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Small boat migrants will be allowed to keep their phones, minister says

Small boat migrants will be allowed to keep their phones, minister says

Yahoo2 days ago
Migrants who arrive in Britain on small boats will be able to keep their mobile phones, a minister has said.Dame Angela Eagle, a Home Office minister, said the Government 'doesn't want absolutely every phone' from those who cross the Channel.Ministers unveiled plans in January to crack down on people smuggling by allowing Border Force and immigration enforcement to compel new arrivals to hand over their devices.The proposals in the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill were aimed at helping investigators to identify and track down people-smugglers behind Channel crossings.It would reverse a High Court ruling last year, which said the Home Office had been unlawfully operating a blanket policy of seizing phones from people arriving on small boats.Officials were found to not have parliamentary authority to extract data from phones and retain the devices, which meant those affected were unable to contact family members or access documentation.
Dame Angela said the Home Office would not be seeking the phones of every migrant who arrived on a small boat.
She told Times Radio: 'The Bill, which is in the House of Lords at the moment, will enable us to target those that we think are facilitating.
'So we don't want absolutely every phone, but we do want the phones of the people that we think are organising and facilitating, and this extra money will enable us to do much quicker analytics of the phones that we seize.
'But of course, we've got to get the Border Security Bill on the statute book to give us those extra powers.'
Asylum hotels to close 'by the end of the Parliament'
The Home Office has announced that an extra £100m will be spent on tackling people smuggling, as protests outside asylum hotels continue across the country.
Some of the money will support the 'one in, one out' returns agreement pilot with France, and some will go towards funding extended police powers to seize digital devices.
Demonstrations have occurred outside hotel accommodation in London, Newcastle and Epping in Essex, calling for the sites not to be used to house migrants.
Asked on Sky News what her message was to protesters, Dame Angela said: 'Anger doesn't get you anywhere.
'What we have to do is recognise the values we have in this country, the rule of law we have in this country, the work we're doing with the police to protect people.
'We will close asylum hotels by the end of the Parliament. We'll do it faster if we can.'Robert Jenrick, the shadow justice secretary, said that 'the public's patience with the asylum hotels and with the whole issue of illegal migration has snapped'.Small boat crossings reached 25,000 for the year so far last week, a record milestone for this point in the year.
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U.S. Proposes Visitor Visa Bonds Up To $15,000 To Curb Overstays
U.S. Proposes Visitor Visa Bonds Up To $15,000 To Curb Overstays

Forbes

timean hour ago

  • Forbes

U.S. Proposes Visitor Visa Bonds Up To $15,000 To Curb Overstays

The United States is planning to implement up to a $15,000 visitor visa bond requirement for certain nationals from countries with high visa overstay rates, aiming to ensure their departure after short-term U.S. business or tourist visits. This development, according to a recent notice posted in the Federal Register, represents America's latest approach to addressing the growing issue of its unauthorized immigrant population and the Trump Administration's strategy to balance deterrence with due process in U.S. immigration policy. The New Policy: Cash Collateral for a Promise to Leave According to the notice published in the Federal Register, the new bond rule would apply to applicants from countries considered to have a 'high overstay rate' or 'deficient internal document security,' potentially requiring them to deposit $5,000, $10,000, or $15,000—depending on the country and circumstances—before they are issued a visa for tourism or business under the B-1 or B-2 categories. The measure is intended to deter would-be overstays, a demographic that has quietly become a central component of the U.S.'s unauthorized immigrant population. Unlike border crossers, these individuals arrive legally—often by air—and remain after their visa expires. Overstays Now Drive Undocumented Immigration While images of migrants crossing the U.S.-Mexico border dominate the news, visa overstays have surpassed illegal border crossings as the main method of undocumented entry. According to the Pew Research Center, as of 2017, nearly two-thirds of newly arrived unauthorized immigrants came from countries outside of Mexico and Central America, where overstays, not border crossings, are more were more than 30 overstays for every border apprehension among nationals of countries outside Mexico and Central America in that year. This subtle shift demonstrates why policymakers are now focusing on visa control mechanisms, including financial deterrents like bonds. Who Are the Overstayers And What Do They Do? Most visa overstayers are not typical criminals. They often work, raise families, and pay taxes, even without legal status. The Pew data shows that a growing majority of these immigrants have lived in the U.S. for more than ten years, integrating into the economic and social fabric of American life. As of 2017, over 65% of unauthorized immigrants had been in the U.S. for a decade or longer; for Mexican-born immigrants, that figure increased to over 80%. Many of these individuals entered with valid visas—such as for tourism, study, or business—and later chose not to leave. Whether motivated by economic opportunities, fear of persecution, or family commitments, they become part of an undocumented population living in legal uncertainty, facing complex and often punitive consequences. Consequences of Overstay: The Hidden Penalties U.S. immigration law enforces a strict regime on those who overstay their authorized visit. These include: These penalties can be severe and often misunderstood, especially since many travellers confuse the expiry date of their visa with the actual permitted stay listed on the CBP I-94 record. Will The Visitor Visa Bond Requirement Work? While the visa bond scheme may reduce overstays by applying financial pressure, critics warn of unintended consequences. First, $15,000 is an unaffordable amount for many travellers, especially from the Global South. Such a requirement might establish a two-tiered system of mobility: one for the wealthy and another for everyone else. Similar proposals in the past were dropped due to worries about administrative complexity and perceived unfairness. Second, the bond does not address the root causes of overstays. Many individuals remain out of necessity, not due to willful disobedience , but because of sudden changes in personal or political circumstances—including armed conflict, economic collapse, or family emergencies. Others stay to care for family members, including U.S. citizen children or relatives. Third, overstays are seldom enforced through detention or deportation. The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency has limited resources and primarily concentrates on criminal removals. Most overstayers remain in the U.S. undetected unless they come into contact with law enforcement. Visa Waiver Countries It is notable that citizens from over 40 mostly European countries benefit from the Visa Waiver Program, allowing up to 90 days of travel without a visa. The same applies to Canadians. None of these travellers will face this new rule, and they will not need to post a bond. This selective application of the rules may raise questions about fairness and human rights, especially if the targeted countries are mainly from the Global South. Requiring bonds from Nigerians or Pakistanis while exempting Germans and Australians risks reinforcing perceptions of discrimination. A Solution Seeking a Problem? Despite the rhetoric surrounding border control, the total number of unauthorized immigrants has decreased since its peak in 2007. In 2017, the figure was around 10.5 million, down from 12.2 million. Furthermore, many overstayers eventually regularize their status through asylum, marriage to a Canadian citizen, or employment-based adjustment—especially in cases where no fraud was involved. What Now? If the U.S. government's goal is to reduce visa overstays, there are other alternatives that could be employed. A more effective approach might involve: A visitor visa bond requirement for up to $ 15,000 for visiting Disneyland or attending a conference might deter overstays, but it could also exclude honest visitors, reduce tourism, and increase perceptions of American hostility overseas. In trying to fix one issue, the U.S. may be creating several more.

Prince Harry reprimanded for crisis at charity
Prince Harry reprimanded for crisis at charity

Yahoo

timean hour ago

  • Yahoo

Prince Harry reprimanded for crisis at charity

The Duke of Sussex has lost his battle for control of the charity he set up in his mother's memory as a watchdog criticised him for his part in a 'damaging' bullying row. Sentebale, which Prince Harry co-founded in 2006, was thrown into crisis in March when Dr Sophie Chandauka, its chairman, made claims of harassment and misogyny, triggering the resignations of the Prince as patron and several trustees. A Charity Commission investigation into the affair has found problems with Sentebale's governance and rebuked 'all parties' involved for allowing the spat to play out in public, but ruled that Dr Chandauka and the current board could remain in place, meaning she has emerged victorious. The Prince is said to be 'utterly devastated' by what he regards as a 'hostile takeover' of the charity, and has signalled that his split from Sentebale is now permanent. The Duke hit back at the commission's findings, saying its investigation had fallen 'troublingly short' and that the 'consequences of [Dr Chandauka's] actions will not be borne by her but by the children who rely on Sentebale's support'. It is a bitter blow for the Prince, who set up the charity with Prince Seeiso of Lesotho to continue the work of Harry's late mother, Diana, Princess of Wales, by supporting children with HIV/Aids. The row began when Dr Chandauka was asked to step down following disagreements about fundraising, including accusations that she had spent £500,000 on consultants to find wealthy donors in the US, which she denied. She responded by suing the charity and reporting it to the Charity Commission, alleging bullying, harassment, misogyny and 'misogynoir' – discrimination against black women. That triggered the resignations of Prince Harry, Prince Seeiso and several trustees. The commission said in a statement: 'The regulator has criticised all parties to the dispute for allowing it to play out publicly, and further concluded that the then trustees' failure to resolve disputes internally severely impacted the charity's reputation and risked undermining public trust in charities more generally.' The commission said it had found no evidence of widespread or systematic bullying or harassment, including misogyny or misogynoir, but it 'acknowledged the strong perception of ill treatment felt by a number of parties to the dispute and the impact this may have had on them personally'. Harry carries on the spat In a statement, a spokesman for the Duke said: 'Sentebale has been a deeply personal and transformative mission for Prince Harry, established to serve some of the most vulnerable children in Lesotho and Botswana.' In his response to the report, the Duke continued the public spat by describing Sentebale as a 'once brilliant charity' that had helped more than 100,000 children during his time as patron. He said he would 'now focus on finding new ways to continue supporting the children of Lesotho and Botswana'. A friend of the Prince said he could not now see any way the Prince could ever return to Sentebale. After carrying out a compliance investigation into Sentebale, the watchdog issued it with a regulatory action plan 'to address governance weaknesses' after finding that there had been 'mismanagement in the administration of the charity'. It did not escalate the investigation to a statutory inquiry, meaning Dr Chandauka will be allowed to address the issues with a largely new board of trustees whom the commission said had been 'validly appointed'. In a television interview, Dr Chandauka complained about her treatment by Prince Harry, citing an incident at the end of a charity polo match in Miami last year. Television footage showed the Duchess of Sussex apparently asking her to switch places from her position next to the Duke during the prizegiving. Dr Chandauka had to duck under a trophy in an awkward moment that prompted questions from the media about the Duchess's behaviour. Credit: Social media She said earlier this year: 'Prince Harry asked me to issue some sort of a statement in support of the Duchess and I said I wouldn't. Not because I didn't care about the Duchess, but because I knew what would happen if I did so, and because we cannot be an extension of the Sussexes.' She said that as tensions between the Sussexes and the Royal family grew, it became harder to raise funds for the charity and she had been a victim of 'this unleashing of the Sussex machine'. The commission found no evidence of over-reach by the Duke of Sussex as patron of the charity, but was 'critical of the charity's lack of clarity in delegations to the chair which allowed for misunderstandings to occur'. This lack of clarity around roles, and around internal policies, had exacerbated tensions, which culminated in the dispute. In a series of criticisms, the commission found that the delegation of certain powers to Dr Chanduaka was 'a confusing, convoluted and poorly governed process'; that the then-trustees did not have a proper complaints process in place; and that it was 'not satisfied that public statements made to the media and public criticism made in television interviews were conducted in a way that served the charity's best interests'. In future, it said, the charity should have a clearly defined patron role set out in writing. The commission found that: 'All the charity's then-trustees contributed to a missed opportunity to resolve issues which led to the dispute. The regulator observed that strategic and financial difficulties that had emerged for the charity following the Covid-19 pandemic contributed to the tensions that arose.' As well as improving internal processes, Sentebale was told of 'the importance of the trustees securing sufficient funding to enable the charity to deliver for its beneficiaries'. David Holdsworth, the chief executive of the commission, said in his report that: 'Sentebale's problems played out in the public eye, enabling a damaging dispute to harm the charity's reputation, risk overshadowing its many achievements, and jeopardising the charity's ability to deliver for the very beneficiaries it was created to serve. 'Passion for a cause is the bedrock of volunteering and charity, delivering positive impact for millions of people here at home and abroad every day. However, in the rare cases when things go wrong, it is often because that very passion has become a weakness rather than a strength. 'This case highlights what can happen when there are gaps in governance and policies critical to charities' ability to deliver for their cause. As a result, we have issued the charity a regulatory action plan to make needed improvements and rectify findings of mismanagement. 'Moving forward I urge all parties not to lose sight of those who rely on the charity's services. The current trustees must now make improvements and ensure the charity focuses on delivering for those it exists to serve.' Sentebale's latest accounts, for the year ended August 31 2023, show that its total income was £3.4 million and it spent £3.78m. The Prince donated £1.2m from the proceeds of his autobiography, Spare, which was published in 2023. Solve the daily Crossword

Harry and others criticised in Charity Commission report
Harry and others criticised in Charity Commission report

Yahoo

timean hour ago

  • Yahoo

Harry and others criticised in Charity Commission report

The Duke of Sussex and others have been criticised by the Charity Commission for letting a 'damaging' boardroom battle play out in the 'public eye' and harm the reputation of a good cause co-founded by Harry. The charity regulator investigated Sentebale after founders Harry and Prince Seeiso stepped down as its patrons in support of a group of trustees, who resigned following a dispute with board of trustees chairwoman Dr Sophie Chandauka. The watchdog criticised all parties in the fallout for allowing it to play out publicly and described how all trustees contributed to a 'missed opportunity' to resolve the issues that that led to the serious disagreement that risked undermining public trust in charities generally. Harry's spokesperson attacked the findings, saying the report '…falls troublingly short in many regards, primarily the fact that the consequences of the current chair's actions will not be borne by her – but by the children who rely on Sentebale's support'. Dr Chandauka said: 'The unexpected adverse media campaign that was launched by those who resigned on 24 March 2025 has caused incalculable damage and offers a glimpse of the unacceptable behaviours displayed in private. 'We are emerging not just grateful to have survived, but stronger: more focused, better governed, boldly ambitious and with our dignity intact.' The fallout came after Sentebale's trustees sought in 2023 to introduce a new fundraising strategy, with the dispute arising between Dr Chandauka and some of the trustees and Harry, said the regulator. A war of words followed the resignations with Harry and Seeiso issuing a joint statement in March, describing their decision as 'unthinkable', adding the trustees 'acted in the best interest of the charity in asking the chair to step down' while 'in turn, she sued the charity to remain in this voluntary position, further underscoring the broken relationship'. Dr Chandauka hit back in a television interview accusing the duke of being 'involved' in a 'cover-up' of an investigation about bullying, harassment and misogyny at the organisation and said the 'toxicity' of his brand had impacted the charity which had seen a drop in donors since Harry moved to the US. The regulator, which cannot investigate individual allegations of bullying, found no evidence of systemic bullying or harassment, including misogyny or misogynoir at the charity but acknowledged 'the strong perception of ill treatment' felt by some involved. David Holdsworth, chief executive of the Charity Commission, said: 'Passion for a cause is the bedrock of volunteering and charity, delivering positive impact for millions of people here at home and abroad every day. 'However, in the rare cases when things go wrong, it is often because that very passion has become a weakness rather than a strength. 'Sentebale's problems played out in the public eye, enabling a damaging dispute to harm the charity's reputation, risk overshadowing its many achievements, and jeopardising the charity's ability to deliver for the very beneficiaries it was created to serve.' Harry founded charity Sentebale in 2006 with Prince Seeiso of Lesotho to help young people and children in southern Africa, particularly those living with HIV and Aids. The duke's spokesperson said Harry would find alternatives to helping the children supported by Sentebale in Lesotho and Botswana. He said: 'As custodians of this once brilliant charity, Prince Seeiso, Prince Harry and the former board of trustees helped grow Sentebale from the seed of an idea to – like its namesake – a flowering force for good. 'With the original mission of Sentebale firmly in mind – and in honour of the legacy he and Prince Seeiso began – the Duke of Sussex will now focus on finding new ways to continue supporting the children of Lesotho and Botswana.' The commission's role as regulator was not to adjudicate on internal charity disputes and the case sought to establish whether the charity's former and current trustees, including the chair, fulfilled their duties under charity law. After conducting its regulatory compliance case the commission found no evidence of 'over-reach' by either the chairwoman or Harry in his role as patron. But the regulator was critical of the charity's lack of clarity in the delegation of powers to the chair, which allowed for misunderstandings to occur, and trustees at the time did not have proper policies to investigate internal complaints – both issues amounted to 'mismanagement' in the running of the charity. The commission has issued a regulatory action plan setting out steps trustees need to take, including implementing an internal dispute policy, improving the charity's complaints and whistle-blowing procedures, and establishing clearer processes for delegating authority on behalf of the charity. Sentebale said in a statement that since the start of the year the senior executive were now established in southern Africa, closer to operations. It said the action plan aligned with the board's thinking with a new internal complaints procedure in place, alongside a code of conduct for trustees and a new approach to the delegation of responsibilities so that roles were clearly defined, including any future patron relationships. Dr Chandauka said: 'Despite the recent turbulence, we will always be inspired by the vision of our founders, Prince Harry and Prince Seeiso, who established Sentebale in memory of their precious mothers, Princess Diana and Queen 'Mamohato. 'To all who believe in our mission: please walk with us as Sentebale recovers, renews, and rises to meet the hopes and expectations of the next generation.'

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