Suella Braverman signs pact with France to tackle illegal migration
Under the new UK-France joint agreement, the number of officers patrolling the French coast at Calais to stop people setting off to the English coast at Dover will rise from 200 to 300.
UK Home Secretary Suella Braverman on Monday signed a new agreement with neighbouring France, which will see enhanced French patrols to curb the rising number of illegal migrants crossing the English Channel into England in dangerous small boats.
The Indian-origin minister is in France to finalise the new arrangement, which will also see specialist UK officers embedded with their French counterparts for the first time as part of the new financial agreement.
The UK's annual payment to France to help police the border is set to rise to €72 million (£62m) in 2022-23 from €62.7 million (£55m) for 2021-22.
Under the new UK-France joint agreement, the number of officers patrolling the French coast at Calais to stop people setting off to the English coast at Dover will rise from 200 to 300.
“There are no quick fixes, but this new arrangement will mean we can significantly increase the number of French gendarmes patrolling the beaches in northern France and ensure UK and French officers are working hand in hand to stop the people smugglers,” Braverman said.
“We must do everything we can to stop people making these dangerous journeys and crack down on the criminal gangs. This is a global challenge requiring global solutions, and it is in the interests of both the UK and French governments to work together to solve this complex problem,” she said.
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak also flagged the issue as an “absolute priority” and said he was "confident we can bring the numbers down".
“I do think that the absolute priority that British people have right now, as do I, is to grip illegal migration," Sunak told reporters en route to Indonesia for the G20 summit as the agreement was announced in London.
According to official estimates, more than 40,000 people have crossed in small boats so far this year, up from 28,526 last year and 8,404 the year before.
The new deal with France includes a 40 per cent increase in the number of UK-funded officers patrolling French beaches, to come on stream in the coming months.
The UK Home Office said the pact is aimed at enhanced information sharing, improved understanding of the threat, and ensuring UK expertise is at the heart of efforts to disrupt crossings and clamp down on people smugglers.
This more “integrated approach” will also include strengthened operational cooperation, including joint UK-France analysis teams supporting the coordination and exchange of information by French command headquarters.
The Home Office noted: “Joint working between UK and French officers so far has secured more than 140 convictions connected to people smuggling since the start of 2020, and these criminals now face a combined 400 years behind bars.
“The UK-France Joint Intelligence Cell, which has so far dismantled 55 organised crime groups and secured over 500 arrests since its inception in 2020, will also be expanded.” The latest multi-year arrangement is expected to bolster security at ports to help clamp down on illegal entry by funding investment in cutting-edge surveillance technology, drones, detection dog teams, CCTV and helicopters to help detect and prevent crossings.
It will also go towards supporting reception and removal centres in France for migrants whose journeys to the UK are prevented, to further deter crossing attempts.
A new task force will also be set up, focused on reversing the recent rise in Albanian nationals and organised crime groups exploiting illegal migration routes into Western Europe and the UK.
“This enhanced approach will boost joint British and French collaboration, which has already prevented over 30,000 illegal crossing attempts since the start of the year – more than 50 per cent more than at the same stage last year," the Home Office said.
"The renewed partnership marks the next step in joint efforts to reduce these dangerous crossings and paves the way for deeper cooperation between the two countries in future, looking ahead to next year’s UK-France leaders’ summit,” it added.
Braverman is to travel to Frankfurt in Germany later this week, where she will meet her international counterparts from the G7 to discuss a range of priority issues including tackling serious organised crime.
Her office said that she also plans to meet with neighbouring countries as soon as possible as part of the UK’s ongoing cooperation with European partners to drive progress on the issue of illegal migration.
“The UK’s work with international partners is a key part of the government’s wide-ranging approach to fix the broken asylum system, break the business model of people smugglers facilitating these journeys and clamp down on illegal migration,” the Home Office said.
As part of measures, the Nationality and Borders Act will introduce life sentences for people smugglers and increase the maximum penalty for entering the UK illegally.
The Home Office also hailed the government’s controversial “world-leading partnership with Rwanda”, which will see some illegal migrants relocated there to have their claims considered in the African country.
Damaged cemented blocks lie in the water beside an under-construction dam on the Tawi River, following heavy rainfall in Jammu, on August 27, 2025. (Photo: Reuters)
HEAVY rain in northern India has led to flooding and landslides, leaving at least 34 people dead and disrupting essential services, officials and local media said. More rainfall has been forecast for Wednesday.
A landslide near the Vaishno Devi shrine on Tuesday killed at least 30 people on the popular pilgrims’ route, ANI reported.
This comes after downpours in the Himalayan region last week killed 60 people and left about 200 missing in Kishtwar in Indian Kashmir.
In Jammu, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) recorded 368 mm (14.5 inches) of rain on Tuesday.
The IMD has predicted further rainfall and thunderstorms with strong winds in Ladakh, along with heavy rain in Himachal Pradesh and the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
Schools have been ordered shut in several areas of Jammu, Himachal Pradesh and Punjab.
Telecommunication services were “almost nonexistent,” said Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah, as authorities worked to restore connectivity.
Officials said overflowing water in the Tawi, Chenab, Jhelum and Basantar rivers caused flooding in low-lying areas. Three people were killed in Doda district in Jammu.
“The immediate priority is restoration of electricity, water supply and mobile services, for which the authorities have been working continuously overnight,” Jitendra Singh, India’s science and technology minister, posted on X.
Singh also said that the Madhopur bridge was severely damaged on Wednesday morning.
Television footage showed vehicles plunging from the bridge as it collapsed. Several highways connecting Jammu with the rest of India were also affected.
Meanwhile, neighbouring Pakistan is facing similar monsoon conditions.
On Tuesday, Pakistan reported that its eastern Punjab province was under “very high to exceptionally high” flood risk due to heavy rain and the release of water from two Indian dams.
Authorities said more than 150,000 people in Punjab have been displaced, including about 35,000 who left their homes voluntarily after flood warnings since August 14.
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Donald Trump speaks with the press as he meets with Narendra Modi in the Oval Office of the White House on February 13, 2025. (Photo: Getty Images)
US tariffs on Indian imports rise to as much as 50 per cent
Nearly 55 per cent of India’s $87bn exports to US could be affected
Exporters warn of job losses and call for loan moratoriums
India says support measures will be offered to affected exporters
US PRESIDENT Donald Trump’s doubling of tariffs on Indian imports took effect on Wednesday, raising duties on some shipments to as much as 50 per cent. The move escalates trade tensions between India and the United States.
A 25 per cent tariff announced earlier in July was followed by another 25 per cent duty linked to India’s purchases of Russian oil, taking total tariffs to as high as 50 per cent on items such as garments, gems and jewellery, footwear, sporting goods, furniture and chemicals. These rates are on par with those imposed by the US on Brazil and China.
The new tariffs are expected to affect thousands of small exporters and jobs, including in prime minister Narendra Modi’s home state of Gujarat. Exporter groups estimate nearly 55 per cent of India’s 87 billion dollars in merchandise exports to the US could be impacted, benefiting competitors such as Vietnam, Bangladesh and China.
India and the US have held five rounds of talks since April to try to reach a trade agreement, but differences over access to India’s farm and dairy sectors, as well as India’s rising imports of Russian oil, led to a breakdown.
Officials on both sides blamed political misjudgment and missed signals for the collapse. US Census Bureau data shows their two-way goods trade totalled 129 billion dollars in 2024, with a US trade deficit of 45.8 billion dollars.
White House trade adviser Peter Navarro confirmed the new tariffs would take effect as announced. “Yeah,” he said when asked if the increased tariffs on India’s exports would be implemented on Wednesday.
Indian officials had earlier indicated hope that US tariffs could be capped at 15 per cent, the rate applied to some other US trade partners including Japan, South Korea and the European Union.
The additional tariffs will affect goods such as textiles, chemicals and leather. Exporters say this could create a price disadvantage of 30–35 per cent compared to competitors.
“The move will disrupt Indian exports to the largest export market,” said SC Ralhan, president of Federation of Indian Export Organisations. He suggested the government provide a one-year moratorium on bank loans for affected exporters, besides extending low-cost credit and easier loan access.
A US Customs and Border Protection notice allows a three-week exemption for Indian goods shipped before the deadline. These shipments can enter the US under the earlier lower tariffs until September 17.
Steel, aluminium and derivative products, passenger vehicles, copper and other goods subject to separate tariffs of up to 50 per cent under the Section 232 national security trade law remain exempt.
India’s response
India’s Commerce Ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment. However, an official said on condition of anonymity that exporters hit by the tariffs would be given financial assistance and encouraged to diversify to markets such as China, Latin America and the Middle East.
Rajeswari Sengupta, an economics professor at Mumbai’s Indira Gandhi Institute of Development Research, said a weaker rupee could provide indirect support to exporters by helping them regain competitiveness.
Officials say trade talks with the US are continuing. India has not announced any change in its stance on Russian oil purchases. Russian officials in New Delhi have said Moscow expects to continue supplying oil to India.
Broader ties
Despite the tariff dispute, both countries have stressed their broader strategic partnership. On Tuesday, the US State Department and India’s Ministry of External Affairs issued identical statements saying senior officials met virtually and expressed “eagerness to continue enhancing the breadth and depth of the bilateral relationship.”
Both sides also reaffirmed their commitment to the Quad grouping, which includes the US, India, Australia and Japan.
CHILDREN should start learning about democracy from the age of 11 so that they are ready to take part in elections when they turn 16, the head of the UK’s elections regulator has said.
Vijay Rangarajan, chief executive of the Electoral Commission, explained that the watchdog is developing teaching material for schools in response to the government’s decision to extend voting rights to 16- and 17-year-olds.
At first, the resources will be aimed at pupils aged 14 and over, but he stressed that proper preparation would mean beginning at the start of secondary school.
Speaking to The Guardian, Rangarajan stressed that classroom lessons must remain impartial. “Teachers need to be very clear when something is just their personal opinion,” he said, urging staff to avoid letting political beliefs influence teaching. “We are putting huge effort into ensuring the material is neutral.”
His comments come as debates continue about bias in education. Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has claimed schools are “full of leftwing prejudice” and hostile to his party.
Rangarajan acknowledged that political parties are worried about partiality, but said the Commission’s work is focused on ensuring trust.
Surveys suggest schools are not yet fully preparing pupils for the vote. A poll of 6,000 teachers by Teacher Tapp revealed that over four in five do not think the current curriculum gives students the knowledge they need to vote at 16. Around half of 16- and 17-year-olds also admit they feel under-informed about politics.
Experience from Scotland, where 16-year-olds were able to vote in the 2014 independence referendum and now vote in Holyrood and local elections, showed why schools must be engaged. Rangarajan said teaching there had been inconsistent and sometimes avoided. “That’s why we are getting on with this early,” he was quoted as saying. “Teachers need support so they are confident in handling sensitive topics.”
The Commission’s materials will also address how to judge online information and recognise misinformation. Rangarajan argued that early education could help young voters form lifelong democratic habits.
His remarks were made after the government announced wider reforms, including tougher rules on party funding, higher fines for breaches, stronger action against abuse of candidates and steps towards automatic voter registration.
Rangarajan welcomed moves to close loopholes that allow foreign money into politics, something the Commission has pushed for since 2013.
However, he repeated calls for the regulator’s independence to be restored. Under Boris Johnson’s government, ministers were given the power to set the Commission’s priorities, ending its full autonomy.
“A government relies on elections to stay in power,” he warned. “It should not be directing the body that oversees those elections.”
The elections chief also highlighted growing risks from online abuse, particularly against women and ethnic minority candidates. He warned that deepfake pornography is already being used to intimidate female politicians.
The Commission is working with police and IT specialists in pilot schemes in Scotland to identify and stop such attacks.
On political donations, Rangarajan said cryptocurrency gifts should not be banned, despite concerns over traceability. Parties already receive unusual contributions, such as artwork or yacht use, which can be just as difficult to assess, he noted.
According to Rangarajan, the biggest challenge now is maintaining faith in democratic institutions. “We need to equip young people with knowledge and confidence,” he said, “while making sure the system itself remains transparent and fair.”
The Siddhashram Community Hub in Harrow hosted a special gathering of devotion and culture as the Indian diaspora came together to honour Shri Pankajbhai Modi from Gujarat, India. Pankajbhai spent five days in London attending a Shiv Katha at Siddhashram in remembrance of the Air India Air Crash victims, an offering that resonated deeply with the audience.
The event took place on 22 August 2025 in the divine presence of HH Shri Rajrajeshwar Guruji, whose vision and guidance have united communities across the UK. The occasion was further blessed by Param Pujya Shri Jogi Dada, Param Pujya Shri Maheshbhai Bhatt, and Shri Dhruv Bhatt.
In his address, Pankajbhai Modi urged families to uphold their roots through language and culture. “If you are Indian, speak your language with pride. At home, embrace your mother tongue with respect,” he said.
Guruji, praising Pankajbhai’s humility, described him as “a saint in civil duties, devoted to service and unity.”
The evening included a cultural performance by Chittal Vyas and her team, and the presence of distinguished guests such as Radhika Rupani and family, along with community leaders from Mahavir Foundation, The Jain Centre, Anoopam Mission, and Pinner Swaminarayan Mandir.
The gathering ended with a strong call for unity, service, and cultural pride, reinforcing the values that continue to strengthen the diaspora in the UK.
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Zia Yusuf said the party would consider paying the Taliban to take back migrants who entered Britain illegally. (Photo: Getty Images)
REFORM UK would consider paying the Taliban to take back migrants who entered Britain illegally, former party chairman Zia Yusuf has said.
Yusuf told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme he believed it was “quite reasonable” for the UK government to offer money to Afghanistan’s regime as part of a returns deal.
He said: “Well, we have a £2bn budget to offer countries… It's not a drop in the ocean to Afghanistan, certainly not a drop in the ocean for Eritrea, the two countries that are top of the list of boat crossings.”
He added: “This country already gives £151m a year to Afghanistan in the form of foreign aid. I think it's quite reasonable.”
The comments come as Nigel Farage prepares to set out Reform’s plan on illegal migration, including leaving the European Convention on Human Rights, scrapping the Human Rights Act and introducing a British Bill of Rights.
The party would also deport those arriving by small boats to their country of origin or third countries.
Housing minister Matthew Pennycook criticised Reform’s plans, calling them “put together on the back of a fag packet” in an interview with Sky News.