Housed in a detention centre in southern England, Aladeen says he risked his life to travel thousands of miles from his homeland of Syria to escape being forced to fight in the military of President Bashar al-Assad.
Now the 21-year-old is battling to stay in Britain and avoid being sent across the world again, this time to Rwanda where the British government wants to send migrants who turn up illegally on its shores.
"It's the end of the world for me, I can't imagine it," he told Reuters by phone through an interpreter and declining to give his full name while his asylum claim is considered.
Aladeen, one of about 130 migrants initially given a ticket to Rwanda and now left in legal limbo, is caught in the British government's struggle to control its borders and manage voters' post-Brexit migration demands.
He is among more than 20,000 migrants to have made the precarious 20-mile journey from France to Britain this year on small boats across the English Channel, crossing one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world.
The status of migrants like Aladeen will be the subject of a legal challenge in London's High Court in early September when a coalition of human rights groups and a trade union will argue that the Rwanda policy is unworkable and unethical.
Governments across the world are wrestling with how to deal with an influx of refugees fleeing war-torn countries or persecution in their homelands. Britain is the latest country to attempt to outsource the settlement of asylum seekers.
Australia pioneered the concept and European governments have in recent years paid countries like Libya to stop migrants on their behalf. Denmark has signed a similar agreement on deportations with Rwanda, but has yet to send any migrants there.
Britain has portrayed its policy as humane, saying it will smash the business model of the people smugglers and end the emergency which has seen at least 166 people die or go missing, with 27 drowning in the worst accident in November.
But it has attracted widespread criticism - from lawmakers across the political divide, the United Nations and even heir to the throne Prince Charles - while the European Court of Human Rights issued injunctions to force the cancellation of the first deportation flight hours before it was due to leave in June.
The policy is also dwarfed by the scale of the challenge.
So far Rwanda has also only set up one hostel to accept UK arrivals, with a capacity of about 100 people, representing 0.35% of all the migrants who arrived in Britain last year.
A British official said the government was in talks to acquire another three or four hostels in Kigali, but even those would only provide accommodation for about 1.6% of last year's arrivals.
"I'm not going to pretend that the Rwanda policy is the single magic bullet, but I think it can make a big difference," outgoing British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said during a visit to Rwanda for a meeting of Commonwealth leaders in June.
INHUMANE, UNCOSTED AND NOT WORKING
In the meantime, the asylum seekers keep arriving, with 696 on Aug. 1 alone. A report by parliament's cross-party home affairs committee said last month that there was no evidence the Rwanda policy was deterring asylum seekers.
The numbers have been rising for several years.
In 2021, 28,526 people were detected arriving on small boats - with the highest number from Iran followed by Iraq, Eritrea and Syria. That was up from 8,466 in 2020, 1,843 in 2019, and 299 in 2018, contributing to the 1.5 billion pound ($1.83 billion) annual cost of running Britain's asylum system.
Johnson said officials earlier this year believed a record 60,000 asylum seekers could arrive in Britain this year.
Both candidates to replace him have also pledged to pursue the Rwanda policy, and the favourite, foreign minister Liz Truss, has vowed to extend it to more countries.
A spokesperson for the UK government described the situation as "unacceptable" and insisted the strategy was needed to stop people "making dangerous, unnecessary and illegal journeys".
Britain argues that 90% of the asylum seekers who make the journey are men, many of them economic migrants rather than genuine refugees.
LEAVE AS A FRIEND
At the Hope Hostel in Kigali, arrivals are greeted with a sign in English reading "Come as a guest, leave as a friend".
"As you can see, people will find it very comfortable here," manager Elisee Kalyango said of his hostel, perched on a hillside on the outskirts of the city, with its signs printed in English, Arabic, Farsi and Albanian.
About 20 people are employed to keep the rooms clean, the grass trimmed, and the facilities in working order even though there are no guests.
The plan is for deportees to spend nine months there, on a monthly allowance of about 90 pounds, while having their asylum applications considered before being moved to permanent housing in Rwanda.
The Rwandan scheme is intended to deter people like Aladeen from making hazardous journeys to Britain and to end people smuggling.
With five brothers and two sisters, Aladeen says he didn't know about the Rwanda policy before he left. He says he was a farmer who had to flee when he was conscripted into the Syrian military.
He says he was kidnapped and tortured for four months in Libya until his family paid a ransom. He then headed to Tripoli where he had a cousin, but fearful of being kidnapped again, left for Britain where he had relatives, via a five-day boat journey to Italy and a train to France.
Asked why he had not sought asylum in France, a question often posed by supporters of the Rwandan policy, he said he understood he would not be treated fairly there.
"I don't have family there to support me, all the family I know, everything I know - all the human rights ... that's why I came to the UK," he said.
In the northern French port of Calais, he says his family paid a people smuggler - he was not sure how much - and he made a seven-hour trip with 18 others on a small boat in mid-May.
Many others pulled out, too fearful to get into the boat.
On arrival in Britain, he was taken to a holding facility before being moved to a detention centre. He was initially given a ticket to Rwanda but said his lawyers had been able to cancel it.
"I feel I am being treated like a criminal. I am not a criminal, all I am doing is looking to settle and start a new life," he said.
Asked what he would do if sent to Rwanda, he said: "I'm not sure - my life is ended."
The UK is expected to enjoy warm weather this weekend, with temperatures forecast to reach up to 23°C, higher than those in Ibiza. The mild conditions come after a week of sunshine, with London hitting 24°C on Wednesday.
Most parts of the country are likely to experience sunny spells and above-average temperatures over the weekend. However, northern and eastern areas may see cooler conditions, along with patches of drizzle.
While the warm weather is expected to extend into the early part of next week, forecasters have indicated that the bank holiday weekend could bring more unsettled conditions, including rain in some regions.
The anticipated rainfall would be timely, as the Environment Agency has issued a warning of a medium risk of drought in England this summer. This follows a relatively dry start to spring, raising concerns about water levels heading into the warmer months.
Although the warm spell is a welcome change, experts are continuing to monitor weather patterns closely ahead of the summer. Britons are being advised to enjoy the sunshine while it lasts, with the outlook for the long weekend remaining uncertain.
FOREIGN SECRETARY David Lammy said on Saturday that Britain is working with the United States to ensure the ceasefire between India and Pakistan holds, and to support confidence-building measures and dialogue between the two sides.
Speaking in Islamabad at the end of a two-day visit, Lammy said, “We will continue to work with the United States to ensure that we get an enduring ceasefire, to ensure that dialogue is happening and to work through with Pakistan and India how we can get to confidence and confidence-building measures between the two sides.”
Pakistan has said that Britain and other countries, along with the United States, played a key role in helping de-escalate the recent fighting between the two countries. The ceasefire was brokered on May 10 after diplomatic efforts, but diplomats and analysts have said it remains fragile.
Tensions rose after a deadly attack on tourists in Kashmir, which India has blamed on Pakistan. Pakistan has denied involvement. Both countries fired missiles onto each other’s territory during the escalation.
US president Donald Trump has said talks should take place in a third country but no venue or dates have been announced.
“These are two neighbours with a long history but they are two neighbours that have barely been able to speak to one other over this past period, and we want to ensure that we do not see further escalation and that the ceasefire endures,” Lammy said.
Lammy also commented on India’s decision to suspend the Indus Water Treaty, saying, “We would urge all sides to meet their treaty obligations.”
India had said last month that it had “put in abeyance” its participation in the 1960 treaty that governs use of the Indus river system. Pakistan has said any disruption to its water access would be considered an act of war.
Lammy said Britain would continue to work with Pakistan on countering terrorism. “It is a terrible blight on this country and its people, and of course on the region,” he said.
Lammy criticised Russia following brief talks with Ukraine on a potential ceasefire. The meeting ended in under two hours, and Trump said no progress was possible until he met Russian president Vladimir Putin directly.
“Yet again we are seeing obfuscation on the Russian side and unwillingness to get serious about the enduring peace that is now required in Ukraine,” Lammy said. “Once again Russia is not serious.”
“At what point do we say to Putin enough is enough?” he said.
(With inputs from Reuters)
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Using forged documents claiming he had a law degree and a false CV, Rai gained employment at two law firms in Gloucestershire and a construction company in Bristol.
A 43-year-old man has been sentenced after using fake identity documents and forged academic certificates to secure jobs at law firms and a construction company.
Aditya Rai was sentenced at Gloucester Crown Court to 20 months, suspended for two years, and ordered to complete 200 hours of unpaid work. He had pleaded guilty to fraud, forgery, and identity-related offences.
The court heard Rai used a false passport and a fake UK driving licence under the name Ali Ryan, with a photo of himself and a false date of birth. He also opened bank accounts under the same false identity.
Using forged documents claiming he had a law degree and a false CV, Rai gained employment at two law firms in Gloucestershire and a construction company in Bristol. In total, he earned around £10,000 before resigning from one firm and being dismissed from another following reference checks, according to Gloucestershire Police.
He had previous convictions, which he concealed by using a false identity. A search of his home in June 2022 led to the seizure of his laptop, which contained fake documents and a forged driving licence.
Rai had been on remand since February 2025 after being arrested at a port with a false Irish licence. He was identified by his tattoos and arrested for failing to attend court.
He also admitted to an offence investigated by North Wales Police involving a fake Republic of Ireland driving licence. Two further fraud offences were taken into consideration.
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Nirav Modi, 55, has been in custody in the UK since March 2019.
A UK court on Thursday denied bail to fugitive Indian diamond businessman Nirav Modi, who sought release while awaiting extradition to India. Modi cited potential threats to his life and said he would not attempt to flee Britain.
Modi, 55, has been in custody in the UK since March 2019. He left India in 2018 before details emerged of his alleged involvement in a large-scale fraud at Punjab National Bank.
He denies any wrongdoing, according to his lawyer. His extradition to India was approved by UK courts, and his appeals, including a request to approach the UK Supreme Court, were rejected in 2022.
On Thursday, Modi’s lawyer Edward Fitzgerald told the High Court that the extradition could not take place for confidential legal reasons. "There are confidential legal reasons why (Modi) cannot be extradited," he said, without providing further details.
Representing Indian authorities, lawyer Nicholas Hearn opposed the bail application, arguing that Modi might try to escape or interfere with witnesses. Hearn referred to Modi’s past attempt to seek citizenship in Vanuatu as an indication he might flee.
Fitzgerald responded that Modi would not leave the UK due to fear of the Indian government. He mentioned alleged recent plots to target Sikh activists in the United States and Canada, which India has denied. He also cited India's alleged involvement in returning Sheikha Latifa, daughter of Dubai’s ruler, to Dubai in 2018.
"The reach of the Indian government for extrajudicial reprisals is practically limitless," Fitzgerald said. "The idea that he could go to Vanuatu ... and there be safe from the Indian government is utterly ridiculous. They would either send a hit squad to get him or they would kidnap him or they would lean on the government to deport him."
The Indian High Commission in London did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Judge Michael Fordham denied the bail plea, saying, "there are substantial grounds for believing that if released by me on bail ... (Modi) would fail to surrender".
Modi is wanted in India in connection with two linked cases — a major fraud at Punjab National Bank and alleged laundering of the proceeds.
His uncle Mehul Choksi, also linked to the case, was arrested in Belgium last month. Choksi has denied any wrongdoing.
(With inputs from agencies)
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Users across the UK report Sky TV not working during prime time
Sky TV customers across the UK faced widespread disruption on Thursday night, with issues continuing into Friday morning despite the company saying things were back to normal.
The problems, which began around 9pm, saw more than 30,000 users unable to access TV content. Most complaints were linked to Sky Q boxes crashing or freezing. Some viewers were stuck with error messages saying they couldn’t watch TV due to “connectivity issues” even though their internet seemed fine.
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By Friday morning, over 2,500 users were still reporting trouble, according to tracking site DownDetector. Most problems (87%) were TV-related, while a smaller number mentioned full blackouts or broadband issues.
DownDetector chart shows view of problems reported in the last 24 hours Downdetector
Sky said the issue stemmed from a technical glitch that pushed some Sky Q boxes into standby mode. “We’re sorry some customers had trouble accessing Sky Q,” the company said. “The issue was quickly resolved, and service has been restored.”
However, many users said otherwise. On social media and DownDetector, complaints kept coming in. Some said rebooting the Sky box worked temporarily, only for it to crash again. Others were irritated by the lack of updates from Sky, especially as the blackout clashed with the Eurovision Song Contest semi-final, a big night for live TV.
“I’ve restarted my box six times already. It just keeps going off again,” one user in Southport wrote. Another from Sheffield posted: “Still down this morning.”
Sky recommends a basic fix: unplug your Sky Q box from the power socket for 30 seconds, then turn it back on. For some, that’s worked. For others, the issue returns after a while.
Downdetector shows the most affected locations and problems Downdetector
Posting on X this morning, the official Sky account shared : "We are aware of some technical issues overnight that led to Sky Q boxes to go into standby mode. Our technical team worked quickly to investigate and restore service.
"If your Sky Q box is still stuck in standby please switch off your Sky Q box at the power socket for 30 seconds and back on again which will restore service. We’re sorry for any inconvenience caused."
Sky’s own help page offers a few steps to try: reboot the box, check Wi-Fi, update the software, and make sure your remote and connections are working. But when none of that helps, users are left in the dark.
DownDetector, a platform that tracks service interruptions, showed how the problem spread and continued, even after Sky’s official fix.
This article was updated following Sky’s public statement issued on Friday morning.