Tory backbench MPs have urged the government to get on top of spiralling illegal immigration and open up safe legal routes to deter people from handing over cash to human traffickers.
Home Secretary Suella Braverman’s plan to break smuggling networks operating in northern France and stop the constant stream of small boats travelling across the English Channel is being torn apart from all angles.
Labour MPs accuse her of taking an unsympathetic approach to the issue while legislators in her own party have argued that she is not doing enough to stamp out the illegal practice.
The government’s handling of the migrant crisis was again in the spotlight this week when four people drowned off the coast of Kent when their boat capsized.
After making a statement on the tragedy in the House of Commons on Wednesday, Ms Braverman was pressed on the lack of safe legal routes on offer to people facing persecution who wish to join family members in Britain.
Some backbench Tories advocated removing the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) from UK law as a means of tackling migration issues.
David Simmonds, Tory MP for Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner in west London, said the lack of legal routes is pushing people into the hands of people-trafficking gangs. He used as an example one of his constituents, a woman from Iran, whose family have no legal option to choose when trying to join her in the UK.
“My constituent, who is a successful academic of international standing, came to the UK as a refugee from Iran a couple of years ago,” he said. “For her family in Iran there is no safe and legal route by which they could come to join her in the UK, but should they travel over land and come in a small boat, they stand around a 98 per cent chance under our laws of being granted asylum in the United Kingdom.
“So does [the Home Secretary] acknowledge that the success of our ambition to break the model of the people smugglers, by ensuring that those who come to the UK by irregular means are not successful, depends entirely on the existence of a safe and legal route which if it has not been used can in our law count against those who come here by irregular means?”
UK coastguard responds to migrant emergency in Channel - in pictures
In response, Ms Braverman said “the reality is that the UK will continue to provide safe and legal routes to those refugees in most need” but stressed that admitting all the people who want to live in Britain is out of the question.
She said “the practical truth is that there are 100 million people around the globe who would like to leave their country of residence and potentially come to the United Kingdom”.
“That is simply not possible and therefore we do need an element of control, combined with compassion and generosity, but yes control, fairness and legitimacy that underpins any kind of humanitarian arrangement that we have,” she added.
“I am very proud of the track record that this country and this government has demonstrated over recent years.”
Labour MPs have repeatedly attacked the cabinet minister for her approach to illegal immigration ― one said she is “utterly clueless” and another accused her of using “appalling, wrong and dangerous” terminology.
Ms Braverman claimed that the UK was experiencing an “invasion on our southern coast” from illegal migrants, and said “let’s stop pretending that they are all refugees in distress”.
More than 44,000 people have made the dangerous crossing this year, government figures show.
A British police chief this week said that vulnerable migrants living in hotels for asylum seekers and children's homes are being recruited by criminal gangs to be used as "cannon fodder".
Tory MP Marco Longhi on Wednesday appeared to suggest migrants crossing the Channel “willingly” put themselves at risk as he called for the home secretary to make the Rwanda plan work as a way to deter criminal gangs.
The plan, which has caused controversy among MPs and campaigners, is an immigration policy whereby people identified by UK authorities as being illegal immigrants or asylum seekers will be relocated to Rwanda for processing, asylum and resettlement.
Mr Longhi called the recent drownings of migrants in the Channel an "awful tragedy".
He said MPs are "very keen to blame gangs but it is actually members in this place and their zeal to showcase their altruism who are preventing us stopping the boats on their perilous journeys by not replacing aspects of the Human Rights Act that does not work for us, or even exiting the ECHR".
“Let us remember this ― these are people who willingly put themselves in harm’s way, and criminal gangs would disappear if demand for services went," he added. "When will the home secretary make the Rwanda plan work?”
Ms Braverman has in the past said it is her dream to see flights carrying illegal immigrants leaving the UK bound for the central African nation.
“As he knows, I believe in the ground-breaking partnership that the United Kingdom has struck with Rwanda," she said. "I believe that it is a mutually beneficial arrangement, it is compassionate, it is pragmatic and it will be a big step forward in solving the challenge with which we are grappling.
“It is currently in the courts and we are awaiting a judgment from the High Court which will be due very soon.”
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Tuesday promised to restart flights to send migrants to Rwanda and introduce new legislation in 2023 to make it “unambiguously clear that if you enter the UK illegally you should not be able to remain here".
Price, base / as tested From Dh173,775 (base model)
Engine 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo, AWD
Power 249hp at 5,500rpm
Torque 365Nm at 1,300-4,500rpm
Gearbox Nine-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined 7.9L/100km
Profile
Co-founders of the company: Vilhelm Hedberg and Ravi Bhusari
Launch year: In 2016 ekar launched and signed an agreement with Etihad Airways in Abu Dhabi. In January 2017 ekar launched in Dubai in a partnership with the RTA.
Number of employees: Over 50
Financing stage: Series B currently being finalised
Investors: Series A - Audacia Capital
Sector of operation: Transport
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
Saudi Cup race day
Schedule in UAE time
5pm: Mohamed Yousuf Naghi Motors Cup (Turf), 5.35pm: 1351 Cup (T), 6.10pm: Longines Turf Handicap (T), 6.45pm: Obaiya Arabian Classic for Purebred Arabians (Dirt), 7.30pm: Jockey Club Handicap (D), 8.10pm: Samba Saudi Derby (D), 8.50pm: Saudia Sprint (D), 9.40pm: Saudi Cup (D)
Meatless Days
Sara Suleri, with an introduction by Kamila Shamsie
Penguin
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
What are the main cyber security threats?
Cyber crime - This includes fraud, impersonation, scams and deepfake technology, tactics that are increasingly targeting infrastructure and exploiting human vulnerabilities.
Cyber terrorism - Social media platforms are used to spread radical ideologies, misinformation and disinformation, often with the aim of disrupting critical infrastructure such as power grids.
Cyber warfare - Shaped by geopolitical tension, hostile actors seek to infiltrate and compromise national infrastructure, using one country’s systems as a springboard to launch attacks on others.
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
Price, base / as tested: Dh182,178
Engine: 3.7-litre V6
Power: 350hp @ 7,400rpm
Torque: 374Nm @ 5,200rpm
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 10.5L / 100km
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Countries recognising Palestine
France, UK, Canada, Australia, Portugal, Belgium, Malta, Luxembourg, San Marino and Andorra
Credit Score explained
What is a credit score?
In the UAE your credit score is a number generated by the Al Etihad Credit Bureau (AECB), which represents your credit worthiness – in other words, your risk of defaulting on any debt repayments. In this country, the number is between 300 and 900. A low score indicates a higher risk of default, while a high score indicates you are a lower risk.
Why is it important?
Financial institutions will use it to decide whether or not you are a credit risk. Those with better scores may also receive preferential interest rates or terms on products such as loans, credit cards and mortgages.
How is it calculated?
The AECB collects information on your payment behaviour from banks as well as utilitiy and telecoms providers.
How can I improve my score?
By paying your bills on time and not missing any repayments, particularly your loan, credit card and mortgage payments. It is also wise to limit the number of credit card and loan applications you make and to reduce your outstanding balances.
How do I know if my score is low or high?
By checking it. Visit one of AECB’s Customer Happiness Centres with an original and valid Emirates ID, passport copy and valid email address. Liv. customers can also access the score directly from the banking app.
How much does it cost?
A credit report costs Dh100 while a report with the score included costs Dh150. Those only wanting the credit score pay Dh60. VAT is payable on top.
