Asylum seekers in the UK could be sent offshore for processing under plans to discourage people from making the perilous journey across the English Channel.
Home Secretary Priti Patel is expected to publish details of plans to overhaul Britain’s immigration system, including a consultation on changing the law so that migrants seeking asylum can be sent to processing centres in third countries.
The British overseas territory of Gibraltar and the Isle of Man, a crown dependency in the Irish Sea, are among the locations being considered, The Times reported.
Gibraltar Chief Minister Fabian Picardo denied that an asylum processing centre had been proposed in the territory.
He said the "geographic limitations" of Gibraltar and the territory's arrangements with Europe's Schengen travel area made the proposal impractical.
"I can confirm that this issue has not been raised with me at any level," he said.
"I would have made clear this is not an area on which we believe we can assist the UK."
Other islands off the British coast, possibly in Scotland, were reportedly under consideration.
Officials are negotiating with several countries outside the EU about taking migrants in return for payment, similar to a scheme operated by Australia, the Daily Mail reported.
Those who arrive via a safe country, such as France, could have their British asylum claim dismissed and be repatriated or sent back to the safe country from which they arrived.
The plan is designed to deter people from making the journey from France to Britain via the English Channel, A record 8,420 migrants made the crossing last year, mostly in small boats.
It is understood the new legislation could include life sentences for people smugglers and the establishment of migrant reception centres on government land, Many migrants are currently being housed in hotels.
It emerged last year that the British government considered sending asylum seekers to Ascension Island, a remote UK territory in the Pacific Ocean, as well as third countries such as Moldova, Morocco and Papua New Guinea.
The government also considered converting disused ferries into processing centres.
The ideas were dismissed as unfeasible, while asylum seeker groups labelled the proposals inhumane.
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How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
- Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
- Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
- Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
- Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
- Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
- The British School Al Khubairat (Abu Dhabi) - Dh54,170
- Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269
*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year
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Starring: Bruce Willis, Toni Collette, Hayley Joel Osment
Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Rating: 5/5
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
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1. Put the social media app in a folder on the second or third screen of your phone so it has to remain a conscious decision to open, rather than something your fingers gravitate towards without consideration.
2. Schedule a time to use social media instead of consistently throughout the day. I recommend setting aside certain times of the day or week when you upload pictures or share information.
3. Take a mental snapshot rather than a photo on your phone. Instead of sharing it with your social world, try to absorb the moment, connect with your feeling, experience the moment with all five of your senses. You will have a memory of that moment more vividly and for far longer than if you take a picture of it.
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Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
West Asia Premiership
Dubai Hurricanes 58-10 Dubai Knights Eagles
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Jebel Ali Dragons 16-56 Abu Dhabi Harlequins
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- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
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