Latest news with #BritishNationals
The Independent
10-07-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Physical threat of attacks from Iran on people living in UK has ‘increased significantly', watchdog warns
The threat of physical attacks by Iran on people living in the UK has increased "significantly" since 2022, Parliament's intelligence watchdog has warned. In a report published on Thursday, Parliament's Intelligence and Security Committee described the threat from Iran as "persistent" and "unpredictable". The committee found the "physical threat" from Iran had "significantly increased", focused on Iranian dissidents and Jewish and Israeli interests, and was now "comparable with the threat posed by Russia". It also warned that the nuclear threat from Iran had increased since the US withdrew from a key international agreement in 2018, arguing that de-escalation "must be a priority". The report from the nine-member committee, which scrutinises the work of Britain's intelligence agencies, only covers the period up to August 2023 and publication was delayed by last year's election. Between the beginning of 2022 and the end of the committee's evidence-gathering in August 2023, the report found there had been at least 15 attempts at murder or kidnap against British nationals or UK residents. The committee urged the Government to make clear to Tehran that such attempts would "constitute an attack on the UK and would receive the appropriate response". Committee chairman Lord Beamish said: "Iran poses a wide-ranging, persistent and unpredictable threat to the UK, UK nationals and UK interests". Describing Iran's "high appetite for risk when conducting offensive activity", he added: "As the committee was told, Iran is there across the full spectrum of all the kinds of threats we have to be concerned with." His committee also recommended that the Government consider whether it was "legally possible and practicable" to proscribe Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organisation and make a full statement to Parliament on the issue. Ministers have faced calls in recent years to ban the IRGC, but the committee recognised there were "complexities inherent" in such a decision. Since August 2023, the international picture has changed with the outbreak of war following Hamas 's attack on Israel in October of that year. The war has seen Iranian proxies such as Hamas and Hezbollah weakened, while last month the US and Israel carried out air strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities over concerns Tehran was close to developing a nuclear weapon. But the committee insisted that, despite these changes, its recommendations remained "relevant". The committee warned that, while Iran had neither developed a nuclear weapon nor decided to produce one by August 2023, it had taken steps towards that goal in recent years. It found that Iran had been "broadly compliant" with the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) that limited its nuclear ambitions. But since the US under Donald Trump withdrew from the deal in 2018, the threat of a nuclear Iran had increased and Tehran "had the capability to arm in a relatively short period". It also warned that the UK remained a target for Iranian espionage, which it found was "narrower in scope and scale" and "less sophisticated" than the threat from Russia and China. And while Iran had engaged in political interference activity, it said this had had "a negligible effect". But the report cautioned that Iran-backed cultural and educational centres such as the Islamic Centre of England could be being used to "promote violent and extremist ideology". The committee said it was also "essential" to "raise the resilience bar" on cybersecurity across the UK in the face of Iran's willingness to carry out digital attacks. Regarding the Government's response to the Iranian threat, the committee warned that policy had "suffered from a focus on crisis management" over Iran's nuclear programme and lacked "longer-term thinking". It also criticised a "lack of Iran-specific expertise", saying there was "seemingly no interest in building a future pipeline of specialists". One witness told the committee: "If you have people running policy in the Foreign Office who don't speak a word of Persian, then that is a fat lot of good." The committee also noted that the UK had sanctioned 508 individuals and 1,189 individuals relating to Iran by August 2023, but urged the Government to reconsider whether sanctions "will in practice deliver behavioural change or in fact unhelpfully push Iran towards China". But it welcomed the decision to place Iran in the "enhanced tier" of the new Foreign Influence Registration Scheme, placing extra burdens on people acting on Tehran's behalf in the UK.
Al Arabiya
07-07-2025
- Politics
- Al Arabiya
UK has reopened its embassy in Tehran, foreign office minister says
Britain has reopened its embassy in Tehran in Iran after a temporary closure, foreign office minister Hamish Falconer told parliament on Monday. 'We have now reopened our embassy in Tehran after a temporary closure. A chargé is in place and we will continue to play our full role to ensure the safety of British nationals in Iran,' he told parliament.
ITV News
02-07-2025
- Business
- ITV News
Bristol population to exceed half a million this year, experts say
The number of people living in Bristol is expected to reach half a million this year and it's been named among the fastest-growing populations in England. That's according to a new report published by Bristol City Council using data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). The report is aimed at spotting where more schools, hospitals and open spaces are needed and flagging up any inequalities within different population groups. Numbers suggest Bristol has grown by 10% in a decade, compared to the national average of 6.8%. The biggest rise has been among 19-23 year olds, who are up more than a quarter in 10 years. International migration was biggest factor affecting population growth from 2022-23, and since 2021, the majority of newcomers have originated outside the EU. It also shows how diverse Bristol has become, with 287 different ethnic groups, at least 45 religions and more than 90 languages spoken by people living in the city. It's thought by 2032 there will be an estimated 526,600 people living here. Where are people coming to Bristol from? Net migration to the UK has been running at record levels for the last two years, according to the ONS. They say it's been driven by a rise in people coming for work, growing numbers of students and world events. Fewer people are coming from the EU as a result of Brexit, but now people are coming from further afield - mainly China, India and Nigeria. The government's new immigration system means more people are moving here with their family to fill skilled jobs, as well as an increase in non-EU students. Recent data also shows the UK is seeing fewer Hong Kong British Nationals arriving here and even fewer people from Ukraine. What will the changes mean for Bristol? Population growth should support a growing economy with more demand for goods and services, moderating the impact of an aging workforce, the report says. But the falling birth rate will have implications for education with a possible decline in the school-age population. And more houses will be needed to accommodate the growing population will have an impact on environmental, social and economic issues. What will be the impact of an increase in the elderly population? Bristol has a growing number of older people, but the projected impact of this is not as extreme as other areas of the country. The city's 61,700 older people aged make up 12.8% of the total population. That's much lower than in England and Wales as a whole where 18.8% of the population are aged 65 and over. Although the number of older people has increased year-on-year, Bristol does not have an aging population according to the official definition, as the median age of the population and the proportion of older people in Bristol has been falling. It will have implications for primary and secondary health care services and social care provision. Increasing student numbers Large numbers of young people move into and out of the city each year. In 2023/24 there were 68,100 students registered at the two Bristol universities. In the 10 years up to 2023/24 university student numbers increased by 44% (+21,000). Overseas students make up more than a quarter (27%) of all students at the two universities. The report says provision of purpose-built student accommodation can help accommodate future increases in student numbers without adding to demand on the private housing stock. It points out over concentrations of people living in multi-occupied households, including students, can lead to particular localised amenity issues.
BBC News
27-06-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
UK eases Israel travel advice as evacuation effort winds down
The government has loosened its travel advice for Israel, as a final evacuation flight for British nationals is set to depart from Tel Aviv on move comes after Israel reopened its skies for commercial air travel following a ceasefire agreement that ended a 12-day conflict with Iran. After missile exchanges between the two countries began, the foreign office had advised against all travel to Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Friday, the government eased its guidance to advise against all but essential travel to most parts of Israel, the West Bank, and the Golan Heights. It still advises against all travel to parts of northern Israel, the West Bank and the Golan Heights, and to all of foreign office said a sixth evacuation flight from Israel for British nationals was scheduled for this weekend and would be the last, amid falling demand as commercial options increase."The safety and security of British nationals is our top priority," a spokesperson said."The government has organised multiple flights evacuating British nationals and their dependants from Tel Aviv, prioritising the most vulnerable. These flights will end if there is not sufficient demand."The UK has already stopped providing onward transport options for British nationals who have crossed Israel's land borders into Jordan and Egypt.A US and Qatar-brokered ceasefire between Israel and Iran took effect on Tuesday, but in its advice to travellers, the foreign office acknowledged the situation was "fragile... with the potential to deteriorate further".The government said it would keep the situation under conflict began on 13 June when Israel bombed nuclear sites and military targets in Iran, prompting Tehran to respond with missile strikes. Following 12 days of back-and-forth attacks, Iran's health ministry said 610 people had been killed, and Israel's health ministry said 28 people had been nationals left stranded when Israeli airspace was closed due to the conflict were urged to register their presence with the UK government. On Monday, Downing Street said about a quarter of the 4,000 people who had registered their presence in Israel or the Occupied Palestinian Territories had asked for a seat on an evacuation flight.
The Independent
24-06-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Second flight evacuating Britons from Israel leaves Tel Aviv
A second flight evacuating Britons from Israel has left Tel Aviv, the Foreign Office confirmed. A plane was scheduled to depart the city for the UK's military base in Larnaca, Cyprus, where passengers are then expected to be transferred onto a civilian charter aircraft for their onwards journey to the UK. The Foreign Office said further flights would be considered depending on demand, and British nationals are urged to continue registering their presence in Israel and the Palestinian territories. The first Britons to be evacuated from Israel via this route landed at Birmingham airport in the early hours of Tuesday. Passengers paid £350 each for the journey, which was organised by the Foreign Office. Israeli airline El Al is also operating a commercial flight from Tel Aviv to Heathrow airport, which is due to arrive at 8.20pm on Tuesday. Foreign Office minister Hamish Falconer told the Commons that the 'flow of flights out of Israel still remain limited' because of the country's conflict with Iran. He went on: 'British nationals in Israel will want to make their own judgments about whether they will want to wait for a flight or make a land journey, and my officials are available to advise every constituent on the options before them.' He added: 'We are providing support and advice to more than 1,000 British nationals as they seek to leave the region by land and air. 'We have deployed teams to Israel, Cyprus, Egypt and Jordan. 'Our embassy in Tehran has been temporarily withdrawn but continues to provide support for British nationals in Iran remotely.'
