France treaty to return Channel migrants is not ‘silver bullet', Cooper says
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Western Telegraph
an hour ago
- Western Telegraph
Artificial intelligence rollout for police forces to investigate grooming gangs
Officers across all 43 forces in England and Wales will gain access to the investigative technology as part of a £426,000 funding boost for the Tackling Organised Exploitation (TOEX) programme. The intelligence and technical experts support forces investigating complex cases such as organised exploitation of modern slavery, county lines and child sex abuse. Some 13 forces currently have access to their apps, which are said to have been used 12,500 times – saving more than £20 million and 16,000 hours for investigators. Baroness Casey (James Manning/PA) The expansion, announced by the Home Office, comes after Baroness Casey recommended a national police operation to review cold cases, in her rapid audit on grooming gangs published in June. Operation Beaconport has since been established, led by the National Crime Agency, and will be reviewing more than 1,200 closed cases of child sexual exploitation. Safeguarding minister Jess Phillips said: 'The sexual exploitation of children by grooming gangs is one of the most horrific crimes and we must punish perpetrators, provide justice for victims and survivors, and protect today's children from harm. 'Baroness Casey flagged the need to upgrade police information systems to improve investigations and safeguard children at risk. Today we are investing in these critical tools.' The technology being rolled out can translate large amounts of text in foreign languages from mobile phones seized by police, and analyse a mass of digital data to find patterns and relationships between suspects. NCA director general Graeme Biggar said providing reassurance to victims and their families has been a main focus of the national policing operation since June. He added: 'We must and will ensure their voices are heard and collectively, we will restore confidence that the law enforcement response to child sexual exploitation is without fear or favour, is evidence based and not undermined by fears of inflaming community tensions.' The Home Secretary has also written to police forces to make sure they are collecting ethnicity data as recommended by Baroness Casey. The crossbench peer's report found the lack of data showing the ethnicity and nationality of sex offenders in grooming gangs is 'a major failing over the last decade or more'. The audit found that officials had dodged the issue of ethnicity among the groups of sex offenders for fear of being called racist, but there were enough convictions of Asian men 'to have warranted closer examination'. The Government has launched a national inquiry into the abuse and further details are expected to be announced in the coming weeks.
ITV News
2 hours ago
- ITV News
Man accused of lighting cigarette from memorial flame arrested in France
A man who is accused of lighting a cigarette at a major war memorial has been arrested in Paris on Tuesday, according to a French government minister. It comes after a video posted on social media appears to show a man stooping and lighting up in the eternal flame at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, before calmly walking away in front of a group of bystanders. The incident has sparked outrage across France, with officials condemning it as an insult to the memory of fallen soldiers. France's Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau described the act as "indecent and pathetic". "The man who desecrated the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier by lighting a cigarette with the memorial flame was arrested in Paris for violating a burial site, tomb, urn, or monument erected in memory of the dead. He was taken into custody and admitted the facts," he wrote on X. The memorial, which was first unveiled in 1920, contains the remains of a soldier killed in the First World War and serves as a tribute to all of France's fallen troops. "You cannot ridicule French remembrance and get away with it," wrote Patricia Mirallès, Secretary of State for Veterans and Remembrance, on X. "This flame does not light a cigarette, it burns for the sacrifice of millions of our soldiers," said Miralles. "This is an insult to our dead, to our history and to our nation."
Scottish Sun
4 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
Loophole in PM's swap plan means the more bogus an asylum seeker is, the less chance we have of kicking them out
FRENCH FARCE Loophole in PM's swap plan means the more bogus an asylum seeker is, the less chance we have of kicking them out MIGRANTS could dodge deportation under Labour's 'one-in, one-out' swap deal with France by lodging lengthy human rights appeals. The trial, which started yesterday, includes a clause where anyone making a human rights claim cannot be sent back until their case is heard in the courts. Advertisement 3 Small boat migrants could dodge deportation by lodging lengthy human rights appeals Credit: Getty 3 Lawyers will seize on a loophole to get round Sir Keir Starmer's migrant swap plan Credit: Getty 3 France has agreed to take back a limited number of boat migrants, pictured French President Emmanuel Macron Credit: AFP Tories last night warned lawyers will seize on the loophole to delay or block deportations. Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp said: 'This deal is likely to be completely unworkable and will be ruthlessly exploited by lawyers to prevent people being returned to France. 'This deal has no numbers in it — presumably because they are so small. 'Returning just six per cent of illegal immigrants, as reported, will have no deterrent effect whatsoever — because 94 per cent get to stay.' Advertisement READ MORE ON MIGRANTS HERE WE GROW UK's immigration hotspots revealed... how does YOUR hometown fare? France has agreed to take back a limited number of boat migrants — one for each the UK accepts legally from French soil. But conditions must be met before someone is removed. Britain picking up tab And Tories say that even those with human rights claims which have been certified as 'clearly unfounded' by officials cannot be sent back until their case is dealt with in the courts, which could take years. The Home Office denies this is the case. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said the Government won't set targets for how many will be deported. Advertisement She added: 'We will provide regular updates. People will be able to see how many are being detained, how many are returned. It is right we should be transparent. 'But we're not setting the numbers in advance, firstly because there is no fixed number in terms of the overall number of people to come through this system, and secondly because we're not going to provide (gangs) with that operational information.' Watch moment migrant boat arrives on Spain hols beach before they are chased & tackled by angry locals Ministers hope the new route — where migrants in France apply online — will offer a 'safe and legal' alternative to the boats. But those who have already crossed are not eligible, meaning thousands already here won't be affected. Advertisement Only around 50 people a week are expected to be returned, equivalent to only one in every 17 boat arrivals. The new legal route to Britain only applies to people already in France who have not tried to cross illegally. To qualify, they must prove they have close family in the UK, are at risk of being trafficked or exploited, or come from a country with a high level of successful asylum claims, such as Afghanistan. This Starmer/Macron wheeze has zero chance of working. Alp Mehmet, of Migration Watch UK Unaccompanied children, people with criminal records, and anyone who has previously been deported from the UK cannot apply. Advertisement The deal also reveals that Britain is picking up the tab for both directions of travel — paying for the transport of migrants we send back to France and those we bring in legally. Alp Mehmet, of Migration Watch UK, said: 'This Starmer/Macron wheeze has zero chance of working. "It won't discourage migrants, while smugglers will be tempted to pile more people into flimsy vessels.' The deal will remain in force until June 2026. But the legal route can be paused automatically if France slows down on taking people back. Advertisement More than 25,000 migrants have crossed in small boats in 2025, up 49 per cent on the same point last year.
