British MPs say some migrants are being held in “shocking conditions” in facilities in England, with women and children forced to sleep in crowded rooms on thin mattresses.
Their concern comes amid criticism over a government advertising campaign on Facebook designed to deter arrivals.
Record numbers of migrants are crossing the English Channel in small boats, with more than 9,000 making the journey so far this year, surpassing the 2020 total of 8,417.
Ministers had promised to make the route “unviable” for migrants, but thousands are reportedly still waiting in northern France to make the crossing by sea.
The Home Office launched an advertising campaign in December to get a message to migrants in France but refugee charities say it has been ineffective.
This has included spending more than £23,000 ($32,118) on social media ads between December and April targeted at migrants living in France, a Freedom of Information request by the PA news agency revealed.
The ads on Facebook and Instagram featured slogans such as “There is no hiding place”, “Don’t put your or your child’s life in danger” and “We will return you”.
Migrant charity Care4Calais accused the Home Office of “wasting money” on the ads that could have been better spent helping migrants.
“I’m genuinely horrified by the lengths this Government will go to to avoid helping desperate people,” founder Clare Moseley told the Press Association.
“Refugees risk their lives to escape from some of the world’s most dangerous countries, fully aware that this could be the last journey they make.
“It’s extremely naive of this Government to think that social media ads will deter them. This isn’t a choice.”
MPs also highlighted a perceived lack of concern for migrant welfare in a report on the Atrium facility in Kent, where migrants are transferred after they are brought ashore.
Yvette Cooper, the Labour chairwoman of the Home Affairs Select Committee, said the facility was unsafe, with vulnerable people held in cramped conditions.
The MPs observed 56 migrants held in a waiting room. They said women with babies and a woman in a wheelchair were among the group.
“There were teenage boys sharing mattresses,” Ms Cooper told BBC’s Radio 4 Today programme.
“Almost the entire floor was covered with thin mattresses jammed into aisles and squeezed between seats. There were no open windows, there was no sign of any Covid precautions, no masks or social distancing.
"I could not see in how or any way that room was Covid safe, as well as concern for the welfare of the vulnerable children in that situation for many hours.”
Ms Cooper said that legally no person should be detained by Border Force for longer than 24 hours, but some migrants at the facility had been there for twice that amount of time.
The committee noted that services were under increasing pressure from “unacceptable numbers” of migrants crossing the Channel at the hands of people smugglers.
The Home Office said: "Unacceptable numbers of people are making life-threatening journeys crossing the Channel at the hands of criminal trafficking gangs.
"We take the welfare of migrants extremely seriously and despite these pressures we have improved our facilities, arranged additional staffing and are working to process people as quickly and safely as possible.”
Moon Music
Artist: Coldplay
Label: Parlophone/Atlantic
Number of tracks: 10
Rating: 3/5
Australia squads
ODI: Tim Paine (capt), Aaron Finch (vice-capt), Ashton Agar, Alex Carey, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Nathan Lyon, Glenn Maxwell, Shaun Marsh, Jhye Richardson, Kane Richardson, D’Arcy Short, Billy Stanlake, Marcus Stoinis, Andrew Tye.
T20: Aaron Finch (capt), Alex Carey (vice-capt), Ashton Agar, Travis Head, Nic Maddinson, Glenn Maxwell, Jhye Richardson, Kane Richardson, D’Arcy Short, Billy Stanlake, Marcus Stoinis, Mitchell Swepson, Andrew Tye, Jack Wildermuth.
Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
Specs
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