A British fisherman who works in the English Channel has claimed French authorities are “escorting” boats of migrants towards the UK.
This is despite France agreeing to prevent illegal crossings under a deal with the UK.
The skipper’s claim came as dozens of migrants, including babies, landed on south-east England's shores on Tuesday, hours after leaving French beaches in small boats.
After the number of new arrivals reportedly hit 1,000 on Monday, Home Secretary Priti Patel threatened to withdraw a £54 million ($74.3m) in funding promised to the French to halt crossings.
Fisherman Matt Coker said French patrol boats appeared to be aiding migrants in making illegal crossings rather than stopping them.
Speaking to BBC Radio 4, Mr Coker said he believed Wednesday would be another busy day on the shipping route for migrant boats.
Chatter on his boat’s radio already sounded “quite busy” with reports of possible crossings, he said.
The fisherman said he often sees French patrol boats “escorting [migrant boats] across from France into UK waters” where they are intercepted by the UK’s Border Force and brought ashore.
“I’m not sure … the French are stopping them, as they seem to be sort of bringing them across,” he said.
It is clear that people smugglers have become more sophisticated in their lucrative businesses, Mr Coker said.
“It’s changed really compared to what it used to be three or four years ago when it all started.
“They used to come across in small two-metre to four-metre inflatables with maybe 10 or a dozen people on board,” Mr Coker said, “whereas now they’re using large inflatables which carry 40, 50 sometimes 60 people.”
A 17-year-old Eritrean boy was among the dozens of migrants to arrive on Dungeness beach in Kent on Tuesday, on board a Royal National Lifeboat Institution rescue vessel.
The teenager said he felt very happy to have reached his destination.
Thousands of economic migrants from the east African country have in recent years crossed the Mediterranean illegally to seek a new life in Europe.
Other new arrivals were seen kneeling in apparent prayer on Dungeness beach as they arrived on British soil. One woman told a reporter she was from Iran.
Two babies were among the migrants ferried ashore by RNLI vessels, after the boats in which they were travelling were intercepted at sea.
Ms Patel on Tuesday threatened to withhold a funding package pledged to French authorities for their assistance in preventing migrant crossings.
She is expected to discuss the issue with French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin in London on Wednesday at a meeting of G7 ministers.
Ms Patel and Mr Darmanin this year announced an agreement to more than double the number of police patrolling French beaches.
As part of the deal, ministers pledged to give France £54m to support its efforts. It is understood that none of the money has yet been paid.
France has banned the sale of inflatable dinghies and kayaks in Channel towns in a bid to deter people traffickers but smugglers are reported to be ordering these online instead.
Health Secretary Sajid Javid, a former home secretary, stressed the need for the government to work with the French authorities.
“When I was home secretary I was working with the French on the same issue and my experience is that it’s really good to co-operate,” he told Sky News on Wednesday.
“This is a joint problem between the French and the British and I think it makes absolute sense to work together to share intelligence to see what you can do.”
Prime Minister Boris Johnson's spokesman said UK and French officials were “working on the implementation” of the deal and that “significant”
“Following a long period of poor weather, we have seen an increase in crossings as criminal gangs seek to exploit the improved sea conditions," he said.
“This is still extremely dangerous. We remain determined to fix the broken asylum system and break the business model of people smugglers who put lives at risk, and welcome people through safe and legal routes.”
At least 12,500 people have crossed the Channel to the UK in 2021, PA news agency data showed.
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
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
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Bayern Munich v Real Madrid
When: April 25, 10.45pm kick-off (UAE)
Where: Allianz Arena, Munich
Live: BeIN Sports HD
Second leg: May 1, Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid
MATCH INFO
Austria 2
Hinteregger (53'), Schopf (69')
Germany 1
Ozil (11')
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 Wednesday and the pair embraced but he failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
POSSIBLE ENGLAND EURO 2020 SQUAD
Goalkeepers: Jordan Pickford, Nick Pope, Dean Henderson.
Defenders: Trent Alexander-Arnold, Kieran Trippier, Joe Gomez, John Stones, Harry Maguire, Tyrone Mings, Ben Chilwell, Fabian Delph.
Midfielders: Declan Rice, Harry Winks, Jordan Henderson, Ross Barkley, Mason Mount, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.
Forwards: Harry Kane, Raheem Sterling, Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho, Tammy Abraham, Callum Hudson-Odoi.
'Panga'
Directed by Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari
Starring Kangana Ranaut, Richa Chadha, Jassie Gill, Yagya Bhasin, Neena Gupta
Rating: 3.5/5
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
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
Engine: four-litre V6 and 3.5-litre V6 twin-turbo
Transmission: six-speed and 10-speed
Power: 271 and 409 horsepower
Torque: 385 and 650Nm
Price: from Dh229,900 to Dh355,000
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 alternatives
• Founded in 2014, Telr is a payment aggregator and gateway with an office in Silicon Oasis. It’s e-commerce entry plan costs Dh349 monthly (plus VAT). QR codes direct customers to an online payment page and merchants can generate payments through messaging apps.
• Business Bay’s Pallapay claims 40,000-plus active merchants who can invoice customers and receive payment by card. Fees range from 1.99 per cent plus Dh1 per transaction depending on payment method and location, such as online or via UAE mobile.
• Tap started in May 2013 in Kuwait, allowing Middle East businesses to bill, accept, receive and make payments online “easier, faster and smoother” via goSell and goCollect. It supports more than 10,000 merchants. Monthly fees range from US$65-100, plus card charges of 2.75-3.75 per cent and Dh1.2 per sale.
• 2checkout’s “all-in-one payment gateway and merchant account” accepts payments in 200-plus markets for 2.4-3.9 per cent, plus a Dh1.2-Dh1.8 currency conversion charge. The US provider processes online shop and mobile transactions and has 17,000-plus active digital commerce users.
• PayPal is probably the best-known online goods payment method - usually used for eBay purchases - but can be used to receive funds, providing everyone’s signed up. Costs from 2.9 per cent plus Dh1.2 per transaction.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
Kandahar%20
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The schedule
December 5 - 23: Shooting competition, Al Dhafra Shooting Club
December 9 - 24: Handicrafts competition, from 4pm until 10pm, Heritage Souq
December 11 - 20: Dates competition, from 4pm
December 12 - 20: Sour milk competition
December 13: Falcon beauty competition
December 14 and 20: Saluki races
December 15: Arabian horse races, from 4pm
December 16 - 19: Falconry competition
December 18: Camel milk competition, from 7.30 - 9.30 am
December 20 and 21: Sheep beauty competition, from 10am
December 22: The best herd of 30 camels
