Images of failed asylum seekers, foreign criminals and other immigration offenders being deported from the UK have been released.
The Labour government has said that since it came to office in July, 19,000 people with no right to be in the UK have been returned to Africa, Asia, Europe and South America.
As part of the wider crackdown on illegal migration, some 3,930 people suspected of working without permission have been arrested in 5,424 visits by immigration enforcement officers to premises since July − a 38 per cent increase compared to the previous 12-month period.
The government believes increased deportations and a crackdown on illegal working are both an important part of restoring order in the asylum and immigration system, a politically charged issue in the UK.
Images showed those being deported being led from buses and then waiting to board aircraft to take them back to their home countries.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said as part of the effort to deal with illegal migration, the government put “significant” resources into immigration enforcement and deportations “so those who have no right to be here, particularly those who have committed crimes in our country, are removed as swiftly as possible”.
“To rebuild public confidence in the immigration system, we need to show the rules are respected and enforced,” she said.
The figures represent the highest rate of returns seen in the UK since 2018 and include the four biggest returns by charter flights in the UK’s history, with a total of more than 850 people on board.
Meanwhile, video footage released showed immigration enforcement officers taking away illegal workers across sites including restaurants, nail bars and car washes in January this year.
The Home Office also admitted that many of those who risk their lives to come to UK on small boats are doing it after being “sold false promises”.
This drive comes as the government's Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill is set to be debated in the House of Commons in its second reading.
It aims to introduce a raft of new offences and counter terrorism-style powers to crack down on people smugglers bringing migrants across the English Channel.
The measures are expected to come into force as soon as possible once the legislation is approved by MPs and Lords, believed to be this year.
Under the Bill, the Safety of Rwanda Act will be scrapped, formally ditching the multimillion-pound deal to send migrants to the East African state.
The specs
Engine: 0.8-litre four cylinder
Power: 70bhp
Torque: 66Nm
Transmission: four-speed manual
Price: $1,075 new in 1967, now valued at $40,000
On sale: Models from 1966 to 1970
If%20you%20go
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
Mountain%20Boy
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Company%20Profile
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The specs: 2019 Mercedes-Benz C200 Coupe
Price, base: Dh201,153
Engine: 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
Power: 204hp @ 5,800rpm
Torque: 300Nm @ 1,600rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 6.7L / 100km
