Britain’s immigration minister is in Paris on Tuesday seeking to persuade the French government to do more to prevent migrants crossing the English Channel in small boats.
More than 4,000 people have made the illegal crossing to Britain so far this year – a record high – and the UK has responded to the surge by calling in the military and attempting to put pressure on France to stop migrants leaving its shores in the first place.
The ruling Conservative Party said it would bring in stricter immigration rules with Brexit but has been unable to prevent hundreds of people crossing every day during calm weather in August. It has sought to blame criminal gangs for exploiting migrants who turn up in northern France seeking a new life in Europe.
The UK Home Secretary, Priti Patel, said she wanted to make it “unviable” for people to travel to the UK illegally but France has reportedly requested £30 million (Dh144m) to bolster security on its side of one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes.
"The number of illegal small boat crossings we have seen recently is totally unacceptable," she said.
"Our operational partners are dealing with complex challenges associated with them and collectively with the French we need make this route unviable.
"Across government we are absolutely committed to shutting down this route and we will bring down the criminal gangs that facilitate these illegal crossings."
Immigration Minister Chris Philp was in Paris on Tuesday to discuss further measures after the UK’s payment of £114m to France since 2015 had failed to stop the crossings from rising.
A French politician told the BBC that the decision to use naval boats in the Channel was a “political measure” that would not change anything.
“What is the British navy going to do if it sees a small boat?” Pierre-Henri Dumont, who represents the port town of Calais. “Is it going to shoot the boat? Is it going to enter French waters?”
The British air force has sent a surveillance aircraft to back up its efforts in the Channel.
Most illegal immigrants to the UK travel inside lorries but increased security measures close to truck stops have seen an increasing number attempt the risky crossing of the waterway at its narrowest point, where it is 33 kilometres wide.
Our legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Infiniti QX80 specs
Engine: twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6
Power: 450hp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: From Dh450,000, Autograph model from Dh510,000
Available: Now
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-finals, first leg
Liverpool v Roma
When: April 24, 10.45pm kick-off (UAE)
Where: Anfield, Liverpool
Live: BeIN Sports HD
Second leg: May 2, Stadio Olimpico, Rome
Votes
Total votes: 1.8 million
Ashraf Ghani: 923,592 votes
Abdullah Abdullah: 720,841 votes
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 194hp at 5,600rpm
Torque: 275Nm from 2,000-4,000rpm
Transmission: 6-speed auto
Price: from Dh155,000
On sale: now
Results:
First Test: New Zealand 30 British & Irish Lions 15
Second Test: New Zealand 21 British & Irish Lions 24
Third Test: New Zealand 15 British & Irish Lions 15
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
What it means to be a conservationist
Who is Enric Sala?
Enric Sala is an expert on marine conservation and is currently the National Geographic Society's Explorer-in-Residence. His love of the sea started with his childhood in Spain, inspired by the example of the legendary diver Jacques Cousteau. He has been a university professor of Oceanography in the US, as well as working at the Spanish National Council for Scientific Research and is a member of the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council on Biodiversity and the Bio-Economy. He has dedicated his life to protecting life in the oceans. Enric describes himself as a flexitarian who only eats meat occasionally.
What is biodiversity?
According to the United Nations Environment Programme, all life on earth – including in its forests and oceans – forms a “rich tapestry of interconnecting and interdependent forces”. Biodiversity on earth today is the product of four billion years of evolution and consists of many millions of distinct biological species. The term ‘biodiversity’ is relatively new, popularised since the 1980s and coinciding with an understanding of the growing threats to the natural world including habitat loss, pollution and climate change. The loss of biodiversity itself is dangerous because it contributes to clean, consistent water flows, food security, protection from floods and storms and a stable climate. The natural world can be an ally in combating global climate change but to do so it must be protected. Nations are working to achieve this, including setting targets to be reached by 2020 for the protection of the natural state of 17 per cent of the land and 10 per cent of the oceans. However, these are well short of what is needed, according to experts, with half the land needed to be in a natural state to help avert disaster.
Men’s singles
Group A: Son Wan-ho (Kor), Lee Chong Wei (Mas), Ng Long Angus (HK), Chen Long (Chn)
Group B: Kidambi Srikanth (Ind), Shi Yugi (Chn), Chou Tien Chen (Tpe), Viktor Axelsen (Den)
Women’s Singles
Group A: Akane Yamaguchi (Jpn), Pusarla Sindhu (Ind), Sayaka Sato (Jpn), He Bingjiao (Chn)
Group B: Tai Tzu Ying (Tpe), Sung Hi-hyun (Kor), Ratchanok Intanon (Tha), Chen Yufei (Chn)
if you go
The flights
Emirates have direct flights from Dubai to Glasgow from Dh3,115. Alternatively, if you want to see a bit of Edinburgh first, then you can fly there direct with Etihad from Abu Dhabi.
The hotel
Located in the heart of Mackintosh's Glasgow, the Dakota Deluxe is perhaps the most refined hotel anywhere in the city. Doubles from Dh850
|
Events and tours
There are various Mackintosh specific events throughout 2018 – for more details and to see a map of his surviving designs see glasgowmackintosh.com
For walking tours focussing on the Glasgow Style, see the website of the Glasgow School of Art.
More information
For ideas on planning a trip to Scotland, visit www.visitscotland.com