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Illegal immigrants

Mail
Callous people smugglers have started using longer, wider boats that can carry 100 migrants – prompting fears of mass drownings in the English Channel if the huge dinghies capsize.
The news comes as up to 80,000 migrants are expected to arrive in Britain by boat during 2023.
At least 45,755 landed here last year – a 62 per cent increase on the 2021 total of 28,426.
The average number per boat in 2022 was 41, compared with 28 in 2021. But now a French official, who did not want to be named, has told The Mail on Sunday that huge, 42ft-long inflatables are being bought online from China, shipped into Belgian ports such as Zeebrugge and Ostend and then taken by road to Calais where they are inflated and have engines attached.
He said: ‘These only cost a few hundred pounds and they break very easily at sea as they are poor quality.
‘The SNSM [the French equivalent of Britain’s RNLI] is concerned – because if a boat full of 100 migrants becomes stranded at sea, the SNSM cannot rescue all of them as its boats can only hold 60 people.’ Officials fear that if accidents occur at sea this year, more migrants will die.

Rwanda flights

Telegraph
Suella Braverman could ban the European Court of Human Rights from grounding migrant deportation flights in a deal to pacify Tory rebels, The Telegraph can reveal.
The Home Secretary is locked in talks with up to 60 Conservative MPs who are attempting to strip Strasbourg of the ability to interfere with Britain’s immigration policy.
In an attempt to quell what is set to be the biggest rebellion of Rishi Sunak’s premiership, ministers may agree to block the use of a controversial mechanism used by the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) to ground the first flight to Rwanda last June.
It would mean migrants who arrive in the UK illegally could be deported even if they challenge the Government under human rights law.
The plan comes ahead of a major rebellion from both wings of the Conservative Party over Mr Sunak’s Illegal Migration Bill on Monday.
The largest group of rebels, from the Right of the party, believe the Bill is too weak and have joined an amendment that would ban British judges from using legal precedent from the ECHR when considering migration cases.

Asylum seekers

i news
Revelations that the Government is once again planning to house asylum seekers in military bases or even disused ferries in efforts to end the use of hotels as accommodation have been greeted with dismay by campaigners who are calling for urgent action to tackle the “chaotic and inefficient asylum system.”
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is said to be poised to make an announcement in the coming weeks on how the Government plans to stop housing refugees in hotels.
Home Secretary Suella Braverman has already signalled she wants to end the use of hotels as asylum seeker accommodation, which she says costs around £6m a day.
It has emerged that plans to start moving asylum seekers out of hotels and into military bases or potentially disused ferries are expected to be announced within weeks.
Hotels are currently used to house asylum seekers as part of the Government’s legal obligation to provide people seeking help with a basic level of accommodation. It is believed there are more than 51,000 people being housed in around 395 hotels.

Metro
Rishi Sunak is expected to move asylum seekers out of hotels and into military bases and disused ferries under government plans.
Government sources have not denied the proposals, first reported by The Telegraph yesterday, that could be announced in the coming weeks.
As early as next week, Sunak may say is it the ‘beginning of the end’ of using hotels to house asylum seekers.
Instead, people seeking sanctuary in the UK will be placed in ‘decent but rudimentary’ accommodation in former military bases, The Telegraph said.
The newspaper noted that two military bases being considered include RAF Scampton, in Lincolnshire, and MDP Wethersfield in Braintree, Essex.
People already in hotel accommodations and those arriving by small boat across the perilous English Channel will be placed there.

BBC News
The government is preparing to announce alternatives to hotel accommodation for migrants as early as next week.
The use of ferries will be confirmed, but their exact location may not be announced for another few weeks.
Two military sites in England will also be confirmed, and the first migrants are expected to move in within weeks.
Sources say each site will house 1,500-2,000 migrants and will initially be used for new arrivals, rather than to rehouse people currently in hotels.
The BBC understands more than 51,000 people are being housed in 395 hotels.
Home Secretary Suella Braverman has signalled the government wants to end the practice of housing migrants in hotels, which she says costs around £6m a day.
Former airbases in Lincolnshire and Essex are among sites being looked at.

Fisheries

Express
Boris Johnson had promised the UK would “take back control” of its waters after Brexit, but a former MEP has has claimed the former Prime Minister broke that promise.
Boris Johnson has come under furious attack after being accused of “betraying and stabbing UK fishermen in the back”, with the industry exploding over the hated Brexit deal with the European Union. The former Prime Minister had promised the fishing industry the UK would “take back control” of its waters before signing a trade deal with the European Union in December 2020. The fishing agreement between the two sides stated there would be a a five-year transition period that would see EU boats continue to gain some access to UK waters until 2026.
When the deal was signed, Mr Johnson admitted some concessions had been made in talks with the EU, but insisted for the first time since 1973, the UK would have “full control” of its waters.

Police

Express
A review by Baroness Casey into the Metropolitan Police has revealed that police chiefs were concerned about news of Wayne Couzens’ murder charge leaking to the media, resulting in the boss of his own unit learning about it from the news.
Met Police chiefs were so worried the news of Wayne Couzens’ murder charge would leak that the boss of the killer’s own unit learned about it from the media.
The revelations, contained within Baroness Casey’s review of the force, highlight how far trust had been eroded by the time of Sarah Everard’s killing.
Sarah, 33, was raped and strangled by serving Met officer Couzens. Baroness Casey’s investigation into the culture within the force branded it “institutionally racist, sexist and homophobic”.
And it found that the force may have more officers like Couzens.
Her damning review, published last week, also assessed the publicity strategy around his prosecution.

Observer
Police forces in England and Wales have been accused of trying to “evade public scrutiny” after an Observer investigation found that the outcomes of dozens of officer misconduct cases have been deleted from their websites.
They include some of the most serious cases of criminality, including that of the serial rapist David Carrick.
An analysis of misconduct trials at 43 forces found the vast majority were either failing to publicise cases, despite a legal obligation to do so, or deleting misconduct cases from their websites after 28 days. Misconduct hearings can relate to any reason an officer is fired from the job including cases related to sexual offences or domestic violence.
The Police (Conduct) Regulations were introduced in 2020 to help forces act with “honesty and integrity”, according to the National Police Chiefs’ Council, in part by improving the transparency of misconduct hearings.

Anti-social behaviour

Express
The Prime Minister is promising to curb antisocial behaviour by giving the police many more powers to clean Britain up.
Drinking in public places is to be cracked down on by Rishi Sunak, in an attempt to curb anti-social behaviour which could be a “gateway to more extreme crimes”.
Supping on a can of lager in social areas, such as bus stops or memorials, is a low-level offence that is set to be “quickly and visibly punished” as authorities ramp up their efforts to clean up Britain’s streets.
Under new rules, the police will be empowered to drug test suspects arrested under a wide range of offences.
Prior to the introduction of this legislation only individuals suspected of more serious crimes, such burglary or fraud, could be tested for drugs. However now anti-social offenders will be able to be tested too.
The use of nitrous oxide, known commonly as “laughing gas”, will also be targeted.
Mr Sunak recognises that at present laughing gas is not illegal as the substance can be used legitimately, for example in baking. However he is seeking to close loopholes that enable the gas to be abused and the UK’s social spaces cluttered.
Individuals found to be in possession of nitrous oxide in public could be arrested.

BBC News
People who vandalise public spaces will have to repair the damage they cause within 48 hours of being given an order, under new government plans.
Communities will also have a say on how offenders are punished, No 10 said.
The pilot, covering 10 areas, aims to show the public such acts are “quickly and visibly” punished.
But Labour accused the government of “slashing” neighbourhood policing and trying to copying their plan on “tough community payback”.
The pilot forms part of a crackdown on anti-social behaviour, which Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will announce on Monday.
Mr Sunak hopes the measures will stamp out the scourge of anti-social behaviour “once and for all”.
The new plans will see police and crime commissioners (PCCs) given funding to ensure people responsible for offences such as graffiti and vandalism start repair work as soon as possible.

Mail
Rishi Sunak today vows that those whose lives are blighted by antisocial behaviour will have a say in how the culprits are punished.
Heralding a major Government blitz on crime and vandalism, the Prime Minister pledges to put ‘community justice’ at the heart of the clampdown.
It will mean giving victims and local residents a say in what punishments are meted out – such as placing vandals in shaming jumpsuits while they publicly repair the damage they caused.
Speaking exclusively to The Mail on Sunday ahead of the launch of the new package, the Prime Minister said: ‘The community fightback starts now.’
On-the-spot fines for those caught fly-tipping will more than double from £400 to £1,000, while those littering or spraying graffiti face being hit with £500 fines – up from the current £150 maximum.

Independent
Rishi Sunak will unveil plans for “immediate and visible” punishments for anti-social behaviour this week as he pledges to crack down on the problem “once and for all”.
His long-awaited strategy will include measures to force vandals and those daubing graffiti to clean up their own messes within 48 hours, while wearing jumpsuits or high-visibility jackets.
Offenders could also wash police cars and do unpaid work in shops, while the prime minister will pledge that communities will get a say in what type of consequences are meted out.
He has made the cross-government “action plan” one of his key priorities before the next election, arguing that anti-social behaviour should not be treated as “inevitable or minor” and could be a gateway to other crimes.

Metro
The government is set to crack down on anti-social behaviour ‘once and for all’ by forcing offenders to wear hi-viz jackets and jumpsuits while they clean up their crimes within 48 hours of offending.
Rishi Sunak said his new plan, set to be announced on Monday, seeks to dole out ‘immediate’ justice and ensure that communities can visibly see efforts to clean up vandalism and graffiti.
Other punishments could include picking up litter, washing police cars or doing unpaid work in shops, according to Downing Street.
Officials said the UK Government’s anti-social action plan was about establishing a ‘zero-tolerance approach where offenders know they will face the full consequences of their actions’.
Speaking ahead of the plan’s publication, the Prime Minister said: ‘For too long, people have put up with the scourge of anti-social behaviour in their neighbourhoods.

ITV News
Offenders will be put to work in jumpsuits or hi-viz jackets to clean up their crimes within 48 hours of being handed punishments, Rishi Sunak is set to announce.
The Prime Minister said his plan, due to be announced on Monday, would “crack down” on anti-social behaviour “once and for all”.
A key plank of the measures will be making justice “immediate” and ensuring that communities can visibly see efforts to clean up vandalism and graffiti.
Other punishments could include picking up litter, washing police cars or doing unpaid work in shops, according to Downing Street.
Officials said the UK Government’s anti-social action plan was about establishing a “zero-tolerance approach where offenders know they will face the full consequences of their actions”.

Covid

Independent
Experts have criticised the government’s decision to axe the Covid ONS survey, which provides official estimates of UK infections.
It comes as Covid-19 cases in England have climbed to their highest level since the start of the year, as the Office for National Statistics (ONS) published its final report on the infection on Friday.
An estimated 1.7 million people in private households in the UK are likely to have had coronavirus in the week to 13 March, compared with 1.5 million in the previous week.
Oxford University virologist Professor Aris Katzourakis called the decision “incomprehensible” and warned that the UK could be “fighting blind” against Covid in the absence of regular updates.
“I think it’s a real disservice to both the protection of public health and the advancement of science,” Professor Katzourakis told The Independent. “I don’t understand why it’s been stopped.

Russia

Telegraph
Vladimir Putin has announced plans to station tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus for the first time, shifting his most destructive weapons closer to Europe and Kyiv.
The move represents the first time Russia will store part of its nuclear arsenal in another country since the breakup of the Soviet Union.
“We agreed with Lukashenko that we would place tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus without violating the nonproliferation regime,” he said in an interview for Russian TV broadcast on Saturday evening.
Mr Putin went on to suggest that his announcement was in response to news that Britain was sending depleted uranium shells to Ukraine with its Challenger-2 tanks.
“Russia has its own answer to ammunition with depleted uranium. We have similar weapons, but the Russian Federation has not yet used them,” he said.
Experts insist however that depleted uranium is standard use in British armour-piercing shells and holds no nuclear value.
Responding to Russia’s concerns around depleted uranium earlier in the week, the British ministry of defence said: “The British Army has used depleted uranium in its armour piercing shells for decades. It is a standard component and has nothing to do with nuclear weapons or capabilities. Russia knows this, but is deliberately trying to disinform.”

Independent
Russia will deploy tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus, Russian president Vladimir Putin has said.
Mr Putin said that such a move would not violate any nuclear nonproliferation agreements. He added that the US has stationed nuclear weapons on the territory of European allies.
The Russian president said he had agreed with president Lukashenko of Belarus, a supporter of the invasion, that Russia would place tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus “without violating our international obligations on the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons.”
Russia has moved ten aircraft to Belarus that would be capable of carrying tactical nuclear weapons, president Putin claimed.

Mail
Russia will station tactical nuclear weapons in neighbouring Belarus in response to Britain’s decision to provide Ukraine with armor-piercing rounds, President Vladimir Putin announced today.
The rounds which are set to be provided to Kyiv’s forces contain depleted uranium, and Moscow has falsely claimed that they have nuclear components as it escalates its confrontation with Ukraine and its allies.
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, a staunch supporter of the invasion, has long asked for the weapons on the territory, Putin said during an interview on Russian state television.
It will be the first time since the mid-1990s that Moscow will have based such arms outside of the country, something it says the US has done for decades.

ITV News
Russian President Vladimir Putin has announced plans on Saturday to station tactical nuclear weapons in neighbouring Belarus, a warning to the West as it steps up military support for Ukraine.
Putin said the move was triggered by Britain’s decision this past week to provide Ukraine with armour-piercing rounds containing depleted uranium.
Tactical nuclear weapons are intended for use on the battlefield and have a short range and a low yield compared with much more powerful nuclear warheads fitted to long-range missiles.
Russia plans to maintain control over those it sends to Belarus, and construction of storage facilities for them will be completed by July 1, Putin said.
He didn’t say how many nuclear weapons Russia would keep in Belarus.

Sun
VLADIMIR Putin is sending tactical nuclear weapons to Belarus on the border with Nato, in a major escalation of tensions over Ukraine.
The Russian President today claimed it will not violate non-proliferation agreements, after the two countries struck a deal.
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko had long raised the issue of stationing tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus, which borders Poland, Putin told state television.
“There is nothing unusual here either: firstly, the United States has been doing this for decades. They have long deployed their tactical nuclear weapons on the territory of their allied countries,” he said.
“We agreed that we will do the same – without violating our obligations, I emphasise, without violating our international obligations on the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons.”

i news
Russia has struck a deal with neighbouring Belarus to station tactical nuclear weapons on its territory, marking the first time since the mid-1990s that Moscow will have based such arms outside the country.
President Vladimir Putin said on Saturday this will not violate non-proliferation agreements.
The announcement comes at a time of growing tensions with the West over the Ukraine war and as some Russian commentators speculate about possible nuclear strikes.
Mr Putin told state television that Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko had long raised the issue of stationing tactical nuclear weapons in his country, which borders Nato member Poland.

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