according to officials, thousands have died. The U.N.'s International Organization for Migration said in a statement the boat was carrying 86 migrants when strong waves swamped it off the town of Zuwara on Libya's western coast and that 61 migrants drowned, citing survivors of the dramatic shipwreck. The central Mediterranean continues to be one of the world's most dangerous migration routes, the agency wrote on social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter. Libya has in recent years emerged as the dominant transit point for migrants fleeing war and poverty in Africa and the Middle East. The North African nation has plunged into chaos following a

Not possible to collect data on illegal migrants living in country: Govt

The Centre has told the Supreme Court that it is not possible to collect data of illegal migrants living in various parts of the country as entry of foreign nationals is clandestine and surreptitious. In its affidavit filed in the top court which is examining the constitutional validity of section 6A of the Citizenship Act relating to illegal immigrants in Assam, the Centre said 17,861 people have been granted citizenship under the provision. Answering the court's query posed on December 7, the Centre said 32,381 people have been detected as foreigners under the orders of foreigners tribunal with reference to the period of 1966-1971. Replying to the court's query about the estimated inflow of illegal immigrants into India, including but not confined to Assam after March 25, 1971, the Centre said illegal immigrants enter the country without valid travel documents in a clandestine and surreptitious manner. "The detection, detention and deportation of such illegally staying foreign ..

Finland to close 4 border points after accusing Russia of migrant flow

Finland will close four crossing points on its long border with Russia to stop the flow of Middle Eastern and African migrants that it accuses Moscow of ushering to the border in recent months, the government said Thursday. Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo and Interior Minister Mari Rantanen said the southeastern crossing points -- Imatra, Niirala, Nuijamaa and Vaalimaa -- will be closed at midnight Friday on the Finland-Russia land border that serves as the European Union's external border. It runs a total of 1,340 kilometers (832 miles), mostly in thick forests in the south, all the way to the rugged landscape in the Arctic north. There are currently nine crossing points with one dedicated to rail travel only. Operations of the Russian border authorities have changed, Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo told reporters. He referred to dozens of migrants, mostly from the Middle East and Africa, who have arrived in recent days at the Nordic nation without proper documentation and

UK govt policy to deport refugees to Rwanda ruled unlawful: London SC

The UK government on Wednesday lost a crucial legal challenge after the Supreme Court in London ruled that its policy to deport refugees to Rwanda while their application for asylum is processed is unlawful. The country's highest court agreed with a previous Court of Appeal decision to say that there are "substantial grounds" to believe people deported to Rwanda could then be sent to places they would be unsafe by the Rwandan government. It was one of the flagship policies championed by recently sacked home secretary Suella Braverman, who in a scathing pre-emptive letter had sought to lay the blame for such a ruling at the door of the Prime Minister Rishi Sunak claiming he had failed to prepare any sort of credible Plan B to tackle the issue of illegal migration. Sunak admitted it was not the outcome the government wanted as part of his "stop the boats" pledge but stressed that he had prepared for such an eventuality. We accept the Home Secretary's submission that the Rwandan ...

UK to add India in safe states list, no asylum rights for illegal migrants

The UK government has tabled plans to add India to an expanded list of safe states, which would speed up the process of returning Indians who travel from the country illegally and rule out their chance of seeking asylum in Britain. Draft legislation laid in the House of Commons on Wednesday includes India and Georgia as the countries to be added to the list. The UK Home Office said the move is aimed at strengthening the country's immigration system and help prevent abuse by people making unfounded protection claims. We must stop people making dangerous and illegal journeys to the UK from fundamentally safe countries, said UK Home Secretary Suella Braverman. Expanding this list will allow us to more swiftly remove people with no right to be here and sends a clear message that if you come here illegally, you cannot stay. We remain committed to delivering the measures in our Illegal Migration Act, which will play a part in the fight against illegal migration, she said. The move is in

Migrant boat sinking off Greek island leaves 3 dead, 2 missing, 8 rescued

A search and rescue operation was underway Monday after a dinghy carrying migrants sank overnight off the coast of the small eastern Greek island of Symi, leaving at least three people dead, the coast guard said. Eight people were rescued, with two of them transported to a hospital on the nearby island of Rhodes and the rest transferred to the main port in Symi, according to the coast guard. Authorities said they recovered the bodies of two men and one woman from the sea. Survivors said two more people in the dinghy were believed to have managed to reach the shore on their own. Two coast guard vessels, four private boats and an air force helicopter were searching the area for the two missing people. The nationalities of those on board the dinghy were not immediately known. Greece lies along one of the most popular smuggling routes for people fleeing conflict and poverty in the Middle East, Africa and Asia and trying to get into the European Union. Many use small dinghies to head f