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Figures show rise in numbers unable to access legal aid lawyer, with knock-on implications for clearing backlog Keir Starmer’s pledge to clear the asylum backlog is under threat because of a shortage of legal aid solicitors, experts have said. More than 54,000 people seeking asylum or appealing against a refusal in a tribunal in England […]

Over 20,000 people have crossed the English Channel in small boats since Labour entered office, latest official figures have confirmed. The milestone has been reached in the five months since July’s election, after a big uptick in crossings this October compared to last year. The number of crossings this year is still below those seen

Angela Eagle said short-term solution necessary despite Labour election pledge to end use of accommodation The asylum system would “descend into chaos” if Labour refused to open more hotels for people seeking refuge in the UK, a Home Office minister has told the Guardian. Angela Eagle, the minister for borders, security and asylum, said officials had been

Two men have pleaded guilty midway through their trial to people smuggling. Dilshad Shamo, 41, and Ali Khdir, 40, were convicted for their roles in an operation which ran through Europe labelled “Tripadvisor for people smugglers”. They brought about 100 migrants illegally to Europe each week, over a period of two years. The pair –

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – Iraq’s President Abdul Latif Rashid on Wednesday warned of escalating natural disasters citing “frequent droughts, floods, and rising temperatures” impacting all parts of the country due to climate change. “Climate has changed, and there have been floods in some places where it never happened before. Unfortunately, the temperatures are rising. We

Only by working to address internal issues can the KRI hope to stem the tide of both irregular migration and the loss of its most valuable human capital. The Mediterranean Sea, once a symbol of trade and prosperity, has become a watery grave for thousands of migrants desperate to escape the harsh realities of their

The PM echoes Tony Blair in his pledge to be tough on crime – but he is less interested in the causes behind the Channel crossings Enver Solomon is chief executive of the Refugee Council It may not be one of the government’s five stated missions, but Keir Starmer is making disrupting the criminal gangs behind

Insiders tell of confusion over the Government’s ‘Border Security Command’ and warn people smugglers will just adapt and carry on Home Office officials do not believe Labour’s plan to “smash the gangs” will work as a way of bringing down illegal migration to the UK, i can reveal. They say that civil servants in the department have been

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – Addressing climate change is important for the future of Iraq, so the country’s environment ministry on Thursday underscored joint initiatives currently underway supported by the German development agency (GIZ). “Climate change is one of the top priorities of the Iraqi government and one of the most important sectors of the governmental

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – A French court on Tuesday sentenced 18 people, mostly Iraqi Kurds, to prison terms of up to 15 years for operating a smuggling network that transported migrants across the English Channel to the United Kingdom. The trial, held in the northern city of Lille near France’s border with Belgium, nearly 100