igrants could be moved from hotels to disused ferries as part of Government plans to cut costs, according to reports.
More than 50,000 migrants are currently staying in hotels in the UK at a cost of around £7million a day.
However, Rishi Sunak will reportedly declare the “beginning of the end” of asylum hotels in the coming weeks.
According to The Daily Telegraph, migrants will be moved into “decent but rudimentary” accommodation in former military bases that will be used to house adult males. It also claimed that the Government may house more migrants in ferries to cut costs.
Golf courses, country houses and airport hotels are among hundreds across the UK being used to put up asylum seekers.
It comes after a report predicted that more than 150,000 people will be denied asylum over the next three years but not deported as a result of the Government’s Illegal Migration Bill.
The Refugee Council estimated that it would cost £9 billion over that period to detain arrivals and accommodate those who could not be removed. As many as 45,000 children will be locked up under the new legislation, it said.
Anyone who arrives in Britain illegally would be barred from claiming asylum under the bill, which places a duty on the home secretary to remove them from the country, either by returning them to their home country or removing them to a safe third country such as Rwanda.
The legislation will give the Home Office the power to detain people for at least 28 days. It is looking for detention sites to boost official capacity from 2,500, reducing the need to house tens of thousands in hotels.
A Home Office spokesperson said: "We have always been upfront about the unprecedented pressure being placed on our asylum system, brought about by a significant increase in dangerous and illegal journeys into the country.
“We continue to work across government and with local authorities to identify a range of accommodation options.
"The government remains committed to engaging with local authorities and key stakeholders as part of this process."
Asylum seekers could be moved out of hotels and into military bases or disused ferries under government plans that could be announced next week, according to reports.
The proposals, first reported by the Telegraph, have not been denied by government sources. However, they have told the Guardian they are “speculation”.
It is believed previous proposals involving the use of holiday camps and student halls are unlikely to be brought into use.
“We have always been upfront about the unprecedented pressure being placed on our asylum system, brought about by a significant increase in dangerous and illegal journeys into the country,” a Home Office spokesperson said. “We continue to work across government and with local authorities to identify a range of accommodation options.”
It follows controversy over the potential use of RAF Scampton, associated with the Dambusters. A meeting this week near the Lincolnshire airbase heard that about 1,500 asylum seekers could be housed in accommodation, including temporary cabins on the former runway. The site was home to the Red Arrows until 2018 when it was closed.
Former airbases are already being used to process and house asylum seekers. The former RAF Manston in Kent has been converted into an asylum processing centre. Plans to house a similar number of people at RAF Linton-on-Ouse in North Yorkshire were dropped last year.
More than 50,000 asylum seekers are being housed in hotels at a cost of £6.8m a day, according to the Telegraph.
The hotels have been the subject of protests by far-right activists. In Knowsley, Merseyside, a police van was set on fire during a protest in February. Others including one organised by the far-right group Patriotic Alternative have taken place in Skegness in Lincolnshire.
The idea of using ferries has previously been suggested. In November the Times reported that the home secretary, Suella Braverman, had told officials to find sites that could take asylum seekers and that disused cruise ships were being considered.
Rishi Sunak has made stopping small boat arrivals a priority after the number arriving increased to 45,000 last year, up 500% in the past two years.
Earlier this month, the UK government set out details of a new law barring the entry of asylum seekers arriving in small boats across the Channel, a proposal some charities say could be impractical and criminalise the efforts of thousands of refugees.
A £500m deal was struck with France earlier this month to fund a detention centre in northern France.
It is one of a number of policies designed to stop asylum seekers arriving in small boats, including a deal with Albania to return arrivals to their home country, and the policy to send some asylum seekers to Rwanda.
The Rwanda system has since hit a number of problems with no one yet sent to the central African country under the policy.
The Vatican has returned three fragments of the Parthenon sculptures to Greece in a move that could increase pressure on the British Museum to do the same.
The sculptures, which represent a horse and two male heads, were originally created as part of the famous Parthenon temple in Athens but had been held in the Vatican Museums for more than two centuries.
Their return was discussed during a visit to Athens by Pope Francis two years ago, and they will soon be added to the collection at the Acropolis Museum.
Greece's culture minister Lina Mendoni said: "Initiatives like these show the way, how the pieces of the Parthenon can be reunited, healing the wounds caused by barbaric hands so many years ago.
"This takes us to the just and moral demand of the entire Greek people, and of this government and its prime minister, for the final return of all the sculptures of the Parthenon."
Around half of the original sculpture survive today - of these, around half are in Athens and half in the British Museum.
Ms Mendoni said her country "cannot recognise possession and ownership by the British Museum because it considers the sculptures to be there as a product of theft".
The sculptures were taken in the early 19th century by British diplomat Lord Elgin before Greece became independent from the Ottoman Empire.
Greece has been campaigning for years to have the sculptures returned from London, saying they are part of the country's heritage.
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The Elgin Marbles could one day return to Greece
The British Museum, however, says that giving them up could undermine museum collections worldwide and that Elgin had acted with the "full knowledge and permission of the legal authorities of the day in both Athens and London".
On Friday, at a ceremony for the sculptures' return from the Vatican, the leader of Greece's Orthodox Church, Archbishop Ieronymos II said: "This act by Pope Francis is of historical significance and has a positive impact on all levels … We hope it sets an example for others."
Last year, another sculpture fragment from the Parthenon temple, depicting a foot of the ancient Greek goddess Artemis, was returned to Athens from a museum in Sicily.
Thomas Cashman, the man accused of murdering nine-year-old Olivia Pratt-Korbel in Liverpool last August, is innocent, an alibi witness has told Manchester Crown Court.
Nicky McHale told a jury he saw Cashman, 34, smoking cannabis in a garden around the time of the shooting at about 10pm on August 22.
Mr McHale, 32, said he had been watching football on TV at home on Snowberry Road, Dovecot, and when the match had finished he went outside to smoke a cigarette.
While he stood at his front door, Mr McHale told the jury, he looked across the road and saw Cashman smoking cannabis in the front garden of the house opposite.
Image:Thomas Cashman denies charges against him
The pair spoke briefly about the football match, Mr McHale said, before he went back inside his home.
Mr McHale's evidence was challenged by the prosecution's barrister, David McLachlan KC, who asked the witness: "Why are you here Mr McHale?"
Mr McHale, who was giving evidence from behind a screen, said: "Because I know Thomas Cashman is innocent."
Mr McLachlan continued: "Been put up to being here?"
"No, I'm not," the witness replied.
Cashman is charged with murdering Olivia, who was fatally shot when a gunman opened fire while chasing convicted drug dealer Joseph Nee into her and her mother's home.
Cashman is alleged to have shot Nee, 36, in the street, before Nee fled into Olivia's home as her mother Cheryl Korbel tried to block his entry.
Cashman is then accused of firing again, the bullet hitting Ms Korbel in the hand, then hitting and killing her daughter, who was standing behind her.
After the shooting, Cashman is alleged to have gone to the house of a woman he had a fling with and changed his clothes.
Earlier in the trial, the jury heard from the woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons.
She claimed he went to her house after the shooting where he changed his clothes and she heard him saying he had "done Joey".
However, Mr McHale said after seeing Cashman across the road the defendant was later in his house to smoke more cannabis and asked for a drink.
He did not have any in the house, so used Cashman's van to go to a local shop to buy some, his trip being caught on CCTV.
Earlier Mr McHale said he had never given evidence in court before and his only previous conviction was for possession with intent to supply £4,000 worth of cannabis.
Cashman has admitted being a "high-level" cannabis dealer, making up to £5,000 a week in drug money, but denies he was the gunman who shot Olivia dead.
Rishi Sunak’s Brexit deal for Northern Ireland has been formally signed off at a meeting in London, after a Conservative rebellion against the deal failed this week.
James Cleverly, the foreign secretary, adopted the new arrangements for Northern Ireland at a meeting with the European Commission vice-president Maroš Šefčovič.
It comes after Sunak won the overwhelming backing of MPs for the Windsor framework, which seeks to overcome trade problems with the Northern Ireland protocol struck in the original Brexit deal.
Boris Johnson was one of the 22 Tory MPs who refused to back the revised deal, along with the Democratic Unionist party, but they failed to stop the passage of the new arrangements. Others who opposed the plan were Sunak’s immediate predecessor as prime minister, Liz Truss, the former Tory party leader Iain Duncan Smith, and the former cabinet ministers Jacob Rees-Mogg, Priti Patel and Simon Clarke.
In a joint statement, Cleverly and Šefčovič said they had met in a “constructive atmosphere”.
“The joint committee welcomed the positive approach of both sides and adopted the new arrangements set out in the Windsor framework.
“These arrangements address, in a definitive manner, the challenges in the operation of the protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland over the last two years and the everyday issues faced by people and businesses in Northern Ireland, while supporting and protecting the Good Friday or Belfast agreement in all its parts, and protecting the integrity of the European Union’s single market, and Northern Ireland’s place in the United Kingdom’s internal market.
“Both sides agreed to work together intensively and faithfully to implement all elements of the Windsor framework. The United Kingdom and European Union also reaffirmed their intent to use all available mechanisms in the framework to address and jointly resolve any relevant future issues that may emerge.”
No 10 had feared a bigger rebellion but in the end did not need to rely on Labour votes for the legislation to pass.
Alongside the 22 Tory rebels, another 47 Conservatives recorded no vote but the revolt was not big enough to cause trouble for Downing Street, as would have been the case if 34 or more Conservative MPs had rebelled.
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King Charles has been forced to postpone his state visit to France as police and protesters continue to clash over president Emmanuel Macron’s retirement age reforms.
The monarch’s three-day trip with his wife Camilla, Queen Consort from Sunday was set to be his first abroad after becoming King - but it is being rescheduled following the announcement of more widespread protests.
The French feared the security of the King could not be guaranteed “because of his interest in mingling with crowds”, according to security sources in Paris, after a crack team of officers from the SDLP Protection Service unit rigorously studied the monarch’s profile.
The King and Queen Consort “greatly look forward to the opportunity to visit France as soon as dates can be found”, Buckingham Palace said on Friday morning.
The monarch’s trip next week with his wife Camilla, Queen Consort was set to be his first abroad after becoming king
(James Glossop/The Times)
Mr Macron suggested the new date for the King’s visit to France would be in the “early summer”.
The news comes after the historic Bordeaux city hall in France was set on fire on the day of the biggest protest yet against President Macron’s controversial attempts to push through reforms to raise the pension age from 62 to 64 without a vote in the National Assembly, the lower house of the French parliament.
Protesters march during a rally in Paris on Thursday
Protesters gathered outside the Palais Rohan cheered as a part of the building went up in flames, one of a number of incidents of vandalism and violence across the country on Thursday evening after a day of largely peaceful strike action.
Upwards of one million people are reported to have taken part in protests and marches across France on Thursday as part of the ninth round of union-organised demonstrations, which have taken place since January. Building on the strong turnout, unions have called for fresh protests in the coming days.
Protesters clash with police officers during a demonstration in Lyon, central France
A source who was involved in the planning of four days of events across France said security “became aware of the King’s habit of impromptu handshakes, and talking to ordinary people whenever he could. There are huge social tensions in France, and there is no doubt that such good manners could have been very dangerous indeed”.
Confirming the postponed visit earlier, a government spokesperson said: “The King and Queen Consort’s state visit to France has been postponed. This decision was taken with the consent of all parties, after the President of France asked the British Government to postpone the visit.”
It is understood new dates for the visit will be confirmed shortly.
Bordeaux City Hall in France was set on fire on the day of the biggest protest yet
Sir Peter Westmacott, a former British ambassador to France, said he could not think of any precedent after the King’s first state visit of his reign was postponed.
He told BBC Radio 4’s World at One programme that he was “not entirely surprised” at the decision, but agreed it was a “big deal”.
He said that he expected the King to be disappointed about the decision, given his fondness for the country.
A protester holds a placard that reads ‘destitution of the cursed poet’ during a rally in Paris on Thursday
(Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)
Mr Macron told a press conference that “common sense and friendship” led to the “detestable” decision.
President Macron’s popularity is at an all-time low as he faces the biggest domestic crisis of his second term in office. There have been eight straight nights of rioting, with arson attacks on areas which were due to be visited by Charles.
King Charles, then Prince of Wales, greeting the President of France Emmanuel Macron (right) in 2021
Around 119,000 people marched through Paris on Thursday, according to data from the country’s Interior Ministry. The General Confederation of Labour, however, claimed the number to be much higher, at 800,000.
Around 80 people were arrested by police and 123 police personnel and gendarmes were injured amid widespread violence and rioting, French interior minister Gérald Darmanin said on Thursday evening. He said 12,000 security forces had been deployed on Thursday, with 5,000 of these stationed in Paris.
The state visit was set to begin on Sunday and to include a ride along the Champs-Elysées in the heart of Paris and a banquet at Versailles with President Emmanuel Macron, culminating in a visit to Bordeaux on Tuesday.
The trip, which was to be followed by a state visit to Germany, had been in the planning by the UK and host nations for months, aimed at strengthening ties between Britain and its continental neighbours.
Riot police scuffle with protesters during a rally in Paris on Thursday
French labour union CGT union announced this week that its members at Mobilier National, the institution in charge of providing flags, red carpets and furniture for public buildings, would not help prepare a Sunday reception for the king upon his arrival in Paris.
In a statement, the Elysee Palace said: “In light of yesterday’s announcement of a new national day of action against pension reforms on Tuesday, March 28, in France, the visit of King Charles III, originally scheduled for March 26 to 29 in our country, will be postponed.
“This decision was taken by the French and British governments after a telephone exchange between the President of the Republic and the King this morning, in order to be able to welcome His Majesty King Charles III in conditions that correspond to our friendly relationship.
“This state visit will be rescheduled as soon as possible.”
As someone with power of attorney, it was “my job” to represent my friend when he was seriously ill in his nursing home. Normally I would fulfil the obligations of my job by visiting him regularly. This was denied to us during in the pandemic.
He died a few days after testing positive for Covid, having spent months more or less in isolation. Perhaps some of this would not have been necessary if Johnson had paid sufficient attention to doing his job by attending Cobra meetings in the earliest days of the pandemic. Perhaps he would have been more on top of his job and this could have kept the infection rates lower. Ann Holden Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria
So leaving-do gatherings and drinks were “essential” for valued work colleagues, but no gathering together was allowed for those having the ultimate “leaving do”, where distraught relatives were denied giving comfort and saying farewell to their dying loved ones. Marika McGregor Corinaldo, Italy
For the funeral of my wife of 50 years in April 2021, we found a crematorium 30 miles away that would allow 30 people to attend. Local businesses limited numbers to 20. The funeral was socially distanced, with masks and separated seating. There was no wake or chance to grieve together. I received over 100 bereavement cards, many from couples and families. To suggest, as Boris Johnson does, that large gatherings and celebrations were “absolutely essential for work purposes” is not just an insult but deeply hurtful. Les O’Leary St Albans, Hertfordshire
I watched Boris Johnson’s interrogation. As a retired chartered building surveyor, I find it hard to believe that Johnson, in his upstairs flat, could not be aware of a party that was going on until well after midnight, with perhaps 30 to 40 people socialising and drinking on the floor below, when the only acoustic barrier was a lath and plaster ceiling and a timber-boarded floor. People in council flats with concrete floors get into fights for less than that. Styx Kershaw Manchester
Following Boris Johnson’s defence of government parties, can we assume that all those citizens fined during lockdown can now ask for their money back on the grounds that no government adviser personally told them they were breaking the rules? Jill Wallis Aston Clinton, Buckinghamshire
If Boris Johnson’s lawyer reportedly can charge £5,000 per hour, how much will it cost taxpayers for the defence of this egoistical squanderer and his Humpty Dumpty definition of word meaning? Margaret Martlew Sheffield
If the argument that Boris Johnson put forward to the privileges committee was based on advice from a very expensive lawyer, Johnson should ask for the money back and then return it to the British people. Peter Dewar Bromley, London
