More migrants landed on the English south coast on Friday, taking the total to more than 15,000 for the year.
In the three days to Friday, more than 400 landed as Home Secretary Priti Patel visited the Border Force base to watch the operations on Thursday.
The UK is sending out a tough message to migrants, warning them against trying to make the illegal voyage across the English Channel but, for many, it’s the dream destination.
“This unacceptable rise in dangerous crossings is being driven by criminal gangs and a surge in illegal migration across Europe,” said Dan O'Mahoney, the UK’s clandestine Channel threat commander.
“The Channel is one of the most dangerous and busiest shipping lanes in the world. Many migrants come from some of the poorest and most chaotic parts of the world, and many ask to claim asylum once they are picked up by the UK authorities.”
More than 15,100 people have successfully reached the UK in small boats — more than for the whole of 2020, when there was a reduction in attempts due to the pandemic.
On Friday, a man carried a young child on his shoulders, wrapped in a blanket and wearing a woollen hat. They were among a group of people seen arriving in Dover on Friday amid bright and breezy conditions at sea.
At least 655 migrants have arrived in the UK since Monday after making the journey across busy shipping lanes from France. Many more have been stopped in France.
The crossings continued as Ms Patel met Border Force officers in Kent on Thursday.
Migrants have long used northern France as a launching point to reach Britain, either by stowing away in lorries or on ferries, or — increasingly since the Covid pandemic disrupted international travel — in dinghies and other small boats organised by smugglers. The numbers so far are substantially lower than the week before.
A record was set for the year when 1,959 people made the crossing in the week to September 10 — the highest total for any seven-day period in 2021, data compiled and analysed by the Press Association news agency showed.
Last year, about 8,500 people made the journey and several died in the attempt.
SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20NOTHING%20PHONE%20(2)
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Company%20profile
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Sun jukebox
Rufus Thomas, Bear Cat (The Answer to Hound Dog) (1953)
This rip-off of Leiber/Stoller’s early rock stomper brought a lawsuit against Phillips and necessitated Presley’s premature sale to RCA.
Elvis Presley, Mystery Train (1955)
The B-side of Presley’s final single for Sun bops with a drummer-less groove.
Johnny Cash and the Tennessee Two, Folsom Prison Blues (1955)
Originally recorded for Sun, Cash’s signature tune was performed for inmates of the titular prison 13 years later.
Carl Perkins, Blue Suede Shoes (1956)
Within a month of Sun’s February release Elvis had his version out on RCA.
Roy Orbison, Ooby Dooby (1956)
An essential piece of irreverent juvenilia from Orbison.
Jerry Lee Lewis, Great Balls of Fire (1957)
Lee’s trademark anthem is one of the era’s best-remembered – and best-selling – songs.
Desert Warrior
Starring: Anthony Mackie, Aiysha Hart, Ben Kingsley
Director: Rupert Wyatt
Rating: 3/5
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
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
