Liz Truss said the Royal Navy would “absolutely” continue to play a role in tackling migrant crossings on the English Channel if she becomes the next British prime minister.
“It is an absolute priority to make sure we deal with the issue of small boats and the appalling trade by people traffickers," the Conservatives' leadership frontrunner said in Elgin, Scotland, before the latest hustings event.
“And I will use every tool at my disposal if I am selected as prime minister to make that happen.”
The Royal Navy this week said it was firming up plans to end its role in trying to prevent migrants crossing the English Channel.
Four months ago, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the first navy ships would patrol the busy waterway and help to ensure that “no boat makes it to the UK undetected”.
Since then, the number of migrants reaching the UK's southern coast has risen to more than 20,000 and the government has announced the Rwanda deportation plan, in part to act as a deterrent for migrants using the dangerous Channel route.
Migrant crossings on the Channel surge amid heatwave - in pictures
Policing the English Channel has turned the hard-pressed navy into a “super taxi service” for migrants at a time when its ships are needed for other key military duties, MPs said.
The new prime minister, either Foreign Secretary Ms Truss or former chancellor Rishi Sunak, will have to decide whether to overrule military advisers.
Both Conservative leadership contenders have said the Channel migrant crisis would be a top priority if they secured the keys to Downing Street.
Despite the navy policing the Channel, the number of migrant crossings has already doubled this year.
But Home Office officials are said to be concerned that a sudden end to the navy’s role could send the wrong message to people smugglers.
Nearly 700 migrants cross English Channel beating 2022 record - in pictures
“As planned, defence support to the Home Office will continue until January 2023, at which point the operational and wider arrangements will be reviewed," a Ministry of Defence spokesman told The National.
“We are working across government to ensure the conditions are set for defence to hand the task back to the Home Office following the review.
"This includes supporting training and capability development."
The ministry said the original idea had been for a January 31 end to the operation but it was also possible the plan could be reviewed.
Last week it was announced that the ministry had sunk plans for an asylum camp at a base in North Yorkshire, a centrepiece of Home Secretary Priti Patel’s plans to reduce the £3 million ($3.6m) daily cost of housing migrants in hotels.
A day earlier, Mr Sunak, a local MP in North Yorkshire, had declared his opposition to it.
Afghan migrant documents dangerous journey across Channel - video
The government gave the ministry £50m in April to take charge of the Channel migrant crisis.
An 80-metre offshore patrol vessel was to support Border Force interceptions, along with six fast training boats, three rigid-hulled inflatables and a Wildcat helicopter.
The vessels were first used in Operation Isotope as Mr Johnson unveiled plans to deport Channel migrants to Rwanda to claim asylum in the central African state and break the people-smugglers’ business.
The navy would continue with the operation “until the deterrent effect is achieved and the cross-Channel route for small boats collapses”, James Heappey, the Armed Forces Minister, told MPs in January.
The navy’s main role has been to co-ordinate Border Force and coastguard vessels at sea to rescue migrants and take them ashore, with sailors quayside to shepherd people to migrant-processing centres.
More than 200 migrants cross English Channel after pause in journeys - video
But senior MPs and Border Force officials say that the operation failed to stem the flow of migrants and distracted navy resources from other duties at a time of heightened tension with Russia.
Tobias Ellwood, chairman of the House of Commons defence committee, told the Telegraph it was a “folly project” by Downing Street to distract from the issue that attempts to stem the flow of migrants across the Channel had failed.
“There was never any clear rationale as to what role they would do," said John Spellar, a former Labour armed forces minister.
"They ended up providing a super taxi service that they had to do under centuries-old laws of the sea to save lives. It was an utterly flawed intervention."
Test
Director: S Sashikanth
Cast: Nayanthara, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, R Madhavan
Star rating: 2/5
LA LIGA FIXTURES
Saturday (All UAE kick-off times)
Valencia v Atletico Madrid (midnight)
Mallorca v Alaves (4pm)
Barcelona v Getafe (7pm)
Villarreal v Levante (9.30pm)
Sunday
Granada v Real Volladolid (midnight)
Sevilla v Espanyol (3pm)
Leganes v Real Betis (5pm)
Eibar v Real Sociedad (7pm)
Athletic Bilbao v Osasuna (9.30pm)
Monday
Real Madrid v Celta Vigo (midnight)
What are the GCSE grade equivalents?
- Grade 9 = above an A*
- Grade 8 = between grades A* and A
- Grade 7 = grade A
- Grade 6 = just above a grade B
- Grade 5 = between grades B and C
- Grade 4 = grade C
- Grade 3 = between grades D and E
- Grade 2 = between grades E and F
- Grade 1 = between grades F and G
Some of Darwish's last words
"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008
His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.
2018 ICC World Twenty20 Asian Western Regional Qualifier
The top three teams progress to the Asia Qualifier
Final: UAE beat Qatar by nine wickets
Third-place play-off: Kuwait beat Saudi Arabia by five runs
Table
1 UAE 5 5 0 10
2 Qatar 5 4 1 8
3 Saudi 5 3 2 6
4 Kuwait 5 2 3 4
5 Bahrain 5 1 4 2
6 Maldives 5 0 5 0
The Lost Letters of William Woolf
Helen Cullen, Graydon House
Auron Mein Kahan Dum Tha
Starring: Ajay Devgn, Tabu, Shantanu Maheshwari, Jimmy Shergill, Saiee Manjrekar
Director: Neeraj Pandey
Rating: 2.5/5
'Morbius'
Director: Daniel Espinosa
Stars: Jared Leto, Matt Smith, Adria Arjona
Rating: 2/5
How to avoid crypto fraud
- Use unique usernames and passwords while enabling multi-factor authentication.
- Use an offline private key, a physical device that requires manual activation, whenever you access your wallet.
- Avoid suspicious social media ads promoting fraudulent schemes.
- Only invest in crypto projects that you fully understand.
- Critically assess whether a project’s promises or returns seem too good to be true.
- Only use reputable platforms that have a track record of strong regulatory compliance.
- Store funds in hardware wallets as opposed to online exchanges.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
The Al Barzakh Festival takes place on Wednesday and Thursday at 7.30pm in the Red Theatre, NYUAD, Saadiyat Island. Tickets cost Dh105 for adults from platinumlist.net
The%20specs%3A%20Panamera%20Turbo%20E-Hybrid
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E4.0-litre%20twin-turbo%20V8%20hybrid%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E680hp%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E930Nm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EEight-speed%20dual-clutch%20auto%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFrom%20Dh749%2C000%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENow%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
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%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2.9-litre%20twin-turbo%20V6%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E353hp%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E500Nm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EEight-speed%20dual-clutch%20auto%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFrom%20Dh408%2C200%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Now%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Drishyam 2
Directed by: Jeethu Joseph
Starring: Mohanlal, Meena, Ansiba, Murali Gopy
Rating: 4 stars
How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
