The huge fall of the Lebanese pound against the dollar is not reflected in exchange rates banks are using. Getty Images
The huge fall of the Lebanese pound against the dollar is not reflected in exchange rates banks are using. Getty Images
The huge fall of the Lebanese pound against the dollar is not reflected in exchange rates banks are using. Getty Images
The huge fall of the Lebanese pound against the dollar is not reflected in exchange rates banks are using. Getty Images

Thousands of refugees would be rejected under UK's tougher new rules


Layla Maghribi
  • English
  • Arabic

Thousands of women and child refugees would be refused entry to Britain under the government's new asylum proposals, according to a coalition of over 200 refugee-related organisations.

Together with Refugees published figures showing that two out of every three women and children currently accepted by the UK as refugees would be turned away in future if the government’s New Plan for Immigration is enacted.

The findings were based on an analysis of Home Office data on the number of people granted refugee status over the past five years and the government’s claim that 60 per cent of those applications were from people thought to have entered the UK illegally. Just under 60,000 people were granted refugee or humanitarian protection status in the UK between 2015 and 2020, 50 per cent of them women and children.

Abandoning people fleeing war and persecution, including women and children, is not who we are in the UK. Sabir Zazai

Founded by six major asylum-related institutions, including the Refugee Council and British Red Cross, the coalition also launched a campaign calling for “a more effective, fair and humane approach to the UK’s asylum system.”

“Abandoning people fleeing war and persecution, including women and children, is not who we are in the UK. These are mothers escaping war-torn Syria, women fleeing sexual violence in Congo or children escaping life-long conscription into the military in Eritrea. These are people in fear of their lives. These are people like me. These are also people like you, people who want to live in safety and dignity,” said Sabir Zazai, chief executive of the Scottish Refugee Council, who is a refugee himself.

New asylum proposals put forward by Home Secretary Priti Patel would mean that anyone claiming asylum after arriving in the UK through an irregular route would face removal to a third country. Ms Patel told Parliament in March that “the system is becoming overwhelmed” as she unveiled the controversial plans, which would make it harder for asylum seekers to get permanent status in Britain.

“Our system is collapsing under the pressure of parallel illegal routes to asylum, facilitated by criminal smugglers,” she said.

“The existence of parallel routes is deeply unfair, advancing those with the means to pay smugglers over those in desperate need.”

The planned changes have been described as inhumane by human rights organisations and the UK has so far been unable to persuade any EU country to sign on.

Last year the UK received 37,550 asylum applications but Germany, France and Spain received approximately three times the number of applications each. Almost nine out of 10 of the world's refugees are hosted by developing countries and 73 per cent live in countries neighbouring their own.

Earlier this year Denmark became the first European nation to refuse to renew residency permits for refugees from Syria, claiming some parts of the war-torn country were now safe enough to return to.

A poll commissioned by Refugee Council and British Future showed that nearly two-thirds of Britons thought the UK should protect refugees fleeing war and persecution.

UK-EU trade at a glance

EU fishing vessels guaranteed access to UK waters for 12 years

Co-operation on security initiatives and procurement of defence products

Youth experience scheme to work, study or volunteer in UK and EU countries

Smoother border management with use of e-gates

Cutting red tape on import and export of food

Temple numbers

Expected completion: 2022

Height: 24 meters

Ground floor banquet hall: 370 square metres to accommodate about 750 people

Ground floor multipurpose hall: 92 square metres for up to 200 people

First floor main Prayer Hall: 465 square metres to hold 1,500 people at a time

First floor terrace areas: 2,30 square metres  

Temple will be spread over 6,900 square metres

Structure includes two basements, ground and first floor 

UAE v Ireland

1st ODI, UAE win by 6 wickets

2nd ODI, January 12

3rd ODI, January 14

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MATCH INFO

Manchester United 1 (Rashford 36')

Liverpool 1 (Lallana 84')

Man of the match: Marcus Rashford (Manchester United)

Afghanistan squad

Gulbadin Naib (captain), Mohammad Shahzad (wicketkeeper), Noor Ali Zadran, Hazratullah Zazai, Rahmat Shah, Asghar Afghan, Hashmatullah Shahidi, Najibullah Zadran, Samiullah Shinwari, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Dawlat Zadran, Aftab Alam, Hamid Hassan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman.

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%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3E6pm%3A%20Baniyas%20%E2%80%93%20Group%202%20(PA)%20Dh97%2C500%20(Dirt)%201%2C400m%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3EWinner%3A%20AF%20Alajaj%2C%20Tadhg%20O%E2%80%99Shea%20(jockey)%2C%20Ernst%20Oertel%20(trainer)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3E6.35pm%3A%20The%20Pointe%20%E2%80%93%20Maiden%20(TB)%20Dh82%2C500%20(D)%201%2C200m%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3EWinner%3A%20Awasef%2C%20Pat%20Dobbs%2C%20Doug%20Watson%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3E7.10pm%3A%20Palm%20West%20Beach%20%E2%80%93%20Maiden%20(TB)%20Dh82%2C500%20(D)%201%2C400m%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3EWinner%3A%20Long%20Kiss%2C%20Jose%20da%20Silva%2C%20Antonio%20Cintra%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3E7.45pm%3A%20The%20View%20at%20the%20Palm%20%E2%80%93%20Handicap%20(TB)%20Dh87%2C500%20(D)%201%2C200m%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3EWinner%3A%20Ranaan%2C%20Tadhg%20O%E2%80%99Shea%2C%20Bhupat%20Seemar%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3E8.20pm%3A%20Nakheel%20%E2%80%93%20Handicap%20(TB)%20Dh105%2C000%20(D)%201%2C400m%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3EWinner%3A%20Raaeb%2C%20Antonio%20Fresu%2C%20Musabah%20Al%20Muhairi%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3E8.55pm%3A%20The%20Club%20%E2%80%93%20Handicap%20(TB)%20Dh95%2C000%20(D)%201%2C900m%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3EWinner%3A%20Qareeb%2C%20Sam%20Hitchcock%2C%20Doug%20Watson%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3E9.30pm%3A%20Palm%20Beach%20Towers%20%E2%80%93%20Handicap%20(TB)%20Dh87%2C500%20(D)%201%2C600m%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3EWinner%3A%20Falsehood%2C%20Adrie%20de%20Vries%2C%20Musabah%20Al%20Muhairi%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The specs: 2017 Lotus Evora Sport 410

Price, base / as tested Dh395,000 / Dh420,000

Engine 3.5L V6

Transmission Six-speed manual

Power 410hp @ 7,000rpm

Torque 420Nm @ 3,500rpm

Fuel economy, combined 9.7L / 100km