The leader of the UK's Labour Party, Keir Starmer, has criticised the government's new Illegal Migration Bill, saying it will not stop small boats crossing the English Channel.
The bill, which was introduced by Home Secretary Suella Braverman, has its second reading in the House of Commons on Monday.
Mr Starmer said that the way to stop the boats is to tackle the criminal gangs who are driving the trade, which requires the establishment of a cross-border police unit.
He said there was also a need for a migrant returns agreement, which Prime Minister Rishi Sunak failed to secure during his recent trip to France.
“We have got to speed up the asylum processing," Mr Starmer said.
“My fear here is the government isn't actually tacking the situation, it is just trying to create political divides. That is no way to govern.”
Conservative MP Chris Skidmore has also spoken out against the bill, saying that he will not vote for it in the Commons.
The backbencher said he had concerns about breaking international law and human rights conventions, which the UK has a proud history of establishing.
Ms Braverman said that people crossing the Channel on small boats had “overwhelmed our asylum system”.
She said that stopping the boats was the government's top priority, and that the bill was supported by most British people.
“The British public know that border security is national security; that illegal migration makes us all less safe," Ms Braverman told the Commons.
“They know that the financial and social costs of uncontrolled and illegal migration are unsustainable.
"They know if our borders are to mean anything we must control who comes into this country and the terms under which they remain here."
She said the current system was unfair to vulnerable people and those who played by the rules.
During the debate, Conservative MP Mark Jenkinson accused Labour MPs of being “pro-open borders and unlimited immigration”, and of putting themselves “on the side of the criminals rather than the side of the public”.
Ms Braverman accused opposition MPs of being “naive do-gooders” who would rather prevent the removal of foreign national offenders than vote in favour of the government's measures.
Despite opposition from some MPs, the Illegal Migration Bill is expected to pass its second reading.
If it becomes law, the bill will give Border Force officials greater powers to intercept and return small boats crossing the Channel, and would make it easier to prosecute people smugglers.
EMERGENCY PHONE NUMBERS
Estijaba – 8001717 – number to call to request coronavirus testing
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Ambulance – 998
Knowledge and Human Development Authority – 8005432 ext. 4 for Covid-19 queries
Hamilton profile
Age 32
Country United Kingdom
Grands Prix entered 198
Pole positions 67
Wins 57
Podiums 110
Points 2,423
World Championships 3
The specs
Engine: Dual 180kW and 300kW front and rear motors
Power: 480kW
Torque: 850Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh359,900 ($98,000)
On sale: Now
TRAP
Starring: Josh Hartnett, Saleka Shyamalan, Ariel Donaghue
Director: M Night Shyamalan
Rating: 3/5
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
Company name: Play:Date
Launched: March 2017 on UAE Mother’s Day
Founder: Shamim Kassibawi
Based: Dubai with operations in the UAE and US
Sector: Tech
Size: 20 employees
Stage of funding: Seed
Investors: Three founders (two silent co-founders) and one venture capital fund
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Sanju
Produced: Vidhu Vinod Chopra, Rajkumar Hirani
Director: Rajkumar Hirani
Cast: Ranbir Kapoor, Vicky Kaushal, Paresh Rawal, Anushka Sharma, Manish’s Koirala, Dia Mirza, Sonam Kapoor, Jim Sarbh, Boman Irani
Rating: 3.5 stars
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A Cat, A Man, and Two Women
Junichiro Tamizaki
Translated by Paul McCarthy
Daunt Books
Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
Tax authority targets shisha levy evasion
The Federal Tax Authority will track shisha imports with electronic markers to protect customers and ensure levies have been paid.
Khalid Ali Al Bustani, director of the tax authority, on Sunday said the move is to "prevent tax evasion and support the authority’s tax collection efforts".
The scheme’s first phase, which came into effect on 1st January, 2019, covers all types of imported and domestically produced and distributed cigarettes. As of May 1, importing any type of cigarettes without the digital marks will be prohibited.
He said the latest phase will see imported and locally produced shisha tobacco tracked by the final quarter of this year.
"The FTA also maintains ongoing communication with concerned companies, to help them adapt their systems to meet our requirements and coordinate between all parties involved," he said.
As with cigarettes, shisha was hit with a 100 per cent tax in October 2017, though manufacturers and cafes absorbed some of the costs to prevent prices doubling.
Our legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
War 2
Director: Ayan Mukerji
Stars: Hrithik Roshan, NTR, Kiara Advani, Ashutosh Rana
Rating: 2/5
Opening Rugby Championship fixtures: Games can be watched on OSN Sports
Saturday: Australia v New Zealand, Sydney, 1pm (UAE)
Sunday: South Africa v Argentina, Port Elizabeth, 11pm (UAE)
ENGLAND%20SQUAD
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Al Jazira's foreign quartet for 2017/18
Romarinho, Brazil
Lassana Diarra, France
Sardor Rashidov, Uzbekistan
Mbark Boussoufa, Morocco
The%20specs
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MATCH INFO
Wales 1 (Bale 45 3')
Croatia 1 (Vlasic 09')
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Lamsa
Founder: Badr Ward
Launched: 2014
Employees: 60
Based: Abu Dhabi
Sector: EdTech
Funding to date: $15 million
Dhadak 2
Director: Shazia Iqbal
Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri
Rating: 1/5
The Florida Project
Director: Sean Baker
Starring: Bria Vinaite, Brooklynn Prince, Willem Dafoe
Four stars
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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The specs: 2017 Maserati Quattroporte
Price, base / as tested Dh389,000 / Dh559,000
Engine 3.0L twin-turbo V8
Transmission Eight-speed automatic
Power 530hp @ 6,800rpm
Torque 650Nm @ 2,000 rpm
Fuel economy, combined 10.7L / 100km
