Migrants cheer 'UK' as several boats cross English Channel in one morning - Sky News

Sky News has witnessed several boats of migrants crossing the English Channel in one morning, with a group cheering "UK" as they headed towards Britain.

In what she described as "quite an extraordinary morning" on the English Channel, Sky News correspondent Ali Fortescue encountered four boats of migrants attempting a crossing.

In one encounter, a group of about 10 migrants near the White Cliffs of Dover told Sky News they were from Iran.

Image: Sky News has seen several boats attempting to carry migrants across the English Channel

The boat from which Sky News was filming had contacted the coastguard and was due to follow the migrants' boat to ensure it was safe as it headed to shore.

An earlier group of 13 migrants, who were travelling on a dinghy without life jackets, told Sky News they were from Sudan.

Advertisement

"It really has been quite an extraordinary morning out on the English Channel," Ali Fortescue said.

"Of course we know this is now a very familiar scene, that doesn't make it any less unsettling to see."

More from UK

She revealed how another boat making a crossing this morning was "cheering 'UK' as we came past", adding: "They were clearly very excited about the prospect of building a life here in the UK.

"Obviously these are migrants that are absolutely determined to take what is a very, very dangerous journey across the English Channel.

"We know that, even on a calm day like today, this is the busiest shipping lane in the world. It is a dangerous journey."

Seventy to a boat as migrants try to reach UK

The number of people who have reached UK shores in small boats this year is estimated to have surpassed 4,000.

Nearly 600 are thought to have arrived in the country in a surge of crossings between Thursday and Sunday.

The government's immigration minister Chris Philp was due to hold talks with his French counterparts in Paris on Tuesday in an attempt to stem the number of crossings.

:: Listen to the Daily podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Spreaker

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has condemned the activities of "cruel" criminal gangs who are risking the lives of people by taking them across the Channel in potentially unseaworthy vessels.

Mr Johnson has vowed to work with the French authorities to stop the crossings and "make sure that they understand that this isn't a good idea, this is a very bad and stupid and dangerous and criminal thing to do".

Campaigners have accused Mr Johnson of using "inflammatory language".

Lisa Doyle, the Refugee Council's director of advocacy, said: "It's incredibly disappointing to hear the prime minister using such inaccurate and inflammatory language to describe men, women and children who are desperate enough to make perilous journeys across the busiest shipping channel in the world.

"Seeking asylum is not a crime, and it is legitimate that people have to cross borders to do so."

The Home Office has formally requested the help of the Royal Navy to deal with the crossings, with Home Secretary Priti Patel having vowed to make the English Channel an "unviable" route for migrants.

Image: Border Force officers assisted 20 Syrian migrants on Monday after they were stopped in the Channel

Government officials are also considering stronger enforcement measures such as adopting interceptions at sea and the direct return of boats.

Meanwhile, an RAF surveillance aircraft has been deployed over the Channel to support the UK's Border Force.

But Minnie Rahman, from the Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants, said the government's plans "will only serve to put people's lives at ever graver risk and they make a mockery of protections for refugees".

She added: "If the government were serious about tackling trafficking, and resolving this situation once and for all, it would open up safe and legal routes of entry to the UK.

"There are many ways to do so - for example, establishing a claims centre in France and introducing humanitarian visas for people seeking asylum."

Downing Street has suggested leaving the EU would allow the UK to draw up a new framework for dealing with migrants, ending the "inflexible and rigid" requirements of the current Dublin Regulations.

Health minister Edward Argar told Sky News the prime minister wants "greater flexibility in returning people who have come here illegally, who have been through due process and need to be returned back to France".

Let's block ads! (Why?)

https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMia2h0dHBzOi8vbmV3cy5za3kuY29tL3N0b3J5L21pZ3JhbnRzLWNoZWVyLXVrLWFzLXNldmVyYWwtYm9hdHMtY3Jvc3MtZW5nbGlzaC1jaGFubmVsLWluLW9uZS1tb3JuaW5nLTEyMDQ2OTcx0gFvaHR0cHM6Ly9uZXdzLnNreS5jb20vc3RvcnkvYW1wL21pZ3JhbnRzLWNoZWVyLXVrLWFzLXNldmVyYWwtYm9hdHMtY3Jvc3MtZW5nbGlzaC1jaGFubmVsLWluLW9uZS1tb3JuaW5nLTEyMDQ2OTcx?oc=5

2020-08-11 09:45:00Z
52780980946412

Migrants cheer 'UK' as several boats cross English Channel in one morning - Sky News

Sky News has witnessed several boats of migrants crossing the English Channel in one morning, with a group cheering "UK" as they headed towards Britain.

In what she described as "quite an extraordinary morning" on the English Channel, Sky News correspondent Ali Fortescue encountered four boats of migrants attempting a crossing.

In one encounter, a group of about 10 migrants near the White Cliffs of Dover told Sky News they were from Iran.

Image: Sky News has seen several boats attempting to carry migrants across the English Channel

The boat from which Sky News was filming had contacted the coastguard and was due to follow the migrants' boat to ensure it was safe as it headed to shore.

An earlier group of 13 migrants, who were travelling on a dinghy without life jackets, told Sky News they were from Sudan.

Advertisement

"It really has been quite an extraordinary morning out on the English Channel," Ali Fortescue said.

"Of course we know this is now a very familiar scene, that doesn't make it any less unsettling to see."

More from UK

She revealed how another boat making a crossing this morning was "cheering 'UK' as we came past", adding: "They were clearly very excited about the prospect of building a life here in the UK.

"Obviously these are migrants that are absolutely determined to take what is a very, very dangerous journey across the English Channel.

"We know that, even on a calm day like today, this is the busiest shipping lane in the world. It is a dangerous journey."

Seventy to a boat as migrants try to reach UK

The number of people who have reached UK shores in small boats this year is estimated to have surpassed 4,000.

Nearly 600 are thought to have arrived in the country in a surge of crossings between Thursday and Sunday.

The government's immigration minister Chris Philp was due to hold talks with his French counterparts in Paris on Tuesday in an attempt to stem the number of crossings.

:: Listen to the Daily podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Spreaker

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has condemned the activities of "cruel" criminal gangs who are risking the lives of people by taking them across the Channel in potentially unseaworthy vessels.

Mr Johnson has vowed to work with the French authorities to stop the crossings and "make sure that they understand that this isn't a good idea, this is a very bad and stupid and dangerous and criminal thing to do".

Campaigners have accused Mr Johnson of using "inflammatory language".

Lisa Doyle, the Refugee Council's director of advocacy, said: "It's incredibly disappointing to hear the prime minister using such inaccurate and inflammatory language to describe men, women and children who are desperate enough to make perilous journeys across the busiest shipping channel in the world.

"Seeking asylum is not a crime, and it is legitimate that people have to cross borders to do so."

The Home Office has formally requested the help of the Royal Navy to deal with the crossings, with Home Secretary Priti Patel having vowed to make the English Channel an "unviable" route for migrants.

Image: Border Force officers assisted 20 Syrian migrants on Monday after they were stopped in the Channel

Government officials are also considering stronger enforcement measures such as adopting interceptions at sea and the direct return of boats.

Meanwhile, an RAF surveillance aircraft has been deployed over the Channel to support the UK's Border Force.

But Minnie Rahman, from the Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants, said the government's plans "will only serve to put people's lives at ever graver risk and they make a mockery of protections for refugees".

She added: "If the government were serious about tackling trafficking, and resolving this situation once and for all, it would open up safe and legal routes of entry to the UK.

"There are many ways to do so - for example, establishing a claims centre in France and introducing humanitarian visas for people seeking asylum."

Downing Street has suggested leaving the EU would allow the UK to draw up a new framework for dealing with migrants, ending the "inflexible and rigid" requirements of the current Dublin Regulations.

Health minister Edward Argar told Sky News the prime minister wants "greater flexibility in returning people who have come here illegally, who have been through due process and need to be returned back to France".

Let's block ads! (Why?)

https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMia2h0dHBzOi8vbmV3cy5za3kuY29tL3N0b3J5L21pZ3JhbnRzLWNoZWVyLXVrLWFzLXNldmVyYWwtYm9hdHMtY3Jvc3MtZW5nbGlzaC1jaGFubmVsLWluLW9uZS1tb3JuaW5nLTEyMDQ2OTcx0gFvaHR0cHM6Ly9uZXdzLnNreS5jb20vc3RvcnkvYW1wL21pZ3JhbnRzLWNoZWVyLXVrLWFzLXNldmVyYWwtYm9hdHMtY3Jvc3MtZW5nbGlzaC1jaGFubmVsLWluLW9uZS1tb3JuaW5nLTEyMDQ2OTcx?oc=5

2020-08-11 09:22:30Z
52780980946412

Lightning across UK captured on camera after 50,000 strikes in 24 hours – before MORE thunderstorms today - The Sun

More thunderstorms are set to hit today as lightning across UK was captured on camera after there were 50,000 strikes in 24 hours.

Huge thunder and lightning storms have battered the UK overnight, reaching from North Wales to Scotland, following the scorching weekend heatwave.

13

There were 50,000 lightning strikes in the UK in the last 24 hoursCredit: Bav Media

13

A lightning storm on the North Wales coastCredit: 2020 Freelance Photos North Wales www.fpnw.co.uk Images are supplied for Single usage only

13

Lightning striking a purple sky in Llannefydd, Wales Credit: Twitter / @TheSarahLloyd_

13

Another lightning strike in Morecambe, Lancashire yesterday nightCredit: Alamy Live News

13

Thunder and lightning storms lit up the skies across the west of the UK last nightCredit: 2020 Freelance Photos North Wales www.fpnw.co.uk Images are

Last night's downpours, stretching from Birmingham to Cumbria, will be followed by more storms today, continuing until late Thursday.

BBC Weather Watchers said that there were a staggering 50,000 lightning strikes in 24 hours across the UK following the weekend heatwave.

The lightning strikes lit up the skies across the UK - causing mesmerising purple and blue hues.

Met Office forecaster Bonnie Diamond said: “There are risks of severe thunderstorms across most of Britain. 

“We are concerned that there may be flash flooding in low-lying areas. 

“But it will be sudden torrential downpours, not long sustained periods of rain.”

13

Electric purple skies over Flintshire, North WalesCredit: Alamy Live News

13

A mesmerising lightning strike on the Welsh coastlineCredit: 2020 Freelance Photos North Wales www.fpnw.co.uk Images are

13

Blackpool also experienced the lightning strikes - and more are expected today

13

A lightning map showing the frequency around Wales last nightCredit: 2020 Freelance Photos North Wales www.fpnw.co.uk Images are

The Met Office has issued yellow thunderstorm warnings across the UK between today and Thursday.

The warnings apply to the whole of the UK between today and Wednesday, while England and Wales are also thought to be at risk on Thursday.

The warning states: "Some places are likely to see severe thunderstorms early next week - but there is significant uncertainty in location and timing."

According to the Met Office, the warnings mean: "There is a small chance that homes and businesses could be flooded quickly, with damage to some buildings from floodwater, lightning strikes and large hail.

"There is a slight chance that power cuts could occur and other services to some homes and businesses could be lost

"There is a small chance of fast flowing or deep floodwater causing danger to life."

One of the first places to suffer from the sudden change of weather yesterday was Aberystwyth in Wales.

LAST GOODBYE

Dad sent harrowing 12-second goodbye message to wife & son from car wreckage

GREECE IS THE WORD

Brit holidaymakers gamble on Greece in last-ditch bid for summer holiday

EURO BLIP

More than 500k Brits face scramble home over France & Holland quarantine fears

Pictured

SEA TRAGEDY

Hero mum, 37, drowned after jumping into sea to rescue son and friend in canoe

Exclusive

PEST FRIEND

Ghislaine Maxwell parties with suspected rapist on Epstein's 'Paedo Island'

FLOODY HELL

Flash floods submerge streets as thunderstorms & heavy rain follow heatwave

The town in west Wales was hit with torrential rain as a deluge of water flooded the town at 3 pm yesterday.

The west coast market town was badly hit with the downpour blocking roads.

About 250 homes were left without power in the area because of the storms. 

13

Lightning behind the Blackpool Tower this morningCredit: Bav Media

13

There were 50,000 lightning strikes last night following the weekend's heatwaveCredit: 2020 Freelance Photos North Wales www.fpnw.co.uk Images are

13

Lightning causing the sky to turn blue on the North Welsh coast early this morning Credit: 2020 Freelance Photos North Wales www.fpnw.co.uk Images are

13

Storms brewed over Blackpool yesterday

Let's block ads! (Why?)

https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMiYWh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LnRoZXN1bi5jby51ay9uZXdzL3VrbmV3cy8xMjM2ODg4My9saWdodG5pbmctYWNyb3NzLTUwMDAwLXN0cmlrZXMtdGh1bmRlcnN0b3Jtcy10b2RheS_SAWVodHRwczovL3d3dy50aGVzdW4uY28udWsvbmV3cy91a25ld3MvMTIzNjg4ODMvbGlnaHRuaW5nLWFjcm9zcy01MDAwMC1zdHJpa2VzLXRodW5kZXJzdG9ybXMtdG9kYXkvYW1wLw?oc=5

2020-08-11 06:58:00Z
52780991130449

Coronavirus: Scottish schools start re-opening - but the classroom will look different - Sky News

Children in Scotland have started returning to school full-time as lockdown measures are eased slightly.

Schools in the Scottish Borders are the first to open today, while other areas will gradually open ahead of all pupils returning by 18 August, the Scottish government said.

Most will start to return on 12 August.

Image: Scotland's first minister Nicola Sturgeon visited West Calder High School in West Lothian to see how staff were preparing to welcome students back

Children in Scotland have been out of school since 20 March ahead of the country going into full lockdown on 23 March, along with the rest of the UK.

Pupils in the Borders are returning a week before they would usually start the school year after the summer holidays.

Advertisement

But the school day will look quite different, with staggered start and finish times, staggered lunch hours and shorter classes, while assemblies will be cancelled and PE will only happen outdoors.

Primary school children will not have to social distance but secondary school pupils will have to avoid close contact and not sit face to face at shared desks, while teachers will have to stay two metres from pupils.

More from Covid-19

No pupils will be required to wear face coverings but teachers in close proximity to another adult for longer than 15 minutes will have to.

There will be one-way corridors, hand-washing stations and temporary classrooms in libraries, gym halls and dining rooms to help reduce class sizes where schools can.

The Scottish government said pupils and staff can wear face coverings if they want and will be encouraged to if an outbreak emerges in the community.

There are concerns over schools in Aberdeen reopening after the city was placed back under a stricter lockdown following a spike in cases, including two Aberdeen football players, linked to several bars.

Scotland's national clinical director Jason Leitch said parents should be "cautious" but not "overly worried".

However, he added that schools will be in the "equation" if tougher measures are necessary.

:: Listen to the Daily podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Spreaker

In England, the government is making the reopening of schools in September a "national priority" as Education Secretary Gavin Williamson suggested an upcoming study found little evidence COVID-19 can be spread widely in schools.

Wales is also planning to reopen all its schools full-time in September.

Some Northern Ireland pupils are set to start returning to school from 24 August, with all children back in the classroom from the 31 August.

Let's block ads! (Why?)

https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMid2h0dHBzOi8vbmV3cy5za3kuY29tL3N0b3J5L2Nvcm9uYXZpcnVzLXNjb3R0aXNoLXNjaG9vbHMtc3RhcnQtcmUtb3BlbmluZy1idXQtdGhlLWNsYXNzcm9vbS13aWxsLWxvb2stZGlmZmVyZW50LTEyMDQ2NTQy0gF7aHR0cHM6Ly9uZXdzLnNreS5jb20vc3RvcnkvYW1wL2Nvcm9uYXZpcnVzLXNjb3R0aXNoLXNjaG9vbHMtc3RhcnQtcmUtb3BlbmluZy1idXQtdGhlLWNsYXNzcm9vbS13aWxsLWxvb2stZGlmZmVyZW50LTEyMDQ2NTQy?oc=5

2020-08-11 02:11:04Z
52780990410906

Universities told to keep places open for A-level appeals - BBC News

Universities in England are being told to keep places open for students if they appeal against A-level results.

Amid uncertainty about replacement exam grades, Universities Minister Michelle Donelan has urged university heads to be as "flexible as possible".

It means if students miss the required grades but successfully appeal, they could still start next term.

"Nobody should have to put their future on hold because of the virus," said Ms Donelan.

With A-levels cancelled because of the coronavirus pandemic, students will receive estimated results on Thursday, which will be used to decide university places.

But if students get disappointing results that they think are unfair, universities are being told to leave the door open for places until appeals have been considered by exam boards.

Appeals, which have to be submitted through schools, should be completed by 7 September, allowing students who get improved grades to take up places this autumn.

The biggest factors determining the replacement exam grades will be how students are ranked in ability and the previous exam results of their school or college.

As the row over Scottish exam results has shown, this can mean that high-achieving youngsters in schools with poor results can be marked down.

Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon apologised on Monday after accepting her government "did not get it right" over exam results.

Education Secretary John Swinney will set out the Scottish government's plan to fix the issue later.

Ms Donelan said she recognised the need for universities to be fair towards "students who are highly talented in schools or colleges that have not in the past had strong results".

She said the "vast majority of grades" were expected to be accurate, but added it was "essential" to have the appeals "safety net" for "young people who may otherwise be held back from moving on to their chosen route".

Calling on universities to show "flexibility" in admissions decisions, she called on them to hold the places of students whose "grade may change as the result of an appeal".

But despite these concerns - and the change of heart in Scotland - there are no signs of any change in using a similar approach to moderating results in England.

This is still expected to be a good year for applicants, with an expected reduction in overseas students meaning that universities will have more places to fill.

The exam regulator Ofqual has already said there will be a more lenient approach to grades this year, with a two-percentage-points increase expected in top grades at A-level.

But results will not be as generous as teachers' predictions, which would have pushed up results by 12 percentage points - with these predictions able to be shared with pupils after the results are published.

The results to be issued this week are designed to maintain continuity with previous years, but there have been concerns about whether individual students could be treated unfairly.

A survey of 500 A-level students in England, carried out by the University of Birmingham and the University of Nottingham, suggested almost twice as many students would have preferred to have taken their exams, rather than rely on estimated grades.

Education Secretary Gavin Williamson defended the system for calculating grades this year as "fundamentally a fair one".

"We know that, without exams, even the best system is not perfect," he said.

"That is why I welcome the fact that Ofqual has introduced a robust appeal system, so every single student can be treated fairly - and today we are asking universities to do their part to ensure every young person can progress to the destination they deserve."

But Larissa Kennedy, president of the National Union of Students, said there was "absolutely no merit" in looking at schools' prior overall performance to judge students' results this year, criticising it as "baking inequality into the system".

She told BBC Newsnight: "They're just trying to fit students' attainment against a prior year, which means you're just assuming and reproducing the fact that students from low socio-economic backgrounds are - as this system would say - due to get lower grades."

She described the algorithm being used to determine grades as a "lazy move", leading to "individuals being let down by an unjust system", which she said was "completely wrong".

Let's block ads! (Why?)

https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMiLWh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmJiYy5jby51ay9uZXdzL2VkdWNhdGlvbi01MzcyOTM3NtIBMWh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmJiYy5jby51ay9uZXdzL2FtcC9lZHVjYXRpb24tNTM3MjkzNzY?oc=5

2020-08-11 01:32:02Z
CBMiLWh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmJiYy5jby51ay9uZXdzL2VkdWNhdGlvbi01MzcyOTM3NtIBMWh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmJiYy5jby51ay9uZXdzL2FtcC9lZHVjYXRpb24tNTM3MjkzNzY

UK migrant crisis: Priti Patel's ultimatum to French officials - Daily Mail

Help us blockade the Channel: Priti Patel issues ultimatum to French officials and threatens to withhold cash if they refuse to help UK battle migrant crisis

• Home Secretary Priti Patel puts pressure on French officials over migrant crisis
• UK to set out how it hopes migrant boats can be barred from crossing the strait 
• Royal Navy vessels and Border Force boats to be used to block migrant boat path
• French patrol ships will be expected to take part in returning migrants to France  

By David Barrett and Larisa Brown for the Daily Mail

Published: 22:00 BST, 10 August 2020 | Updated: 22:19 BST, 10 August 2020

Priti Patel will today demand French co-operation in a massive new ‘blockade’ of the Channel to crack down on the migrant crisis.

The Home Secretary will refuse to hand over any more taxpayers’ money to fund operations on French soil unless Emmanuel Macron’s government steps up action on illegal crossings.

The French will also be expected to accept deportations of larger numbers of migrants who cross illegally, as well as failed asylum seekers, as part of a potential £30million deal.

The tide is high: One of the men uses a tub to empty water. The UK will also urge the French to fingerprint migrants in the Calais camps

In proposals being outlined at a summit in Paris with Home Office minister Chris Philp this morning, it is understood the UK will set out how it hopes migrant boats can be barred from crossing the strait.

Royal Navy vessels and Border Force patrol boats will be used to block their path, even deploying nets to entangle propellers and floating ‘booms’, it is understood.

French patrol boats, which currently ‘escort’ migrant boats across the Channel, will be expected to take part in the operation to return the small ships to French beaches, officials said. 

In a further demand, more migrants who reach British shores should be sent straight back to France.

Priti Patel will today demand French co-operation in a massive new ‘blockade’ of the Channel to crack down on the migrant crisis. She is pictured on a visit to Dover

However, it is understood the proposed deal will not set a target for the number of deportations.

The UK will also urge the French to fingerprint migrants in the Calais camps. 

Migrants’ ‘biometrics’ will then be uploaded to an existing EU database, known as EURODAC, so that anyone who later claims asylum in the UK can be returned under EU rules.

In the last five years the UK has given France £114million to fund operations against illegal migrants and people traffickers. But numbers are spiralling, with more than 4,300 arriving so far this year compared to 1,850 in all of 2019.

Yesterday British military assets were deployed for the first time to tackle the flow of small boats, with an RAF aircraft carrying out a surveillance flight. Miss Patel also boarded a police launch from Dover to witness operations.

‘The number of illegal small boat crossings we have seen recently is totally unacceptable,’ she said.

‘Our operational partners are dealing with complex challenges associated with them and collectively with the French we need to make this route unviable.

‘Across Government we are absolutely committed to shutting down this route and we will bring down the criminal gangs that facilitate these illegal crossings.’ 

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace has told military chiefs to ‘leave no stone unturned’. As an ‘initial offer of support’, an RAF Airbus A400M Atlas was sent to monitor the coast.

The Home Office has appointed a former Royal Marine to head up operations. Dan O’Mahoney accompanied Miss Patel on her patrol yesterday.

The PM’s official spokesman said: ‘We are currently bound by the [EU’s] Dublin Regulations for returns and they are inflexible and rigid – for example, there is a time limit placed on returns, it’s something which can be abused by both migrants and their lawyers to frustrate the returns of those who have no right to be here.

‘At the end of this year we will no longer be bound by the EU’s laws so can negotiate our own returns agreement.’ 

It came as a group of 23 Conservative politicians called for tougher action, urging ministers to do ‘whatever it takes’.

Prepare to board: The crew of the Border Force cutter secure the rubber dinghy mid-Channel. In the last five years the UK has given France £114million to fund operations against illegal migrants and people traffickers

But French politicians questioned the feasibility of any plan which would involve Royal Navy vessels turning back migrants.

MP for Calais, Pierre-Henri Dumont told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: ‘We are already trying to do whatever we can, but if you’ve got dozens of crossings a day, that’s very difficult for us to stop a boat. It only takes five minutes to have a small boat at sea full with migrants, with a coast of 300km to monitor.’ Asked about the Royal Navy getting involved, he said: ‘Technically speaking that won’t change anything.’

Yesterday an inflatable dinghy carrying around 20 Syrians was met by Border Force patrol boat Hunter at about 7.15am with the White Cliffs of Dover in sight.

It means more than 730 have arrived so far in August, including a daily record of 235 last Thursday. Miss Patel vowed last year that crossings would become an ‘infrequent phenomenon’ by now.

How one tiny dinghy made it all way to UK

Crowded together in a dinghy just inches above the waves, they are the latest of thousands of migrants to make the perilous crossing from northern France this year.

The small rubber vessel sat low in the water as it carried its 20 or so desperate passengers, all wearing orange lifejackets.

It was powered across the narrow Dover Strait by a single outboard engine after the migrants had set off early in the morning from the French coastline.

We’re over here! The young passengers aboard the crowded dinghy smile with relief after being spotted

Sea spray showered them at every buffeting turn, and one man repeatedly bailed out water using a plastic container in an attempt to keep the packed boat afloat. 

Eventually they were seen by a UK Border Force cutter, HMC Hunter, about halfway out across the world’s busiest sea route.

When asked where they were from, the migrants shouted back to the cutter’s crew that they were from war-ravaged Syria and heading for Dover.

They were picked up and brought back to Britain, wearing face masks they had been given to protect them and their rescuers from coronavirus.

Boris could toughen up laws on seeking asylum

By David Barrett, Home Affairs Correspondent for the Daily Mail

Boris Johnson signalled his support for major reform of the asylum system yesterday.

Boris Johnson signalled his support for major reform of the asylum system yesterday. He called for a fresh look at laws which make it ‘very, very difficult’ to return migrants who have come to Britain ‘blatantly illegally’

He called for a fresh look at laws which make it ‘very, very difficult’ to return migrants who have come to Britain ‘blatantly illegally’.

Escalating his rhetoric, he described the migrants’ Channel crossings as a ‘very bad and stupid and dangerous and criminal thing to do’.

It comes after the Mail revealed in May that Home Secretary Priti Patel wanted to see new laws which would streamline the asylum process.

Under the proposed changes, failed asylum seekers would be required to lodge all their arguments at the beginning of an appeal. 

The move would stop them delaying their deportation by making a series of claims in the courts under different elements of human rights laws. 

At present, it is thought only around 1 in 40 of the migrants who come to Britain illegally are being sent back.

The PM’s backing means such legislation is now highly likely to go ahead.

Mr Johnson said: ‘Be in no doubt what’s going on is the activity of cruel and criminal gangs who are risking the lives of these people taking them across the Channel, a pretty dangerous stretch of water in potentially unseaworthy vessels.

‘We want to stop that working with the French, make sure that they understand that this isn’t a good idea, this is a very bad and stupid and dangerous and criminal thing to do. But then there’s a second thing we’ve got to do and that is to look at the legal framework that we have that means that when people do get here, it is very, very difficult to then send them away again even though blatantly they’ve come here illegally.’

Mission accomplished: Wrapped in towels and wearing covid face masks, they arrive in the UK

He added: ‘We’ve got a problem which is that there are people who want to come from around the world to this country because obviously it’s a great place to be. There’s no doubt that it would be helpful if we could work with our French friends to stop them getting over the Channel.’

Lisa Doyle, of the Refugee Council, said last night: ‘It’s incredibly disappointing to hear the Prime Minister using such inaccurate and inflammatory language to describe men, women and children who are desperate enough to make perilous journeys across the busiest shipping channel in the world. Seeking asylum is not a crime and it is legitimate that people have to cross borders to do so.’

Let's block ads! (Why?)

https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMieWh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmRhaWx5bWFpbC5jby51ay9uZXdzL2FydGljbGUtODYxMzI4MS9IZWxwLWJsb2NrYWRlLUNoYW5uZWwtUHJpdGktUGF0ZWwtaXNzdWVzLXVsdGltYXR1bS1GcmVuY2gtb2ZmaWNpYWxzLmh0bWzSAX1odHRwczovL3d3dy5kYWlseW1haWwuY28udWsvbmV3cy9hcnRpY2xlLTg2MTMyODEvYW1wL0hlbHAtYmxvY2thZGUtQ2hhbm5lbC1Qcml0aS1QYXRlbC1pc3N1ZXMtdWx0aW1hdHVtLUZyZW5jaC1vZmZpY2lhbHMuaHRtbA?oc=5

2020-08-10 21:00:06Z
CAIiEEHWMk8Cipot5oKugMWy-d4qGQgEKhAIACoHCAowzuOICzCZ4ocDMN6YowY

Pupil who led SQA exam protest says Nicola Sturgeon must now sort out mess after her apology - Daily Record

A schoolgirl who led the campaign against the SQA results scandal says Nicola Sturgeon's apology will only mean anything when young people get the grades they deserve.

Erin Bleakley, 17, said the First Minister’s apology was “nice to hear” but now her words must be followed with solutions.

Speaking at Monday's coronavirus press briefing, Sturgeon said her government “did not get this right” following a week of outrage over the way marks were decided by the SQA exam board.

She said: “Our concern, which was to ensure the grades pupils got were as valid as the ones they would have received in any other year, perhaps led us to think too much about the overall system, and not enough about individual pupils.

“That has meant too many students have felt they have lost out on grades they should have had.

Read More

Related Articles

Read More

Related Articles

“Despite our best intentions, I do acknowledge we did not get this right, and I am sorry for that.”

We previously told how Erin, of St Andrew’s High School in Carntyne near Glasgow, organised a rally in the city’s George Square.

Anger erupted after the SQA’s downgrading system left thousands with marks lower than those submitted by their teachers.

Those from schools in less affluent areas were found to be disproportionately affected by the system as the historical performance of individual schools was used as one of the main criterias for deciding grades.

Erin spoke at the protest and called for young people to be judged by their work “not their postcode”.

Pupils with protest signs during the demo in George Square (Image: Ross Turpie/Daily Record)

After hearing the First Minister’s announcement, she told the Daily Record: “Nicola Sturgeon’s response was nice to hear, they admitted that there was a fault in the system but now it’s a case of following through with this and seeing how effective they will be in fixing the fault.”

Sturgeon has added that the government “will not expect every student who has been downgraded to appeal.”

Erin criticised the appeals process but said if things are sorted correctly young people would be relieved.

She said: “It's shocking to think we would have had to wait that long to fix something that wasn't our fault in the first place.

“I feel if it is sorted in the correct manner it will be perfect for young people.”

Read More

Related Articles

Nicola Sturgeon has apologised to Scots pupils over the exam fiasco

Erin would have been affected by the appeal process, after she was downgraded to a D for Maths and Chemistry

She said: “I'm going into S6 and it's going to be really hard for me to try to  take Advanced Higher Chemistry when I don't even know if my appeal for higher has been accepted.”

Pupils had called for marks to be reverted back to those initially predicted by teachers on the basis of coursework, class performance and prelim results.

The controversy began after the coronavirus pandemic led to the cancellation of exams in all schools, with teachers asked to assess the grades to be awarded to their pupils.

But the Higher pass rate for pupils from more deprived backgrounds was reduced by 15.2 per cent from estimates after the exam board’s moderation.

Conversely the pass rate for pupils from the wealthiest backgrounds dropped by just 6.9 per cent.

Erin said pupils will be listening closely to announcements made by education secretary John Swinney on Tuesday.

She said: “It is hard to say at this moment how positive we feel about the future as nothing has been followed through as of yet.”

Reflecting on the success of the protests and the subsequent response from those in the highest levels of Government, Erin said: “I feel ecstatic about how I have helped play a part in the changing of this situation and hope it teaches younger people that anything is possible and standing up for what you believe in, even though it may be daunting, could help in the changing of the future.”

She added: “I am so thankful for everyone who helped and supported this cause and that the cause that brought us together helped in the process of fixing what was wrongfully done.

Top news stories today

“I also feel a real sense of unity with so many other pupils.

"So many have reached out to me to say they have been in the same situation and it's really helped me to feel better.”

Let's block ads! (Why?)

https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMiUGh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmRhaWx5cmVjb3JkLmNvLnVrL25ld3Mvc2NvdHRpc2gtbmV3cy9wdXBpbC13aG8tbGVkLXNxYS1leGFtLTIyNDk4MjE50gFUaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZGFpbHlyZWNvcmQuY28udWsvbmV3cy9zY290dGlzaC1uZXdzL3B1cGlsLXdoby1sZWQtc3FhLWV4YW0tMjI0OTgyMTkuYW1w?oc=5

2020-08-10 16:58:00Z
52780983322083