Cost of UK government’s Illegal Migration Bill could hit $7.5 billion in next two years

Cost of UK government’s Illegal Migration Bill could hit $7.5 billion in next two years
The Illegal Migration Bill includes mechanisms designed to make it easier to detain people who enter the UK illegally. (File/Reuters)
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Updated 06 June 2023
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Cost of UK government’s Illegal Migration Bill could hit $7.5 billion in next two years

Cost of UK government’s Illegal Migration Bill could hit $7.5 billion in next two years
  • Sources told the BBC the legislation will be costly and complex
  • The bill aims to make it easier to detain and deport people who enter the country illegally

LONDON: The cost to UK authorities of detaining and deporting people over the next two years under the country’s controversial new Illegal Migration Bill could reach £6 billion ($7.5 billion), according to internal government projections obtained by the BBC.

The bill, passed by the House of Commons in April, includes mechanisms designed to make it easier to detain people who enter the UK illegally, particularly those who cross the English Channel on small boats, and send them back to their home countries or third-party nations.

The Conservative government has not revealed the projected costs associated with the legislation. However, the BBC reported on Monday that the Home Office estimates it will have to spend between £3 billion and £6 billion on detention facilities, accommodation and deportations.

Home Office sources said the bill will be costly and complex, with one insider admitting that implementing it will be a “major logistical challenge.” A senior government source told the BBC the bill could constrain public spending.

Home Office officials hope the legislation will act as a deterrent and that as the number of people being detained falls over time, so too will the costs. The Treasury is publicly supporting the policy but insiders are said to be concerned that the deterrence aspect has not been sufficiently proven. One Home Office source close to the bill described this deterrence effect as an “unknown factor” that cannot be predicted.

Jon Featonby, chief policy analyst at the Refugee Council, told the BBC: “The Home Office is clearly aware that so-called deterrence measures simply don’t work, and it is preparing to detain thousands of desperate people who will end up on our shores in search of protection.

“Until refugees fleeing violence and persecution are given a safe pathway to seek asylum in our country, they will continue to risk their lives to get here.

“Instead of moving forward with this hugely expensive and unworkable crackdown on refugees seeking safety in the UK, the government should be focusing on creating a system that protects the right to claim asylum and that prioritizes both compassion and control.”

Rob McNeil, the deputy director of Oxford University’s Migration Observatory, told the BBC that the big question is whether the bill will deter anyone from trying to enter in the UK. He pointed out that the costs are already “very, very high,” and said that if asylum claims were processed quicker, there would be fewer migrants in the system.

Yvette Cooper, the opposition Labour Party’s shadow home secretary, told the BBC: “The Conservatives are in total chaos on asylum and their new bill is a sham that will make the soaring costs far worse.”

The bill has faced a backlash within the ruling Conservative Party and in the House of Lords, where it is currently being debated. The government said it will release its economic impact assessment of the bill in due course.


Mafia boss Messina Denaro’s body returns to Sicily: report

Mafia boss Messina Denaro’s body returns to Sicily: report
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Mafia boss Messina Denaro’s body returns to Sicily: report

Mafia boss Messina Denaro’s body returns to Sicily: report
ROME: Italian police escorted the body of Sicilian Mafia boss Matteo Messina Denaro back to his hometown Tuesday, media reports said, where he is expected to be buried quickly and with little ceremony.
Messina Denaro, captured in January after three decades on the run, died on Monday in hospital in central Italy, taking to the grave the secrets of his brutal reign.
His coffin was driven in a hearse out of the hospital in L’Aquila and is expected to arrive in his hometown of Castelvetrano in Sicily in the early hours of Wednesday, according to the ANSA news agency.
Police normally ban funerals for mafia bosses, and only a few family members — including two sisters and a brother — are expected to be present at his burial in the town’s cemetery, the agency said.
Messina Denaro was one of the most ruthless bosses in Cosa Nostra, the real-life Sicilian crime syndicate depicted in the “Godfather” movies.
The 61-year-old was convicted of involvement in the murder of anti-Mafia judges Giovanni Falcone and Paolo Borsellino in 1992 and in deadly bombings in Rome, Florence and Milan in 1993.
One of his six life sentences was for the kidnapping and murder of the 12-year-old son of a witness in the Falcone case.
Messina Denaro disappeared in the summer of 1993 and spent the next 30 years on the run as the Italian state cracked down on the Sicilian mob.
But he remained at the top of Italy’s most-wanted list and increasingly became a figure of legend.
It was his decision to seek treatment for colon cancer that led to his arrest on January 16, 2023, when he visited a health clinic in Palermo.

India, at UN, is mum about dispute with Canada over Sikh separatist leader’s killing

India, at UN, is mum about dispute with Canada over Sikh separatist leader’s killing
Updated 26 September 2023
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India, at UN, is mum about dispute with Canada over Sikh separatist leader’s killing

India, at UN, is mum about dispute with Canada over Sikh separatist leader’s killing
  • India’s FM uses speech to champion country’s growing global stature, leadership ambitions
  • Killing of prominent Sikh leader in Vancouver escalated tensions between India and Canada

UNITED NATIONS: India’s top diplomat steered clear of his country’s row with Canada over the killing of a Sikh separatist leader but made an oblique swipe at how other countries respond to “terrorism” as he addressed world leaders at the UN General Assembly on Tuesday.
Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar mainly used his speech to champion India’s growing global stature and leadership ambitions, highlight its recent turn chairing the Group of 20 industrialized nations and steering a meaty summit meeting earlier this month.
But he also said that the world must not “countenance that political convenience determines responses to terrorism, extremism and violence.”
India has often lashed out at Pakistan over what New Delhi sees as sponsoring terrorism, accusing its neighbor of arming and training insurgents fighting for the independence of Indian-controlled Kashmir or for its integration into Pakistan — a charge that Islamabad denies. But this time, the comment could also be seen as a swipe at Canada, whose representative is scheduled to speak later Tuesday at the UN
Ties between the two countries have plunged to their lowest point in years after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said last week that India may have been involved in the June killing of a Canadian citizen in a Vancouver suburb.
Canada has yet to provide any public evidence of Indian involvement in the slaying of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, 45, who was killed by masked gunmen. He was a leader in what remains of a once-strong movement to create an independent Sikh homeland, known as Khalistan, and India had designated him a terrorist.
India’s foreign ministry dismissed the allegation as “absurd” and accused Canada of harboring “terrorists and extremists.” It also said the claims were motivated, implying that Trudeau was trying to drum up domestic support among the Sikh diaspora.
“Such unsubstantiated allegations seek to shift the focus from Khalistani terrorists and extremists, who have been provided shelter in Canada and continue to threaten India’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” the ministry said in a statement last week.
But India has accused Canada for years of giving free rein to Sikh separatists, including Nijjar.
While the active insurgency ended decades ago, the Modi government has warned that Sikh separatists were trying to stage a comeback. New Delhi has pressed countries like Canada, where Sikhs make up more than 2 percent of the population, to do more to stop a separatist resurgence.
It’s not unusual for India to make veiled references to other countries — in fact, it has a habit at the UN of not directly targeting criticism at such rivals like Pakistan and China.
Observers were watching to see whether Jaishankar would take direct aim at Canada, but doing so on a global platform could have widened a rift that already has dominated headlines internationally. Experts have said India wouldn’t like to draw more attention to the dispute with Canada at a forum such as the UN, preferring instead to treat it as an issue just between the two countries involved.
Canada’s allegation clouded India’s moment in the diplomatic sun after the G20 summit. Jaishankar sought to turn the spotlight back on his country’s aspirations on the world stage. The world’s most populous nation and an increasingly muscular economic power, India has held itself out as “the voice of the Global South” and of developing countries’ frustrations with a lopsided international order.
“When we aspire to be a leading power, this is not for self-aggrandizement, but to take on greater responsibility and make more contributions,” he said. “The goals we have set for ourselves will make us different from all those whose rise preceded ours.”
 


Saudi Embassy in Tokyo celebrates Kingdom’s 93rd National Day

Saudi Embassy in Tokyo celebrates Kingdom’s 93rd National Day
Updated 26 September 2023
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Saudi Embassy in Tokyo celebrates Kingdom’s 93rd National Day

Saudi Embassy in Tokyo celebrates Kingdom’s 93rd National Day
  • Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry NISHIMURA Yasutoshi and Digital Minister KONO Taro attended the event
  • The event started with the national anthems of Saudi Arabia and Japan performed by a Japanese singer

TOKYO: Saudi Arabia’s Ambassador to Japan Nayef Al-Fahadi hosted a reception on Tuesday on Saudi Arabia’s 93rd National Day.
The event at the Okura Hotel in Tokyo was attended by around 300 dignitaries, including Japanese government officials, members of parliament, academics, diplomats, Arab and Muslim community members, and Saudi students and businesspeople.
Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry NISHIMURA Yasutoshi and Digital Minister KONO Taro attended the event. Other attendees included military attaches from various embassies, including the Chinese Embassy.
The event started with the national anthems of Saudi Arabia and Japan performed by a Japanese singer. Videos and photos showing Saudi Arabia’s developments, tourism and natural beauty were displayed and Saudi dates were served to the guests along with Arabic snacks.
In his opening remarks, Ambassador Al-Fahadi spoke of the dreams of the Kingdom and the achievements it has made.
“I will not tell you about my country’s glorious past, nor about the miracle of its founding, nor about the struggle of construction,” he said. “Rather, I would like to talk to you about its present, about a great vision where we accomplished over the course of years what we thought would take decades. My country today stands at the forefront of political, economic and tourism destinations, with its limitless vision, ambition and determination leading to what we see today.”
Al-Fahadi said that yesterday’s dreams had been turned into reality and the prestige of the country could be seen by the prestigious summits it hosts, foreign investment in the country and its appeal as a tourist destination. He concluded by thanking the guests for helping to celebrate Saudi Arabia’s 93rd National Day.
TSUJI Kiyoto, Japan’s Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs, offered congratulatory remarks.
“It is my great pleasure and honor to congratulate the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on its 93rd National Day,” he said. “Saudi Arabia has been a reliable partner for Japan for many years. Currently, cooperation between the two countries is rapidly progressing beyond energy security to a wide range of fields, including decarbonization, advanced technology, entertainment, space, tourism, culture and sports.”
Tsuji noted the great success of Prime Minister KISHIDA Fumio’s official visit to Saudi Arabia in July this year and his meeting with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The two leaders agreed to continue accelerating cooperation between the two countries under the Japan-Saudi Vision 2030.
“Japan places great importance on its expanding strategic partnership with Saudi Arabia,” Tsuji added. “We believe that further strengthening of cooperation between the two countries, including both political and economic aspects, will not only serve the interests of both countries, but will also greatly contribute to the peace and prosperity of the entire Middle East, the Indo-Pacific and other regions.”
Tsuji praised Ambassador Al-Fahadi for earning a degree in Japan and his profound knowledge of the country, referring to him as “a bridge between the two countries.”
“Finally, I would like to conclude my remarks by praying for the further prosperity of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the good health of His Majesty King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, and the happiness of the people of Saudi Arabia,” Tsuji said. “Shukran Jazilan.”


Global development must be equitable: Indian FM

Global development must be equitable: Indian FM
Updated 26 September 2023
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Global development must be equitable: Indian FM

Global development must be equitable: Indian FM
  • Days when ‘a few nations set the agenda … are over,’ Subrahmanyam Jaishankar says
  • Minister praises India’s progress on technology, social reform

NEW YORK: Global development must be equitable and resist hegemony, India’s external affairs minister said on Tuesday.

“The days when a few nations set the agenda and expect others to fall in line are over,” Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said.

The politician also condemned what he described as unequal contributions to global development, including the distribution of COVID-19 vaccines and “an evasion of historical responsibilities” regarding climate action.

India, he said, was part of several emerging alliances and economic blocs, including the I2U2 group, which also includes Israel, the US and the UAE.

The country sought to maintain its old relationships and create new ones, Jaishankar said, something that was evident in the expansion of the strategic security dialogue between Australia, India, Japan and the US — known as the Quad — and the economic bloc comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.

“At India’s initiative, the African Union was admitted as a permanent member of the G20,” he said.

“This significant step in reform should inspire the United Nations — a much older organization — to also make the Security Council contemporary.”

India has been a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for 16 years. It is also part of the G4 Alliance, which calls for the reform of the council and the accession to it of Brazil, Germany, India and Japan as permanent members.

“Recently we hosted the creation of the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor,” he said.

“The forging of the Global Biofuels Alliance was another notable development. This willingness to work in an open-minded manner on specific domains is now a defining characteristic of the emerging multipolar order.”

Earlier this month, seven countries and the EU signed a memorandum of understanding regarding the creation of the IMEC corridor during the G20 Summit in New Delhi.

The corridor will include two separate paths: an eastern section that will connect India to western Asia and the Middle East, and a northern section that will link west Asia and the Middle East to Europe.

The corridor, which is expected to bring major economic developments to India, will also pass through the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Israel.

Jaishankar also praised India’s development in the fields of technology, infrastructure and social reform, referencing the country’s first moon landing last month and a bill that will reserve one-third of Indian parliamentary seats for women.

India, which is the world’s most populous country and has the fifth-largest economy, is also the largest contributor to meeting sustainable development goal targets, according to Jaishankar.


Saudi Arabia praises contribution of Filipinos to Kingdom’s development

Saudi Arabia praises contribution of Filipinos to Kingdom’s development
Updated 26 September 2023
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Saudi Arabia praises contribution of Filipinos to Kingdom’s development

Saudi Arabia praises contribution of Filipinos to Kingdom’s development
  • Workers from the country began to arrive in the Kingdom in the early 1970s
  • President is expected to visit KSA in October

MANILA: The Saudi ambassador to the Philippines has praised the contribution of Filipinos to the development of the Kingdom during celebrations in Manila to mark the Kingdom’s National Day.

Workers from the Philippines began to arrive in Saudi Arabia in the early 1970s. Most of them were engineers who helped build highways across the Kingdom.

Today, more than 800,000 of them live in Saudi Arabia, making it the preferred destination for overseas Filipino workers.

“The Kingdom appreciates the contributions of overseas Filipino workers in various areas, which have played a crucial role in the Kingdom’s advancement,” Ambassador Hisham Al-Qahtani said during a ceremony commemorating the 93rd Saudi National Day on Monday evening.

“We greatly value the mutual support and collaboration between our countries, as seen through our active participation in regional and international forums, enhancing economic cooperation and fostering a strong partnership.”

Saudi Arabia and the Philippines will mark the 54th anniversary of bilateral ties next month, and Al-Qahtani extended his best wishes to the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

Marcos is expected to visit Saudi Arabia in October to attend the first Association of Southeast Asian Nations and Gulf Cooperation Council Summit, which will be held in Riyadh.

“His visit will further strengthen the strong, friendly, and vibrant relations that happily exist between our two countries and peoples,” said Philippine Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Antonio Morales, who represented Secretary Enrique Manalo during the National Day event.

“I am confident that our countries can continue working together and build upon our strong bilateral ties with a shared vision of inclusive progress and sustainable growth.”

Saudi Arabia has been seen in the Philippines as “the epitome of a nation with a vision for the future,” Morales said.

“The whole world now sees Saudi Arabia as a model of bridging the past and the future where heritage and history are intertwined with urbanism, cultural shifts, and international competitiveness. The Kingdom’s foresight towards a thriving economy and a vibrant society will open up opportunities for a brighter tomorrow.”