Thousands of Indian students have been banned from admission to Australian universities in view of the phenomenal surge in bogus applications. The clamp-down is specifically against applicants from the two Indian states of Punjab and Haryana. At least four universities — Victoria, Wollongong, Torrens and Edith Cowan University—have tightened scrutiny of applications, according to reports in Australian dailies.&nbsp;

While some universities have resorted to outright bans, others have imposed restrictions. Even agents working for Australian universities have come down heavily on applications from Indian students.&nbsp;

Australia’s crackdown has been triggered by the soaring number of applications from India, with much of it suspected of being fraudulent. The number of applications is expected to exceed the all-time high of 75,000 seen before the pandemic in 2019.&nbsp;

This comes at a time when India-Australia relations are upbeat and being intensified. Under the landmark India-Australia Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (ECTA) that came into force in December last year, Australia is to facilitate market access and mobility for more Indian professionals.

A student visa is seen as a shortcut to finding work and, perhaps even a work visa, especially for low-skilled jobs. This, in turn, has raised fears that many of the applicants are not genuine students but job-seekers who want to game the system for easy entry into Australia.&nbsp;

The concerns flagged by the authorities over the massive flow of applications seeking to undercut the country’s immigration laws have pushed the universities to take pre-emptive action by way of bans and restrictions. Otherwise, they could be courting trouble, especially from the Department of Home Affairs.&nbsp;

The ECTA agreement was followed by a visit of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to India in March&nbsp;when he announced that Australia would recognise Indian degrees.&nbsp;

The month before Albanese’s visit saw an unprecedented surge in applications from India for vocational education in Australia. The Home Affairs Department felt that the bulk of these applications might be fraudulent and, therefore, rejected 94 per cent of them.&nbsp;

Australia’s international education market is estimated to be worth about $40 billion annually. Many universities earn more from overseas students than those at home. Applications from South Asian countries began swelling since the previous administration in January 2022 scrapped&nbsp;the 20-hour weekly limit on student work. The Albanese government plans to bring back the work limit from July but feels that the integrity of Australia’s immigration should not be vitiated by letting in a tide of bogus applicants.

Disclaimer: The views of the writer do not represent the views of WION or ZMCL. Nor does WION or ZMCL endorse the views of the writer.

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Thousands of Indian students have been banned from admission to Australian universities in view of the phenomenal surge in bogus applications. The clamp-down is specifically against applicants from the two Indian states of Punjab and Haryana.

Thousands of Indian students have been banned from admission to Australian universities in view of the phenomenal surge in bogus applications. The clamp-down is specifically against applicants from the two Indian states of Punjab and Haryana. At least four universities — Victoria, Wollongong, Torrens and Edith Cowan University—have tightened scrutiny of applications, according to reports in Australian dailies. While some universities have resorted to outright bans, others have imposed restrictions. Even agents working for Australian universities have come down heavily on applications from Indian students. Australia’s crackdown has been triggered by the soaring number of applications from India, with much of it suspected of being fraudulent. The number of applications is expected to exceed the all-time high of 75,000 seen before the pandemic in 2019. This comes at a time when India-Australia relations are upbeat and being intensified. Under the landmark India-Australia Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (ECTA) that came into force in December last year, Australia is to facilitate market access and mobility for more Indian professionals. A student visa is seen as a shortcut to finding work and, perhaps even a work visa, especially for low-skilled jobs. This, in turn, has raised fears that many of the applicants are not genuine students but job-seekers who want to game the system for easy entry into Australia. The concerns flagged by the authorities over the massive flow of applications seeking to undercut the country’s immigration laws have pushed the universities to take pre-emptive action by way of bans and restrictions. Otherwise, they could be courting trouble, especially from the Department of Home Affairs. The ECTA agreement was followed by a visit of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to India in March when he announced that Australia would recognise Indian degrees. The month before Albanese’s visit saw an unprecedented surge in applications from India for vocational education in Australia. The Home Affairs Department felt that the bulk of these applications might be fraudulent and, therefore, rejected 94 per cent of them. Australia’s international education market is estimated to be worth about $40 billion annually. Many universities earn more from overseas students than those at home. Applications from South Asian countries began swelling since the previous administration in January 2022 scrapped the 20-hour weekly limit on student work. The Albanese government plans to bring back the work limit from July but feels that the integrity of Australia’s immigration should not be vitiated by letting in a tide of bogus applicants. Disclaimer: The views of the writer do not represent the views of WION or ZMCL. Nor does WION or ZMCL endorse the views of the writer. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

WION Spotlight | Bogus applicants trigger Australia ban on Indian students

At least 39 people have died and dozens been injured after a fire ripped through an immigration detention centre in a Mexican city on the US border.

Deadly fire rips through Mexico migrant centre, 39 dead

The Council of Europe's commissioner for human rights (ECHR) urged UK lawmakers to block a new law to tackle illegal immigration.

Council of Europe watchdogs urges UK lawmakers to stop new migration bill

For the first time ever, Canada's population has grown by more than one million people in a year. This was almost completely because of immigration into the country. Molly Gambhir telling you more.

Gravitas: Canada's population sees record growth

UK Home Secretary Suella Braverman visited Rwanda on Saturday to hold deliberations over a contentious arrangement that would see the UK deport asylum seekers who are thought to have entered the country unlawfully to the African nation.&nbsp;

No one has been deported as of yet, but the plan is beset with legal issues. Braverman's visit has drawn criticism since she only asked journalists from right-wing publications to tag along with her during her Rwanda trip.&nbsp;

The visit comes as the UK government considers a controversial plan to deport asylum seekers to third countries, including Rwanda, where the asylum claims would be processed. British high commissioner to Rwanda Omar Daair and the permanent secretary of the Rwandan foreign ministry Clementine Mukeka welcomed Braverman as she landed in Kigali.&nbsp;

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/pretext-of-iraq-war-just-an-excuse-tony-blair-denounces-putins-ukraine-invasion-573321">Pretext of Iraq war just an ‘excuse’: Tony Blair denounces Putin’s Ukraine invasion</a>

In a statement released on Friday, Suella Braverman said the "UK-Rwanda Migration and Economic Development Partnership is a ground-breaking approach that will act as a powerful deterrent against dangerous and illegal journeys such as small boat crossing".

The plan to transfer asylum seekers to third countries has been criticised by human rights groups and some politicians. They argue that it would violate international law and put vulnerable people at risk.&nbsp;

However, the UK government maintains that such a policy is necessary to deter illegal immigration and reduce the strain on the country's overstretched asylum system. Rwanda has not publicly commented on the proposal but has signalled a willingness to cooperate with the UK on matters of migration and security.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/thousands-conned-in-biggest-crypto-scam-to-date-report-573347">Thousands conned in biggest crypto scam to date: Report</a>

Under the Rwanda plan, some asylum seekers will be transferred to Rwanda on one-way tickets during the five-year trial in order to apply for asylum there. The first flight was supposed to depart in June but was postponed due to legal issues after an intervention by the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR).&nbsp;Once deported, people could be given permission to remain in Rwanda as refugees. If not, they can apply to live there on other grounds or ask for asylum in a "safe third nation".

For the programme, the UK would be giving the Rwandan government £140 million over five years. Flights to Rwanda, food, lodging, access to translators, and legal counsel would all be additional expenses. The annual cost of the UK's asylum system is £1.5 billion. Spending on hotel rooms for refugees and asylum seekers is close to £7 million a day.&nbsp;

Watch | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/nawaz-sharif-wants-me-jailed-so-i-cant-take-part-in-elections-says-imran-khan-573332">'Nawaz Sharif wants me jailed so I can't take part in elections,' says Imran Khan</a>

The bill's impracticality is another worry. The Rwandan government has said that it will only be able to handle 1,000 applications for refuge over the first five years. In comparison, it is projected that in 2022 alone, 45,755 individuals will have entered the UK using tiny boats that crossed the English Channel.

A UK court concluded in December that the Rwanda plan is legitimate. It claimed that the UN Refugee Convention is not violated by the Rwanda plan. On the other hand, the High Court decided on January 16 that some of the parties who lost the case had the right to challenge certain portions of its ruling. As a result, no planes will be permitted to depart for Rwanda while the matter is before the Court of Appeal. No date has been set. 
 
(With inputs from agencies) 
 
&nbsp;

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UK Home Secretary Suella Braverman visited Rwanda on Saturday to hold deliberations over a contentious arrangement that would see the UK deport asylum seekers who are thought to have entered the country unlawfully to the African nation.

UK Home Secretary Suella Braverman visited Rwanda on Saturday to hold deliberations over a contentious arrangement that would see the UK deport asylum seekers who are thought to have entered the country unlawfully to the African nation. No one has been deported as of yet, but the plan is beset with legal issues. Braverman's visit has drawn criticism since she only asked journalists from right-wing publications to tag along with her during her Rwanda trip. The visit comes as the UK government considers a controversial plan to deport asylum seekers to third countries, including Rwanda, where the asylum claims would be processed. British high commissioner to Rwanda Omar Daair and the permanent secretary of the Rwandan foreign ministry Clementine Mukeka welcomed Braverman as she landed in Kigali. Also Read | Pretext of Iraq war just an ‘excuse’: Tony Blair denounces Putin’s Ukraine invasion In a statement released on Friday, Suella Braverman said the "UK-Rwanda Migration and Economic Development Partnership is a ground-breaking approach that will act as a powerful deterrent against dangerous and illegal journeys such as small boat crossing". The plan to transfer asylum seekers to third countries has been criticised by human rights groups and some politicians. They argue that it would violate international law and put vulnerable people at risk. However, the UK government maintains that such a policy is necessary to deter illegal immigration and reduce the strain on the country's overstretched asylum system. Rwanda has not publicly commented on the proposal but has signalled a willingness to cooperate with the UK on matters of migration and security. Also Read | Thousands conned in biggest crypto scam to date: Report Under the Rwanda plan, some asylum seekers will be transferred to Rwanda on one-way tickets during the five-year trial in order to apply for asylum there. The first flight was supposed to depart in June but was postponed due to legal issues after an intervention by the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR). Once deported, people could be given permission to remain in Rwanda as refugees. If not, they can apply to live there on other grounds or ask for asylum in a "safe third nation". For the programme, the UK would be giving the Rwandan government £140 million over five years. Flights to Rwanda, food, lodging, access to translators, and legal counsel would all be additional expenses. The annual cost of the UK's asylum system is £1.5 billion. Spending on hotel rooms for refugees and asylum seekers is close to £7 million a day. Watch | 'Nawaz Sharif wants me jailed so I can't take part in elections,' says Imran Khan The bill's impracticality is another worry. The Rwandan government has said that it will only be able to handle 1,000 applications for refuge over the first five years. In comparison, it is projected that in 2022 alone, 45,755 individuals will have entered the UK using tiny boats that crossed the English Channel. A UK court concluded in December that the Rwanda plan is legitimate. It claimed that the UN Refugee Convention is not violated by the Rwanda plan. On the other hand, the High Court decided on January 16 that some of the parties who lost the case had the right to challenge certain portions of its ruling. As a result, no planes will be permitted to depart for Rwanda while the matter is before the Court of Appeal. No date has been set. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

UK Home Secretary Braverman visits Rwanda as legal difficulties with asylum agreement loom large

An assessment by the UK government has revealed that the policy to deter illegal immigration had a 'disproportionate impact' on the people of colour. The hostile environment measures were introduced during the tenure of former UK PM David Cameron. These rules were later rebranded as 'compliant environment' policies. The impact assessment of these policies was first study of the legislation's potential risks.&nbsp;

The report was published on Thursday (February 19). It was observed that Indians, Pakistanis, Nigerians and Bangladeshis were most likely to be affected by the policies. On the other hand, Albanians and Brazilians, among the top five nationalities to be found residing illegally in the UK, were least likely to be impacted.

“We note that of the top five nationalities impacted most are identifiable as being from/of brown or black heritage and all five are visibly not white,” the document says as reported by The Guardian.&nbsp;

“The internal data suggests some of the compliant environment measures may disproportionately impact on people of colour.”

Through this report, the government has studied the reasons why these policies caused the 'windrush scandal' in which thousands of legal residents in the UK found that they were no longer able to find employment, open bank account or avail medical facilities from the National Health Service (NHS).

These policies were devised by Theresa May when she was the home secretary.

“The aim is to create here in Britain a really hostile environment for illegal migration,” she had said at the time.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

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An assessment by the UK government has revealed that the policy to deter illegal immigration had a 'disproportionate impact' on the people of colour. The hostile environment measures were introduced during the tenure of former UK PM David Cameron.

An assessment by the UK government has revealed that the policy to deter illegal immigration had a 'disproportionate impact' on the people of colour. The hostile environment measures were introduced during the tenure of former UK PM David Cameron. These rules were later rebranded as 'compliant environment' policies. The impact assessment of these policies was first study of the legislation's potential risks. The report was published on Thursday (February 19). It was observed that Indians, Pakistanis, Nigerians and Bangladeshis were most likely to be affected by the policies. On the other hand, Albanians and Brazilians, among the top five nationalities to be found residing illegally in the UK, were least likely to be impacted. “We note that of the top five nationalities impacted most are identifiable as being from/of brown or black heritage and all five are visibly not white,” the document says as reported by The Guardian. “The internal data suggests some of the compliant environment measures may disproportionately impact on people of colour.” Through this report, the government has studied the reasons why these policies caused the 'windrush scandal' in which thousands of legal residents in the UK found that they were no longer able to find employment, open bank account or avail medical facilities from the National Health Service (NHS). These policies were devised by Theresa May when she was the home secretary. “The aim is to create here in Britain a really hostile environment for illegal migration,” she had said at the time. (With inputs from agencies) You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE ×

UK policy against illegal immigration 'disproportionately' impacted people of colour

A Canadian immigration official in Quebec has claimed that New York is sending migrants to the country's border illegally.

Quebec immigration minister Christine Fréchette told reporters in Montreal that she was taken aback by the reports and stressed the need to address this problem immediately, according to BBC.

“We need to solve the problem of Roxham Road,” Fréchette said on Tuesday, referring to an unofficial border crossing south of Montreal used by thousands of asylum seekers every year.

“I think it makes the urgency of the situation even more apparent," Fréchette added.

The minister’s comment days after New York City mayor Eric Adams’ remarks that his administration was assisting migrants who had been sent to his city but wanted to go elsewhere.

"Some want to go to Canada, some want to go to warmer states, and we are there for them as they continue to move on with their pursuit of this dream," Adams told Fox 5 on Monday.

He further confirmed that the city was providing free bus tickets for migrants.

"If they are seeking to go somewhere else, we are helping in the reticketing process," he was quoted as saying.

Meanwhile, Fréchette further said that Canada and the US were negotiating to amend the Safe Third Country Agreement, which was signed in 2002.

The treaty allows migrants to make an asylum claim in the first country they enter, whether it is the US or Canada.

However, the treaty only applies to those who use the official border crossing. Roxham Road is not the official border.

It is understood that this flaw allows the migrants arriving from New York to have their asylum cases heard by Canadian immigration authorities.

(With inputs from agencies)

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A Canadian immigration official in Quebec has claimed that New York is sending migrants to the country's border illegally. Quebec immigration minister Christine Fréchette told reporters in Montreal that she was taken aback by the reports and stressed the need to address this problem immediately, according to BBC.

A Canadian immigration official in Quebec has claimed that New York is sending migrants to the country's border illegally. Quebec immigration minister Christine Fréchette told reporters in Montreal that she was taken aback by the reports and stressed the need to address this problem immediately, according to BBC. “We need to solve the problem of Roxham Road,” Fréchette said on Tuesday, referring to an unofficial border crossing south of Montreal used by thousands of asylum seekers every year. “I think it makes the urgency of the situation even more apparent," Fréchette added. The minister’s comment days after New York City mayor Eric Adams’ remarks that his administration was assisting migrants who had been sent to his city but wanted to go elsewhere. "Some want to go to Canada, some want to go to warmer states, and we are there for them as they continue to move on with their pursuit of this dream," Adams told Fox 5 on Monday. He further confirmed that the city was providing free bus tickets for migrants. "If they are seeking to go somewhere else, we are helping in the reticketing process," he was quoted as saying. Meanwhile, Fréchette further said that Canada and the US were negotiating to amend the Safe Third Country Agreement, which was signed in 2002. The treaty allows migrants to make an asylum claim in the first country they enter, whether it is the US or Canada. However, the treaty only applies to those who use the official border crossing. Roxham Road is not the official border. It is understood that this flaw allows the migrants arriving from New York to have their asylum cases heard by Canadian immigration authorities. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE

Canadian immigration minister claims New York sending migrants to country

The United Kingdom’s Department for Education, has effected some changes in the priority subjects for nationals pursuing relocation to the country via its Teaching Regulation Agency from next month. WION’s Loiusa Olaniyi explains.

Nigeria, Ghana and others affected as UK review teachers’ immigration policy

The U.S. Immigration Services have proposed a steep hike for Visa fees. The proposal is for multiple Visa types, including the H1-B visa. Molly Gambhir tells you more.

WION Fineprint | Massive hike in U.S. Visa fees expected

The UK is planning new legislation to clamp down on illegal migrants. The country aims to control a surge in people arriving in small boats on its southern coast. Watch this video for all the details.

What is UK PM Rishi Sunak's five-point strategy for dealing with illegal immigration?

The United Kingdom government is reportedly considering to limit foreign students and also their dependants in a bid to curb rising immigration. According to reports, foreign students maybe barred in the United Kingdom if they don't secure an admission to the country's top universities. Watch this report.

WION Dispatch: UK students may face ban if not admitted to top universities, says report

UK students may face ban if not admitted to top universities, says report

United Kingdom may limit foreign students and also their dependants in a bid to curb rising immigration. According to reports, foreign students maybe barred in the United Kingdom if they don't secure an admission to the country's top universities. Watch this report.

UK government mulls plan to curb immigration

Following Albania's Prime Minister Edi Rama's claim that the UK is turning into a "madhouse," a Tory minister has distanced himself from home secretary Suella Braverman's comments about that nation.&nbsp;

After Edi Rama&nbsp;criticised the home secretary, Graham Stuart said that "unfortunate language" had been used in the immigration discussion.&nbsp;

When Braverman appeared in the House of Commons this week to justify her handling of the circumstances at the migrant processing centre in Manston, Kent, she faced criticism.

Robert Jenrick, the minister of immigration, has acknowledged that thousands of immigrants are being detained there illegally since the administration failed to provide them alternate housing within 24 hours of their arrival.&nbsp;

Additionally, there have been allegations of the outbreak of infections like MRSA, scabies, and diphtheria.&nbsp;

Braverman has come under fire after referring to an "invasion" on the southern shore and blaming Albanian asylum seekers specifically.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/dida-africas-largest-female-tusker-dies-in-kenya-530788">Dida, Africa’s ‘largest’ female tusker, dies in Kenya</a>

There has been a "surge" in Albanians arriving on small boats, she told MPs, and many of them were "abusing our modern slavery laws."&nbsp;

Edi Rama retaliated by claiming that the UK was wrongly focusing on citizens of his nation "as the cause of Britain's crime and border problems."

(with inputs from agencies)

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Following Albania's Prime Minister Edi Rama's claim that the UK is turning into a "madhouse," a Tory minister has distanced himself from home secretary Suella Braverman's comments about that nation.

Following Albania's Prime Minister Edi Rama's claim that the UK is turning into a "madhouse," a Tory minister has distanced himself from home secretary Suella Braverman's comments about that nation. After Edi Rama criticised the home secretary, Graham Stuart said that "unfortunate language" had been used in the immigration discussion. When Braverman appeared in the House of Commons this week to justify her handling of the circumstances at the migrant processing centre in Manston, Kent, she faced criticism. Robert Jenrick, the minister of immigration, has acknowledged that thousands of immigrants are being detained there illegally since the administration failed to provide them alternate housing within 24 hours of their arrival. Additionally, there have been allegations of the outbreak of infections like MRSA, scabies, and diphtheria. Braverman has come under fire after referring to an "invasion" on the southern shore and blaming Albanian asylum seekers specifically. Also Read: Dida, Africa’s ‘largest’ female tusker, dies in Kenya There has been a "surge" in Albanians arriving on small boats, she told MPs, and many of them were "abusing our modern slavery laws." Edi Rama retaliated by claiming that the UK was wrongly focusing on citizens of his nation "as the cause of Britain's crime and border problems." (with inputs from agencies)

UK climate minister Stuart concedes language used by Suella Braverman was 'unfortunate'

The incident comes shortly after Florida Governor Ron DeSantis sent migrants to Martha's Vineyard in Massachusetts. Speaking at a rally on Thursday, DeSantis defended his decision to send migrants to the wealthy Island.

US: Florida sends two flights carrying 50 migrants to Martha's vineyard

A crucial issue which has surfaced ahead of the midterm elections in the United States is that of migrants. The Republicans and the Democrats have offered different opinions on the immigration system in America.

US: Texas sends two buses of migrants to Vice President Kamala Harris' home

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa & his brother Basil Rajapaksa tried to leave Sri Lanka. Reports claim - immigration officials stopped them from boarding their flights. Palki Sharma tells you more.

Gravitas: Gotabaya Rajapaksa "desperate" to leave Sri Lanka

Sri Lankan president Gotabaya Rajapaksa was stuck in his own country on Tuesday in a humiliating standoff with airport immigration staff blocking his exit to safety abroad. WION's Dasuni Athauda brings you more insights.

Reports: Immigration standoff prevents Gotabaya Rajapaksa from leaving Sri Lanka

The US Supreme Court has allowed President Joe Biden to end the controversial 'Remain in Mexico' immigration policy that originated under the former president Donald Trump's administration.

US Supreme Court allows Biden to end Trump-era 'Remain in Mexico' immigration policy

A private firm handling immigration tasks for the UK’s Home Office has been accused of paying sex workers while deporting people abroad, The Guardian has reported.

The explosive revelation was made by five whistleblowers who claimed that the Home Office contractors regularly paid sex workers on overnight stopovers over a period of 10 years after accompanying migrants on flights from the UK.

The whistleblowers have named at least a dozen colleagues from the firm Mitie who were indulging in such an act for over a decade.

They alleged that this happened in cities including Nairobi in Kenya, Johannesburg in South Africa, Hanoi in Vietnam, Rio de Janeiro in Brazil and Bucharest in Romania.

Following the reveal, Home Office permanent secretary Matthew Rycroft has initiated a probe to look into the claims. He said that no incriminating evidence pertaining to such behaviour has been found so far.

Meanwhile, the government is facing heat from charities for allowing taxpayers’ “hard earned money” to be used for “predatory sex tourism”.

One Home Office contractor told the Guardian tht they had been shocked at what they had seen while escorting people overseas.

“On one job, two of us sat in the bar while three of the others in the team went off with [sex workers],” they said. “One had a phone which he called his ‘little black book’ specially for jobs abroad to arrange these liaisons.”

Amnesty International UK’s refugee and migrant rights director Steve Valdez-Symonds called on the Home Office to critically reassess its use of private contractors to carry out immigration tasks.

Meanwhile, Labour’s immigration spokesperson Stephen Kinnock described the reports as deeply disturbing and called on the Home Office to investigate the allegations immediately.

(With inputs from agencies)

A private firm handling immigration tasks for the UK’s Home Office has been accused of paying sex workers while deporting people abroad, The Guardian has reported.

A private firm handling immigration tasks for the UK’s Home Office has been accused of paying sex workers while deporting people abroad, The Guardian has reported. The explosive revelation was made by five whistleblowers who claimed that the Home Office contractors regularly paid sex workers on overnight stopovers over a period of 10 years after accompanying migrants on flights from the UK. The whistleblowers have named at least a dozen colleagues from the firm Mitie who were indulging in such an act for over a decade. They alleged that this happened in cities including Nairobi in Kenya, Johannesburg in South Africa, Hanoi in Vietnam, Rio de Janeiro in Brazil and Bucharest in Romania. Following the reveal, Home Office permanent secretary Matthew Rycroft has initiated a probe to look into the claims. He said that no incriminating evidence pertaining to such behaviour has been found so far. Meanwhile, the government is facing heat from charities for allowing taxpayers’ “hard earned money” to be used for “predatory sex tourism”. One Home Office contractor told the Guardian tht they had been shocked at what they had seen while escorting people overseas. “On one job, two of us sat in the bar while three of the others in the team went off with [sex workers],” they said. “One had a phone which he called his ‘little black book’ specially for jobs abroad to arrange these liaisons.” Amnesty International UK’s refugee and migrant rights director Steve Valdez-Symonds called on the Home Office to critically reassess its use of private contractors to carry out immigration tasks. Meanwhile, Labour’s immigration spokesperson Stephen Kinnock described the reports as deeply disturbing and called on the Home Office to investigate the allegations immediately. (With inputs from agencies)

UK firm handling immigration for govt accused of paying for sex while deporting migrants

Japan&nbsp;will ease its strict&nbsp;virus&nbsp;border rules to allow students and business people into the country from March, but tourists will still be barred, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Thursday.

The move comes with growing pressure on&nbsp;Japan&nbsp;from the business community and academics to loosen the border restrictions, which are the toughest in the G7 but have broad support from Japanese voters.

Japan&nbsp;has barred tourists since the early days of the pandemic, and has in some cases prevented even existing foreign residents from entering the country.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/in-contrast-to-covids-59-million-deaths-this-malady-kills-more-than-9-million-people-every-year-453616">In contrast to Covid's 5.9 million deaths, this malady kills more than 9 million people every year</a>

Last November, the government slightly loosened the rules to allow some students and businesspeople to enter, but then quickly reversed the plan weeks later as the Omicron strain emerged.

After an Omicron-driven spike in infections, cases in&nbsp;Japan&nbsp;now appear to have peaked, experts say.

From March 1, Kishida said "we will allow new visitors, except those coming for tourism", adding that a cap on daily entrants will be raised to from the current 3,500 to 5,000.

More than 400,000 people whose visas have already been approved by authorities were waiting to enter&nbsp;Japan&nbsp;as of January 4, an immigration agency official told AFP.

More than 150,000 of those are students, with another 129,000 workers hired to take part in a technical training programme that is a key source of foreign labour for several industries in the country.

While&nbsp;Japan&nbsp;has not pursued a zero-Covid policy and has avoided strict lockdowns, it has made tough border measures a centrepiece of its pandemic response.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russia-says-japan-is-whipping-up-hysteria-in-kuril-islands-row-451707">Russia says Japan is whipping up ‘hysteria’ in Kuril Islands row</a>

Even citizens and returning residents able to enter have been subject to quarantines of up to two weeks, with testing before and after entering the country.

Kishida said quarantine requirements would now be eased, going from seven to three days, if arrivals test negative.

Quarantine will be removed altogether for those with three vaccines doses coming from countries judged low-risk, he added, without specifying particular nations.

Japan&nbsp;has recorded more than 20,950 deaths in the pandemic and polls show Japanese broadly favour the tough restrictions, with nearly 60 percent of respondents in a recent survey by public broadcaster NHK backing a continued ban on entry.

Davide Rossi, an Italian entrepreneur living in&nbsp;Japan&nbsp;who campaigns for students stuck outside the country, said the news was a light at the end of the tunnel, and many now hope they can enter&nbsp;Japan&nbsp;before the new semester in April.

Watch |&nbsp;Japan is set to announce easing of COVID-19 border curbs

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"There is a very high sense of urgency. People are really on the verge of quitting, but now, with this announcement, they have some hope," he told AFP.

But he recalled the way the border restrictions were tightened in November, just weeks after being eased.

"Hopefully this is a lesson, too, and the borders won't close again like they did in November, because that really hurt a lot of people so much. I hope things will get better from today."

Japan will ease its strict virus border rules to allow students and business people into the country from March, but tourists will still be barred, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Thursday.

Japan will ease its strict virus border rules to allow students and business people into the country from March, but tourists will still be barred, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Thursday. The move comes with growing pressure on Japan from the business community and academics to loosen the border restrictions, which are the toughest in the G7 but have broad support from Japanese voters. Japan has barred tourists since the early days of the pandemic, and has in some cases prevented even existing foreign residents from entering the country. Also read | In contrast to Covid's 5.9 million deaths, this malady kills more than 9 million people every year Last November, the government slightly loosened the rules to allow some students and businesspeople to enter, but then quickly reversed the plan weeks later as the Omicron strain emerged. After an Omicron-driven spike in infections, cases in Japan now appear to have peaked, experts say. From March 1, Kishida said "we will allow new visitors, except those coming for tourism", adding that a cap on daily entrants will be raised to from the current 3,500 to 5,000. More than 400,000 people whose visas have already been approved by authorities were waiting to enter Japan as of January 4, an immigration agency official told AFP. More than 150,000 of those are students, with another 129,000 workers hired to take part in a technical training programme that is a key source of foreign labour for several industries in the country. While Japan has not pursued a zero-Covid policy and has avoided strict lockdowns, it has made tough border measures a centrepiece of its pandemic response. Also read | Russia says Japan is whipping up ‘hysteria’ in Kuril Islands row Even citizens and returning residents able to enter have been subject to quarantines of up to two weeks, with testing before and after entering the country. Kishida said quarantine requirements would now be eased, going from seven to three days, if arrivals test negative. Quarantine will be removed altogether for those with three vaccines doses coming from countries judged low-risk, he added, without specifying particular nations. Japan has recorded more than 20,950 deaths in the pandemic and polls show Japanese broadly favour the tough restrictions, with nearly 60 percent of respondents in a recent survey by public broadcaster NHK backing a continued ban on entry. Davide Rossi, an Italian entrepreneur living in Japan who campaigns for students stuck outside the country, said the news was a light at the end of the tunnel, and many now hope they can enter Japan before the new semester in April. Watch | Japan is set to announce easing of COVID-19 border curbs "There is a very high sense of urgency. People are really on the verge of quitting, but now, with this announcement, they have some hope," he told AFP. But he recalled the way the border restrictions were tightened in November, just weeks after being eased. "Hopefully this is a lesson, too, and the borders won't close again like they did in November, because that really hurt a lot of people so much. I hope things will get better from today."

COVID-19: Japan eases virus border rules for workers and students but tourists will still be barred

Asylum seekers are being held up in immigrations cells in Australia for more than 689 days on average, a report from a prominent non-governmental organisation (NGO) has revealed, calling on the government to end the “harsh and unlawful policy.”

The spotlight on Australia’s detention policies emerged after Serbian Tennis star Novak Djokovic was put in detention hotel

There are eight people who have now spent more than 10 years in Australian immigration detention, and 117 have been detained for longer than five years, according to Human Rights Watch (HRW).

According to the home affairs department, about 1,459 people are being held currently at immigration facilities in Australia, including more than 70 refugees and asylum seekers transferred from Nauru and Manus Island, reported The Independent.

Under Canberra's hardline immigration policy, asylum seekers, including children, who try to reach Australia by boat are sent to offshore detention centres in Papua New Guinea and Nauru, where they are held indefinitely while refugee applications are processed.

They are blocked from being resettled in Australia even if found to be genuine refugees.

Canberra justifies its severe policies saying that they serve as deterrence to discourage people from seeking asylum in Australia. It says “stopping the boats” has also helped prevent deaths at sea.

The average length of detention increased to 689 days, vastly longer than comparable countries like the United States and Canada, where the averages are 55 days and 14 days respectively, HRW says.

"These statistics show how completely alone Australia is among like-minded countries, in terms of the indefinite detention of asylum seekers and refugees for years on end," HRW Australia researcher Sophie McNeill told the BBC.

"Under international law, immigration detention should not be used as punishment, but rather should be an exceptional measure of last resort to carry out a legitimate aim," she said.

Since 2013, Australia has detained all asylum seekers who try to arrive on its shores via boat, pledging that they will never be allowed to live permanently in the country - even if they are found to be a legitimate refugee.

(With inputs from agencies)

Asylum seekers are being held up in immigrations cells in Australia for more than 689 days on average, a report from a prominent non-governmental organisation (NGO) has revealed, calling on the government to end the “harsh and unlawful policy.

Asylum seekers are being held up in immigrations cells in Australia for more than 689 days on average, a report from a prominent non-governmental organisation (NGO) has revealed, calling on the government to end the “harsh and unlawful policy.” The spotlight on Australia’s detention policies emerged after Serbian Tennis star Novak Djokovic was put in detention hotel There are eight people who have now spent more than 10 years in Australian immigration detention, and 117 have been detained for longer than five years, according to Human Rights Watch (HRW). According to the home affairs department, about 1,459 people are being held currently at immigration facilities in Australia, including more than 70 refugees and asylum seekers transferred from Nauru and Manus Island, reported The Independent. Under Canberra's hardline immigration policy, asylum seekers, including children, who try to reach Australia by boat are sent to offshore detention centres in Papua New Guinea and Nauru, where they are held indefinitely while refugee applications are processed. They are blocked from being resettled in Australia even if found to be genuine refugees. Canberra justifies its severe policies saying that they serve as deterrence to discourage people from seeking asylum in Australia. It says “stopping the boats” has also helped prevent deaths at sea. The average length of detention increased to 689 days, vastly longer than comparable countries like the United States and Canada, where the averages are 55 days and 14 days respectively, HRW says. "These statistics show how completely alone Australia is among like-minded countries, in terms of the indefinite detention of asylum seekers and refugees for years on end," HRW Australia researcher Sophie McNeill told the BBC. "Under international law, immigration detention should not be used as punishment, but rather should be an exceptional measure of last resort to carry out a legitimate aim," she said. Since 2013, Australia has detained all asylum seekers who try to arrive on its shores via boat, pledging that they will never be allowed to live permanently in the country - even if they are found to be a legitimate refugee. (With inputs from agencies)

Australia detaining asylum seekers for record 689 days, says report

Canada, which is heavily reliant on migrants as workforce, has set an ambitious plan to welcome over 1.3 million immigrants over the course of three years.

On Monday, the Justin Trudeau government announced its new immigration-level plans 2022-24 with an aim to help Canada’s economy recover from the COVID-19 onslaught.

Under the plan, Canada aims to add more than 431,000 permanent residents this year, 447,000 in 2023 and 451,000 in 2024.

Figures for this year and 2023 have been revised higher from earlier targets of 411,000 and 421,000, respectively.

“Immigration has helped shape Canada into the country it is today,” Immigration Minister Sean Fraser said in a statement.

“We are focused on economic recovery, and immigration is the key to getting there.”

Immigration had been one of the key drivers of Canada’s economy and accounts for almost all of the nation’s employment growth.

Last year, Canada welcomed more than 405,000 newcomers, the largest single-year increase in its history.

Indians account for the biggest nationality gaining permanent residency in Canada, accounting for about 60 per cent of the total number, according to the 2021 Annual Report on Immigration that was tabled in Canada Parliament this week.

The onset of COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 had a massive effect on the country’s immigration process, but of the 184,606 permanent residents admitted that year, Indians accounted for 42,876, or 23 per cent of the total, followed by China at 16,535.

The latest announcement on immigration plans come at a time when Trudeau has been facing heat over a delay in clearing out visa applications for around 2 million people.

As of February 1, data from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has shown that the country has a backlog of 1.8 million.

According to media reports, the backlog includes applications from future citizens, permanent residents, international students, temporary workers, and visitors.

(With inputs from agencies)

Canada, which is heavily reliant on migrants as workforce, has set an ambitious plan to welcome over 1.3 million immigrants over the course of three years. On Monday, the Justin Trudeau government announced its new immigration-level plans 2022-24 with an aim to help Canada’s economy recover from the COVID-19 onslaught.

Canada, which is heavily reliant on migrants as workforce, has set an ambitious plan to welcome over 1.3 million immigrants over the course of three years. On Monday, the Justin Trudeau government announced its new immigration-level plans 2022-24 with an aim to help Canada’s economy recover from the COVID-19 onslaught. Under the plan, Canada aims to add more than 431,000 permanent residents this year, 447,000 in 2023 and 451,000 in 2024. Figures for this year and 2023 have been revised higher from earlier targets of 411,000 and 421,000, respectively. “Immigration has helped shape Canada into the country it is today,” Immigration Minister Sean Fraser said in a statement. “We are focused on economic recovery, and immigration is the key to getting there.” Immigration had been one of the key drivers of Canada’s economy and accounts for almost all of the nation’s employment growth. Last year, Canada welcomed more than 405,000 newcomers, the largest single-year increase in its history. Indians account for the biggest nationality gaining permanent residency in Canada, accounting for about 60 per cent of the total number, according to the 2021 Annual Report on Immigration that was tabled in Canada Parliament this week. The onset of COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 had a massive effect on the country’s immigration process, but of the 184,606 permanent residents admitted that year, Indians accounted for 42,876, or 23 per cent of the total, followed by China at 16,535. The latest announcement on immigration plans come at a time when Trudeau has been facing heat over a delay in clearing out visa applications for around 2 million people. As of February 1, data from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has shown that the country has a backlog of 1.8 million. According to media reports, the backlog includes applications from future citizens, permanent residents, international students, temporary workers, and visitors. (With inputs from agencies)

Canada sets up ambitious immigration policy, plans to add 1.3 million in three years

Even after using virginity tests for years as ways to control immigration, the UK government has failed to apologise for the deplorable act. &nbsp;

The "virginity testing" was made a criminal offence in November 2021. And the government has also added a clause recently to its health and care bill to make "virginity repair" or hymenoplasty surgery illegal in England and Wales. &nbsp;

All of this has been done but a formal apology is still pending in the case. &nbsp;

The UK Home Office used to test women as a means of immigration control in the past. &nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/another-tory-mp-submits-no-confidence-letter-becomes-the-12th-one-calling-for-pm-to-quit-449954" hreflang="en">12th Tory MP submits no-confidence letter, calls for PM to quit</a>

The "’virginity’ testing involves visual inspection of the hymenal membrane by a medical professional. In some cases, the examination includes a 'two-finger' test to assess the size of the vaginal opening," as per an article on BMJ Global Health. &nbsp;

But studies show no test or exam can actually determine accurately about the virginity of a woman. &nbsp;

So, the idea of such a test is largely sexist. &nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/four-of-johnsons-closest-aides-desert-him-as-he-seeks-a-fresh-start-450297">Four of Johnson's closest aides desert him, as he seeks a fresh start</a>

The doctors also believe that the practice is based on misunderstanding about the female body and outdated notions of "purity." &nbsp;

Richard Holden, a British Parliament member who proposed the changes to the law, told CNN, "I couldn't believe it was still happening or that nobody had taken it up. I knew I had to campaign to change the law." &nbsp;

The amendments were evidence of a commitment to "safeguard all women and break down the pervasive myths that surround virginity and a woman's sexuality," a spokesperson of the government told CNN. &nbsp;&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

Even after using virginity tests for years as ways to control immigration, the UK government has failed to apologise for the deplorable act. The "virginity testing" was made a criminal offence in November 2021.

Even after using virginity tests for years as ways to control immigration, the UK government has failed to apologise for the deplorable act. The "virginity testing" was made a criminal offence in November 2021. And the government has also added a clause recently to its health and care bill to make "virginity repair" or hymenoplasty surgery illegal in England and Wales. All of this has been done but a formal apology is still pending in the case. The UK Home Office used to test women as a means of immigration control in the past. Also Read: 12th Tory MP submits no-confidence letter, calls for PM to quit The "’virginity’ testing involves visual inspection of the hymenal membrane by a medical professional. In some cases, the examination includes a 'two-finger' test to assess the size of the vaginal opening," as per an article on BMJ Global Health. But studies show no test or exam can actually determine accurately about the virginity of a woman. So, the idea of such a test is largely sexist. Also Read: Four of Johnson's closest aides desert him, as he seeks a fresh start The doctors also believe that the practice is based on misunderstanding about the female body and outdated notions of "purity." Richard Holden, a British Parliament member who proposed the changes to the law, told CNN, "I couldn't believe it was still happening or that nobody had taken it up. I knew I had to campaign to change the law." The amendments were evidence of a commitment to "safeguard all women and break down the pervasive myths that surround virginity and a woman's sexuality," a spokesperson of the government told CNN. (With inputs from agencies)

Virginity test’s use as immigration control: UK government’s apology still pending

Novak Djokovic, on Monday (January 10), was granted the permission to be out of detention after winning a court case in Australia against the cancellation of his visa by the authorities in the country. Last week, the World number one player had landed in Australia with an exemption for Covid vaccination -- from the Victorian government -- however, his visa wasn't clear and exemption grounds were deemed to be unsatisfactory by the authorities at the airport. From thereon, the 34-year-old Serbian was kept in an immigration centre.

Post the decision on Monday,&nbsp;Djokovic has been out of detention&nbsp;but deportation threat still looms large. However, his family members have rejoiced and are on cloud nine post the superstar tennis player's victory over the Australian government.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/pleased-and-grateful-novak-djokovic-tweets-after-his-visa-cancellation-is-revoked-ahead-of-australian-open-443666">'Pleased and grateful': Novak Djokovic tweets after his visa cancellation is revoked ahead of Australian Open</a>

"Novak is free. A little while ago he was training on the court. He went to Australia to play tennis, to play another Australian Open and set another record," his brother Djordje said during a press conference in the Serbian capital Belgrade.

"Truth and justice came to the light. I would like to thank the justice system of Australia," Djordje added.&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/rafael-nadal-reacts-as-australian-judge-orders-djokovics-release-from-detention-ahead-of-aus-open-443584">Rafael Nadal reacts as Australian judge orders Djokovic's release from detention ahead of Aus Open</a>

"This is the biggest victory in his career, bigger than all his grand slams," said his mother Dijana Djokovic during a press conference in the Serbian capital Belgrade.

Djokovic himself tweeted post his release as he has commenced training for the forthcoming Australian Open, the first Grand Slam of the year, in Melbourne. He tweeted saying, "I'm pleased and grateful that the Judge overturned my visa cancellation. Despite all that has happened, I want to stay and try to compete @AustralianOpen," Djokovic said in a tweet while sharing a picture of himself with his team.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
I’m pleased and grateful that the Judge overturned my visa cancellation. Despite all that has happened,I want to stay and try to compete <a href="https://twitter.com/AustralianOpen?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AustralianOpen</a> 
I remain focused on that. I flew here to play at one of the most important events we have in front of the amazing fans. 👇 <a href="https://t.co/iJVbMfQ037">pic.twitter.com/iJVbMfQ037</a>
— Novak Djokovic (@DjokerNole) <a href="https://twitter.com/DjokerNole/status/1480529173789696001?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 10, 2022</a></blockquote>
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"I remain focused on that. I flew here to play at one of the most important events we have in front of the amazing fans. For now I cannot say more but THANK YOU all for standing with me through all this and encouraging me to stay strong," he added.

For the unversed, the Australian Open will commence on January 17.

Novak Djokovic, on Monday (January 10), was granted the permission to be out of detention after winning a court case in Australia against the cancellation of his visa by the authorities in the country.

Novak Djokovic, on Monday (January 10), was granted the permission to be out of detention after winning a court case in Australia against the cancellation of his visa by the authorities in the country. Last week, the World number one player had landed in Australia with an exemption for Covid vaccination -- from the Victorian government -- however, his visa wasn't clear and exemption grounds were deemed to be unsatisfactory by the authorities at the airport. From thereon, the 34-year-old Serbian was kept in an immigration centre. Post the decision on Monday, Djokovic has been out of detention but deportation threat still looms large. However, his family members have rejoiced and are on cloud nine post the superstar tennis player's victory over the Australian government. ALSO READ | 'Pleased and grateful': Novak Djokovic tweets after his visa cancellation is revoked ahead of Australian Open "Novak is free. A little while ago he was training on the court. He went to Australia to play tennis, to play another Australian Open and set another record," his brother Djordje said during a press conference in the Serbian capital Belgrade. "Truth and justice came to the light. I would like to thank the justice system of Australia," Djordje added. ALSO READ | Rafael Nadal reacts as Australian judge orders Djokovic's release from detention ahead of Aus Open "This is the biggest victory in his career, bigger than all his grand slams," said his mother Dijana Djokovic during a press conference in the Serbian capital Belgrade. Djokovic himself tweeted post his release as he has commenced training for the forthcoming Australian Open, the first Grand Slam of the year, in Melbourne. He tweeted saying, "I'm pleased and grateful that the Judge overturned my visa cancellation. Despite all that has happened, I want to stay and try to compete @AustralianOpen," Djokovic said in a tweet while sharing a picture of himself with his team. I’m pleased and grateful that the Judge overturned my visa cancellation. Despite all that has happened,I want to stay and try to compete @AustralianOpen I remain focused on that. I flew here to play at one of the most important events we have in front of the amazing fans. 👇 pic.twitter.com/iJVbMfQ037 — Novak Djokovic (@DjokerNole) January 10, 2022 × "I remain focused on that. I flew here to play at one of the most important events we have in front of the amazing fans. For now I cannot say more but THANK YOU all for standing with me through all this and encouraging me to stay strong," he added. For the unversed, the Australian Open will commence on January 17.

Biggest victory in his career, bigger than all Grand Slams, says Djokovic's family after court's decision

When he was approved for a special visa to immigrate to the United States, Arian Ali thought his luck was about to change. The Taliban had taken over Afghanistan, but he had a way out.

Instead, he remains in limbo.

Ali, 43, qualified for the visa by working with the U.S. government in a series of jobs during the 20-year war and had waited since 2014 for approval. That finally happened in October, more than a month after the Biden administration left Afghanistan in a dramatic evacuation as the Taliban seized control of Kabul, the capital.

The visa could be picked up at any U.S. Embassy. But the one in Kabul had shut down and, without the visa in hand, he was unable to enter any of the countries he deemed safe enough to visit that had open U.S. consular offices.

On Nov. 24, immigration lawyers managed to get Ali and his family on a charter flight to a U.S. military base outside Doha, Qatar. Now he is back to waiting — for word on how long he will be there and when he will get the visa he needs stamped in his passport.

“Our life became a joke,” Ali, who agreed to be identified only by a nickname to protect family still in Afghanistan, said in a text message last week from a refugee camp at Al Udeid Air Base.

“Taliban kill and U.S. government too slow and reluctant to help,” he said.

More than 74,500 Afghans have been given permission to live in the United States, at least temporarily, in the four months since the return of Taliban rule. Although they are no longer in immediate danger, many have had trouble navigating an immigration system that U.S. officials concede was wholly unprepared to help them.

Thousands have stayed in squalid camps. Others have been threatened by security forces as they transit neighboring countries. Even those who have made it to the United States worry about how they will afford housing and food.

In interviews, more than a half-dozen Afghans in various stages of immigrating to the United States expressed profound gratitude for the help they received in leaving Afghanistan. But they also shared their frustration — echoed by immigration advocates, members of Congress and even Biden administration officials — with a process that has provided little clarity on when the United States will deliver on its promise to protect those who risked their lives to support the U.S. government.

“There are lots of people who are trying to find that lucky break that will get them through a door, across the border, on an airplane, get a visa, whatever they need to just get out of the country and try to process themselves into some kind of new reality,” said James B. Cunningham, who was ambassador to Afghanistan from 2012-14.

“Unfortunately, that’s going to continue for a long time,” he said.

Biden administration officials say they are trying to ease the passage. But they have struggled with what Secretary of State Antony Blinken described last month as a situation that “is in so many ways a complicated story that I’m not sure the American people fully understood.”

Additionally, Congress and the White House have failed to resolve whether to give permanent legal status to tens of thousands of Afghans who were evacuated to the United States. That means they could, in theory, be deported in as little as two years.

“The U.S. military and diplomatic presence in Afghanistan may have ended in August,” said Sunil Varghese, policy director for the International Refugee Assistance Project, “but U.S. government’s obligation did not.”

Terrified in Tajikistan

With the Taliban back in power, a 36-year-old man who had also worked with the U.S. government knew he had to get his family out of Afghanistan.

J.F., who agreed to be identified only by his initials for protection, spent years helping the U.S. Treasury Department prosecute money laundering and terrorism financing cases, including against the Taliban. His mother worked for the now-defunct Ministry of Women’s Affairs, counseling victims of domestic violence.

He and his family hid in Kabul for weeks in October, then fled to neighboring Iran. From there, and with a legal entry visa, they flew to Dushanbe, the capital of Tajikistan. With a prominent Afghan diaspora on the outskirts of the city, it seemed like the safest place to be while he applied for what is known as “humanitarian parole” to the United States — given that the process must be completed in a country that has a functioning U.S. Embassy. Parole status allows Afghan refugees to live in the United States for a fixed period, in most cases two years.

But six days after they arrived in Dushanbe in early November, security guards knocked on the door of the family’s apartment and took their passports. When he went to the agents’ office the next day, they refused to return the documents and said the family would be sent back to Afghanistan.

Were that to happen, J.F. said, the Taliban “will not let us live.”

Requests for help from a group of Americans who worked with J.F. in Kabul have bounced between Congress, the State Department, Treasury and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services without resolution — or even much of an explanation.

“Treasury’s hands are pretty much tied,” a Treasury official said in a Nov. 5 email on the matter that was shared with The New York Times.

“Our office will be happy to assist the family once USCIS approves their parole request,” the U.S. Embassy in Dushanbe responded in a Nov. 11 email.

In an email dated Nov. 12, an aide to Sen. Todd Young, R-Ind., also suggested that U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services needed to move first but noted that processing the requests would “likely take several months.”

Only about 135 of the 28,000 applications from Afghans seeking humanitarian parole have been approved since July 1, according to the agency, which usually receives fewer than 2,000 applications from around the world each year.

A spokesperson at U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services would not verify J.F.’s case, citing privacy concerns, but said in a statement that the agency was prepared to welcome more Afghans over the coming months. The agency has increased the number of agents who process the humanitarian parole applications from at least 10 in August to about 50, the spokesperson said Sunday.

J.F. managed to retrieve his family’s passports but is living in Dushanbe on a short-term visa that expires every month, with no guarantee that it will be renewed.

If it is not, he and his family will be deported.

“I didn’t expect to get it easily,” he said of approval to come to the United States, “but it’s too difficult.”

One of his former colleagues, John Kimbler, CEO of California-based Paradigm Applications, is mystified by the web of bureaucracy.

“He’s safer now than he was before, but it seems like there should be a way to move him on to secure that safety,” Kimbler said.

Dwindling Patience in Qatar

Mursal Nazar considered herself fortunate. She was evacuated to the camp at Al Udeid Air Base on a U.S. military flight Aug. 25 — one day before an Islamic State suicide bomber killed scores of Afghans and 13 U.S. troops at the same gate where she had been waiting to be let into the Kabul airport.

But the three-hour flight turned into a 11-hour ordeal as the hundreds of passengers, packed tightly in the sweltering cabin, underwent security and safety checks after they landed.

At the time, the camp was so unprepared for the more than 60,000 Afghans who would transit through Qatar that even the Pentagon reported “some terrible sanitation conditions” there.

“We didn’t have proper toilets to use,” said Nazar, 31. “We didn’t have places to go and take a shower and places for women, who need privacy, to go and change their clothes. They put men and women sleeping under the same tent — different kinds of people, from different cultures and different beliefs. That was a problem for us.”

After a 10-day wait, Nazar and her husband left for the United States.

Officials said conditions had vastly improved at Al Udeid, which continues to house thousands of Afghans on their way to the United States.

During the evacuation, a dozen overseas transit hubs, or “lily pads,” housed thousands of Afghans. But concerns about a long-term strain on Pentagon resources and readiness have led to the closure of all but three of the sites: Al Udeid, one in Kosovo and a vast field of tents known as Humanitarian City in the United Arab Emirates. Officials said there were at least 2,900 Afghans — the number frequently changes — at the three bases waiting to come to the United States.

The host governments have also raised concerns about allowing in thousands of people who U.S. officials have said may not have been fully vetted before they were flown out of Afghanistan.

Qatar recently banned Afghans who don’t have passports or other government-approved credentials, although there may be exceptions, Deputy Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani, the country’s top diplomat, said in Washington last month.

For security reasons, “it’s very important to make sure that the right people are evacuated,” he said.

Ali is among at least 28,000 Afghans who have been identified as qualifying for the special immigrant visa because of their work for the U.S. government. The State Department says it has issued 8,200 of the visas since January and hopes to bring out at least 1,000 more from Afghanistan each month through next September, although that goal may be especially difficult to reach in the winter and with Kabul’s airport in disarray.

But a yearslong delay in processing the visas has enraged military veterans and others who served in Afghanistan, and become a rare source of unity within a Congress that has been divided to the point of paralysis on other aspects of immigration.

“The United States pledged to support those who served our mission in Afghanistan,” Sens. Jim Risch of Idaho, James Inhofe of Oklahoma and Rob Portman of Ohio, all Republicans, wrote in an Oct. 21 letter to demand an investigation into the delays. “Failing to do so would lead allies and adversaries alike to call into question our reliability and credibility as a partner in future conflicts.”

Blinken has noted that the State Department, which issues the visas after they have been vetted by the Department of Homeland Security, inherited a backlog of 17,000 applications when President Joe Biden took office in January. Consular officers were processing about 100 special immigrant visas each week last winter but about 1,000 as Biden’s deadline for ending the war approached in August.

Ali was eligible for a visa through his work since 2003 for the U.S. Agency for International Development, the United Nations, advocacy groups and the fledgling Afghan government.

“I’m proud of the work I did with the United States,” he said. “But I don’t understand how the U.S. government could abandon its allies.”

Stressed in the United States

Nazar applied for a special immigrant visa last year as the Taliban seized territory across Afghanistan and the U.S. military prepared to leave. It had not been approved by the time she was evacuated to the camp in Qatar in August, however, and she entered the United States on humanitarian parole that required her to live on a National Guard base in Indiana as she waited for refugee resettlement officials to take her case.

She arrived at Camp Atterbury, south of Indianapolis, before dawn Sept. 6, and was struck by the expanse of green fields and fresh air. “I was relieved that finally I was somewhere I can be relaxed,” she said.

It did not last long. The mess halls ran out of food in the early days. Base officials struggled to track the Afghans; as recently as mid-November, a military public affairs officer insisted that Nazar had already left Camp Atterbury even though she had not.

Worst of all was the nagging anxiety of when they might move them off base and into homes.

“When we asked the same question, like, ‘How long is it going to take? On what basis are you going let these families to be resettled from here?’ they say, ‘We don’t have any answer for your questions — you just have to wait for your turn, and whenever it comes, we will call you,” Nazar said last month.

Her turn finally came the week of the Thanksgiving holiday, when she moved into a temporary apartment in Bayonne, New Jersey. “Things are going well,” she said recently, although she is waiting for work authorization and other documents.

Resettlement agencies have helped place around 38,000 Afghans in U.S. communities since August.

Tens of thousands of Afghans are still waiting on seven military bases in the United States. But a refugee camp at Fort Lee, Virginia, was shuttered Nov. 17, and officials said one in Quantico, Virginia, would likely be next.

“The most important thing we can do is put people on the path to self-sufficiency as quickly as we can,” Jack Markell, a former governor of Delaware and the coordinator of Operation Allies Welcome, the White House resettlement process for evacuated Afghans, said last month.

As many as 4,000 Afghans are moved from the camps and resettled each week, and “this is an effort that will continue,” Markell said.

He acknowledged Afghans’ frustration and said officials have tried to answer more of their questions in recent weeks. “If we were in their shoes, we’d want the same thing,” Markell said. “We’d all want to know, as quickly as possible, where we’re going to be building our new lives.”

Refugee agencies have been overwhelmed with caring for Afghans families who are moved into U.S. communities. A family of 10, including a newborn baby, had no money and no benefits when they were settled outside Washington, D.C., and depended on grocery deliveries from the Muslim Association of Virginia. In Houston, some Afghans have been placed in crime-ridden neighborhoods and are living in apartments with dilapidated toilets or black mold in bathrooms, and are salvaging supplies from rubbish heaps or borrowing from neighbors.

“There are pregnant women who have slept on hard floors with no blankets, no mattress,” said Shekeba Morrad, an Afghan-American community organizer in Washington, D.C., and northern Virginia, who works with a nationwide group trying to monitor the situation of the newly arrived Afghans.

Hamid Wahidy, 34, and his family made it to the camp at Quantico, Virginia, via a route that first took them to Qatar, Germany and Dulles International Airport outside Washington. They stayed at the camp for 40 days before moving into a small Airbnb in San Diego. The first month there was a blur of bureaucratic shuffling to receive his Social Security card, which he needed to open a bank account, obtain a driver’s license, apply for a job and enroll his kids in school.

A few weeks later, he moved into a larger home. It cost him $3,400 — for one month’s rent and a security deposit — of the $5,000 the family received from a resettlement agency. He did not immediately receive food stamps and other benefits that he had expected under a spending bill that Congress passed in September that included $6.3 billion in expanded assistance to the arriving Afghans.

The legislation also did not include an expedited process for legal residency for Wahidy and other Afghans. Without it, immigration advocates say, they could eventually be deported.

Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., noted that the Afghan refugees had already undergone background checks and other security screening, and suggested they could fill job vacancies created by the pandemic.

“This is not only the right thing to do — it will enrich our communities and strengthen our economy,” said Klobuchar, who is among those pushing for the Afghans to be given “a clear path to remain here as lawful permanent residents.”

Wahidy described his family’s journey out of Kabul in August — including crawling through a fetid canal to catch the attention of a U.S. soldier standing guard at the airport — as “very difficult.”

In San Diego, he has relied on donations. He is still trying to accept that his life will never be what it was in Afghanistan before the Taliban took over — “a good life in our own country,” he said wistfully.

“We had a job there, we could handle our family, our normal life,” Wahidy said, exhaling deeply. “But here, it is 180 degrees change.

“It’s not clear, our future,” he said. “What will happen to us, I don’t know.”

When he was approved for a special visa to immigrate to the United States, Arian Ali thought his luck was about to change. The Taliban had taken over Afghanistan, but he had a way out.

When he was approved for a special visa to immigrate to the United States, Arian Ali thought his luck was about to change. The Taliban had taken over Afghanistan, but he had a way out. Instead, he remains in limbo. Ali, 43, qualified for the visa by working with the U.S. government in a series of jobs during the 20-year war and had waited since 2014 for approval. That finally happened in October, more than a month after the Biden administration left Afghanistan in a dramatic evacuation as the Taliban seized control of Kabul, the capital. The visa could be picked up at any U.S. Embassy. But the one in Kabul had shut down and, without the visa in hand, he was unable to enter any of the countries he deemed safe enough to visit that had open U.S. consular offices. On Nov. 24, immigration lawyers managed to get Ali and his family on a charter flight to a U.S. military base outside Doha, Qatar. Now he is back to waiting — for word on how long he will be there and when he will get the visa he needs stamped in his passport. “Our life became a joke,” Ali, who agreed to be identified only by a nickname to protect family still in Afghanistan, said in a text message last week from a refugee camp at Al Udeid Air Base. “Taliban kill and U.S. government too slow and reluctant to help,” he said. More than 74,500 Afghans have been given permission to live in the United States, at least temporarily, in the four months since the return of Taliban rule. Although they are no longer in immediate danger, many have had trouble navigating an immigration system that U.S. officials concede was wholly unprepared to help them. Thousands have stayed in squalid camps. Others have been threatened by security forces as they transit neighboring countries. Even those who have made it to the United States worry about how they will afford housing and food. In interviews, more than a half-dozen Afghans in various stages of immigrating to the United States expressed profound gratitude for the help they received in leaving Afghanistan. But they also shared their frustration — echoed by immigration advocates, members of Congress and even Biden administration officials — with a process that has provided little clarity on when the United States will deliver on its promise to protect those who risked their lives to support the U.S. government. “There are lots of people who are trying to find that lucky break that will get them through a door, across the border, on an airplane, get a visa, whatever they need to just get out of the country and try to process themselves into some kind of new reality,” said James B. Cunningham, who was ambassador to Afghanistan from 2012-14. “Unfortunately, that’s going to continue for a long time,” he said. Biden administration officials say they are trying to ease the passage. But they have struggled with what Secretary of State Antony Blinken described last month as a situation that “is in so many ways a complicated story that I’m not sure the American people fully understood.” Additionally, Congress and the White House have failed to resolve whether to give permanent legal status to tens of thousands of Afghans who were evacuated to the United States. That means they could, in theory, be deported in as little as two years. “The U.S. military and diplomatic presence in Afghanistan may have ended in August,” said Sunil Varghese, policy director for the International Refugee Assistance Project, “but U.S. government’s obligation did not.” Terrified in Tajikistan With the Taliban back in power, a 36-year-old man who had also worked with the U.S. government knew he had to get his family out of Afghanistan. J.F., who agreed to be identified only by his initials for protection, spent years helping the U.S. Treasury Department prosecute money laundering and terrorism financing cases, including against the Taliban. His mother worked for the now-defunct Ministry of Women’s Affairs, counseling victims of domestic violence. He and his family hid in Kabul for weeks in October, then fled to neighboring Iran. From there, and with a legal entry visa, they flew to Dushanbe, the capital of Tajikistan. With a prominent Afghan diaspora on the outskirts of the city, it seemed like the safest place to be while he applied for what is known as “humanitarian parole” to the United States — given that the process must be completed in a country that has a functioning U.S. Embassy. Parole status allows Afghan refugees to live in the United States for a fixed period, in most cases two years. But six days after they arrived in Dushanbe in early November, security guards knocked on the door of the family’s apartment and took their passports. When he went to the agents’ office the next day, they refused to return the documents and said the family would be sent back to Afghanistan. Were that to happen, J.F. said, the Taliban “will not let us live.” Requests for help from a group of Americans who worked with J.F. in Kabul have bounced between Congress, the State Department, Treasury and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services without resolution — or even much of an explanation. “Treasury’s hands are pretty much tied,” a Treasury official said in a Nov. 5 email on the matter that was shared with The New York Times. “Our office will be happy to assist the family once USCIS approves their parole request,” the U.S. Embassy in Dushanbe responded in a Nov. 11 email. In an email dated Nov. 12, an aide to Sen. Todd Young, R-Ind., also suggested that U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services needed to move first but noted that processing the requests would “likely take several months.” Only about 135 of the 28,000 applications from Afghans seeking humanitarian parole have been approved since July 1, according to the agency, which usually receives fewer than 2,000 applications from around the world each year. A spokesperson at U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services would not verify J.F.’s case, citing privacy concerns, but said in a statement that the agency was prepared to welcome more Afghans over the coming months. The agency has increased the number of agents who process the humanitarian parole applications from at least 10 in August to about 50, the spokesperson said Sunday. J.F. managed to retrieve his family’s passports but is living in Dushanbe on a short-term visa that expires every month, with no guarantee that it will be renewed. If it is not, he and his family will be deported. “I didn’t expect to get it easily,” he said of approval to come to the United States, “but it’s too difficult.” One of his former colleagues, John Kimbler, CEO of California-based Paradigm Applications, is mystified by the web of bureaucracy. “He’s safer now than he was before, but it seems like there should be a way to move him on to secure that safety,” Kimbler said. Dwindling Patience in Qatar Mursal Nazar considered herself fortunate. She was evacuated to the camp at Al Udeid Air Base on a U.S. military flight Aug. 25 — one day before an Islamic State suicide bomber killed scores of Afghans and 13 U.S. troops at the same gate where she had been waiting to be let into the Kabul airport. But the three-hour flight turned into a 11-hour ordeal as the hundreds of passengers, packed tightly in the sweltering cabin, underwent security and safety checks after they landed. At the time, the camp was so unprepared for the more than 60,000 Afghans who would transit through Qatar that even the Pentagon reported “some terrible sanitation conditions” there. “We didn’t have proper toilets to use,” said Nazar, 31. “We didn’t have places to go and take a shower and places for women, who need privacy, to go and change their clothes. They put men and women sleeping under the same tent — different kinds of people, from different cultures and different beliefs. That was a problem for us.” After a 10-day wait, Nazar and her husband left for the United States. Officials said conditions had vastly improved at Al Udeid, which continues to house thousands of Afghans on their way to the United States. During the evacuation, a dozen overseas transit hubs, or “lily pads,” housed thousands of Afghans. But concerns about a long-term strain on Pentagon resources and readiness have led to the closure of all but three of the sites: Al Udeid, one in Kosovo and a vast field of tents known as Humanitarian City in the United Arab Emirates. Officials said there were at least 2,900 Afghans — the number frequently changes — at the three bases waiting to come to the United States. The host governments have also raised concerns about allowing in thousands of people who U.S. officials have said may not have been fully vetted before they were flown out of Afghanistan. Qatar recently banned Afghans who don’t have passports or other government-approved credentials, although there may be exceptions, Deputy Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani, the country’s top diplomat, said in Washington last month. For security reasons, “it’s very important to make sure that the right people are evacuated,” he said. Ali is among at least 28,000 Afghans who have been identified as qualifying for the special immigrant visa because of their work for the U.S. government. The State Department says it has issued 8,200 of the visas since January and hopes to bring out at least 1,000 more from Afghanistan each month through next September, although that goal may be especially difficult to reach in the winter and with Kabul’s airport in disarray. But a yearslong delay in processing the visas has enraged military veterans and others who served in Afghanistan, and become a rare source of unity within a Congress that has been divided to the point of paralysis on other aspects of immigration. “The United States pledged to support those who served our mission in Afghanistan,” Sens. Jim Risch of Idaho, James Inhofe of Oklahoma and Rob Portman of Ohio, all Republicans, wrote in an Oct. 21 letter to demand an investigation into the delays. “Failing to do so would lead allies and adversaries alike to call into question our reliability and credibility as a partner in future conflicts.” Blinken has noted that the State Department, which issues the visas after they have been vetted by the Department of Homeland Security, inherited a backlog of 17,000 applications when President Joe Biden took office in January. Consular officers were processing about 100 special immigrant visas each week last winter but about 1,000 as Biden’s deadline for ending the war approached in August. Ali was eligible for a visa through his work since 2003 for the U.S. Agency for International Development, the United Nations, advocacy groups and the fledgling Afghan government. “I’m proud of the work I did with the United States,” he said. “But I don’t understand how the U.S. government could abandon its allies.” Stressed in the United States Nazar applied for a special immigrant visa last year as the Taliban seized territory across Afghanistan and the U.S. military prepared to leave. It had not been approved by the time she was evacuated to the camp in Qatar in August, however, and she entered the United States on humanitarian parole that required her to live on a National Guard base in Indiana as she waited for refugee resettlement officials to take her case. She arrived at Camp Atterbury, south of Indianapolis, before dawn Sept. 6, and was struck by the expanse of green fields and fresh air. “I was relieved that finally I was somewhere I can be relaxed,” she said. It did not last long. The mess halls ran out of food in the early days. Base officials struggled to track the Afghans; as recently as mid-November, a military public affairs officer insisted that Nazar had already left Camp Atterbury even though she had not. Worst of all was the nagging anxiety of when they might move them off base and into homes. “When we asked the same question, like, ‘How long is it going to take? On what basis are you going let these families to be resettled from here?’ they say, ‘We don’t have any answer for your questions — you just have to wait for your turn, and whenever it comes, we will call you,” Nazar said last month. Her turn finally came the week of the Thanksgiving holiday, when she moved into a temporary apartment in Bayonne, New Jersey. “Things are going well,” she said recently, although she is waiting for work authorization and other documents. Resettlement agencies have helped place around 38,000 Afghans in U.S. communities since August. Tens of thousands of Afghans are still waiting on seven military bases in the United States. But a refugee camp at Fort Lee, Virginia, was shuttered Nov. 17, and officials said one in Quantico, Virginia, would likely be next. “The most important thing we can do is put people on the path to self-sufficiency as quickly as we can,” Jack Markell, a former governor of Delaware and the coordinator of Operation Allies Welcome, the White House resettlement process for evacuated Afghans, said last month. As many as 4,000 Afghans are moved from the camps and resettled each week, and “this is an effort that will continue,” Markell said. He acknowledged Afghans’ frustration and said officials have tried to answer more of their questions in recent weeks. “If we were in their shoes, we’d want the same thing,” Markell said. “We’d all want to know, as quickly as possible, where we’re going to be building our new lives.” Refugee agencies have been overwhelmed with caring for Afghans families who are moved into U.S. communities. A family of 10, including a newborn baby, had no money and no benefits when they were settled outside Washington, D.C., and depended on grocery deliveries from the Muslim Association of Virginia. In Houston, some Afghans have been placed in crime-ridden neighborhoods and are living in apartments with dilapidated toilets or black mold in bathrooms, and are salvaging supplies from rubbish heaps or borrowing from neighbors. “There are pregnant women who have slept on hard floors with no blankets, no mattress,” said Shekeba Morrad, an Afghan-American community organizer in Washington, D.C., and northern Virginia, who works with a nationwide group trying to monitor the situation of the newly arrived Afghans. Hamid Wahidy, 34, and his family made it to the camp at Quantico, Virginia, via a route that first took them to Qatar, Germany and Dulles International Airport outside Washington. They stayed at the camp for 40 days before moving into a small Airbnb in San Diego. The first month there was a blur of bureaucratic shuffling to receive his Social Security card, which he needed to open a bank account, obtain a driver’s license, apply for a job and enroll his kids in school. A few weeks later, he moved into a larger home. It cost him $3,400 — for one month’s rent and a security deposit — of the $5,000 the family received from a resettlement agency. He did not immediately receive food stamps and other benefits that he had expected under a spending bill that Congress passed in September that included $6.3 billion in expanded assistance to the arriving Afghans. The legislation also did not include an expedited process for legal residency for Wahidy and other Afghans. Without it, immigration advocates say, they could eventually be deported. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., noted that the Afghan refugees had already undergone background checks and other security screening, and suggested they could fill job vacancies created by the pandemic. “This is not only the right thing to do — it will enrich our communities and strengthen our economy,” said Klobuchar, who is among those pushing for the Afghans to be given “a clear path to remain here as lawful permanent residents.” Wahidy described his family’s journey out of Kabul in August — including crawling through a fetid canal to catch the attention of a U.S. soldier standing guard at the airport — as “very difficult.” In San Diego, he has relied on donations. He is still trying to accept that his life will never be what it was in Afghanistan before the Taliban took over — “a good life in our own country,” he said wistfully. “We had a job there, we could handle our family, our normal life,” Wahidy said, exhaling deeply. “But here, it is 180 degrees change. “It’s not clear, our future,” he said. “What will happen to us, I don’t know.”

At every step, Afghans heading to America encounter stumbling blocks

The day after at least 27 people died trying to cross the English Channel when their flimsy inflatable boat capsized during the perilous voyage, the leaders of France and England vowed to crack down on migrant crossings even as they offered a fractious response to one of the deadliest disasters in recent years involving migrants trying to cross the narrow waterway separating the two countries.

French officials confirmed that children and a pregnant woman were among those who had drowned, as crews worked in the cold and wind to recover bodies and to try to identify those who died. Two people, one from Iraq and one from Somalia, were found and taken to a French hospital, where they were being treated for severe hypothermia.

The representative in Paris of Iraq’s Kurdistan region said many of the victims were believed to be Iraqi Kurds but that identifying them was difficult. French officials have not said where the dead were from.

The tragedy was a stark reminder that five years after authorities dismantled a sprawling migrant camp in Calais, both countries are still struggling to handle the flow of migrants in the area.

France and Britain have long accused each other of not doing enough to curb attempts to cross the channel. After the tragedy Wednesday, Prime Minister Boris Johnson of Britain said greater efforts should be made to allow joint patrols along the French coast.

And President Emmanuel Macron of France said he expected the British “to cooperate fully and to abstain from using this dramatic situation for political means.”

Speaking to reporters Thursday, Macron added that France was in any case only a “country of transit” for migrants who wanted to reach Britain.

“In a way, we are holding the border for the British,” he said, adding that most of the migrants who reach the area around Calais did not want asylum in France despite offers from French authorities.

The two leaders spoke by phone late Wednesday and said in statements afterward that they had agreed to step up efforts to prevent migrants from making the journey across one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes.

Under an agreement between the two nations, Britain pays France to clamp down on crossings through surveillance and patrols.

Johnson said that he was “shocked and appalled and deeply saddened by the loss of life at sea in the channel.” But, he added: “I also want to say that this disaster underscores how dangerous it is to cross the channel in this way.”

Macron called for an immediate tightening of border controls and an increased crackdown with other European nations on people smugglers.

“France won’t let the Channel become a graveyard,” he said in a statement.

The drownings came only a few days after French and British authorities had reached an agreement to do more to stem the number of people taking to the sea.

Attempts to reach Britain in small boats have increased in recent years as authorities have cracked down on the smuggling of asylum-seekers inside trucks crossing by ferry or through the Channel Tunnel.

Since the beginning of the year, there have been 47,000 attempts to cross the channel in small boats, and 7,800 migrants had been saved from shipwrecks, according to French officials. Before Wednesday, seven people had died or disappeared so far this year.

Many migrants — who are often from countries in Africa or the Middle East like Iraq and Eritrea — consider Britain an ideal destination because English is spoken, because they already have family or compatriots there, and because it can be relatively easy to find off-the-books work.

But the recent increase in attempts to cross the English Channel by boat reflects a shift in how migrants are traveling, not in how many, according to migration experts and rights groups, who say that, overall, asylum applications in Britain are down this year.

The crossings have become another element in the worsening relations between France and Britain, which have also clashed over fishing rights and trading checks after Britain’s departure from the European Union, as well as over a submarine alliance among Australia, Britain and the United States that undermined a previous French deal.

The day after at least 27 people died trying to cross the English Channel when their flimsy inflatable boat capsized during the perilous voyage, the leaders of France and England vowed to crack down on migrant crossings even as they offered a fractious response to one of the deadliest disasters in recent years involving migrants trying to cross the narrow waterway separating the two countries.

The day after at least 27 people died trying to cross the English Channel when their flimsy inflatable boat capsized during the perilous voyage, the leaders of France and England vowed to crack down on migrant crossings even as they offered a fractious response to one of the deadliest disasters in recent years involving migrants trying to cross the narrow waterway separating the two countries. French officials confirmed that children and a pregnant woman were among those who had drowned, as crews worked in the cold and wind to recover bodies and to try to identify those who died. Two people, one from Iraq and one from Somalia, were found and taken to a French hospital, where they were being treated for severe hypothermia. The representative in Paris of Iraq’s Kurdistan region said many of the victims were believed to be Iraqi Kurds but that identifying them was difficult. French officials have not said where the dead were from. The tragedy was a stark reminder that five years after authorities dismantled a sprawling migrant camp in Calais, both countries are still struggling to handle the flow of migrants in the area. France and Britain have long accused each other of not doing enough to curb attempts to cross the channel. After the tragedy Wednesday, Prime Minister Boris Johnson of Britain said greater efforts should be made to allow joint patrols along the French coast. And President Emmanuel Macron of France said he expected the British “to cooperate fully and to abstain from using this dramatic situation for political means.” Speaking to reporters Thursday, Macron added that France was in any case only a “country of transit” for migrants who wanted to reach Britain. “In a way, we are holding the border for the British,” he said, adding that most of the migrants who reach the area around Calais did not want asylum in France despite offers from French authorities. The two leaders spoke by phone late Wednesday and said in statements afterward that they had agreed to step up efforts to prevent migrants from making the journey across one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes. Under an agreement between the two nations, Britain pays France to clamp down on crossings through surveillance and patrols. Johnson said that he was “shocked and appalled and deeply saddened by the loss of life at sea in the channel.” But, he added: “I also want to say that this disaster underscores how dangerous it is to cross the channel in this way.” Macron called for an immediate tightening of border controls and an increased crackdown with other European nations on people smugglers. “France won’t let the Channel become a graveyard,” he said in a statement. The drownings came only a few days after French and British authorities had reached an agreement to do more to stem the number of people taking to the sea. Attempts to reach Britain in small boats have increased in recent years as authorities have cracked down on the smuggling of asylum-seekers inside trucks crossing by ferry or through the Channel Tunnel. Since the beginning of the year, there have been 47,000 attempts to cross the channel in small boats, and 7,800 migrants had been saved from shipwrecks, according to French officials. Before Wednesday, seven people had died or disappeared so far this year. Many migrants — who are often from countries in Africa or the Middle East like Iraq and Eritrea — consider Britain an ideal destination because English is spoken, because they already have family or compatriots there, and because it can be relatively easy to find off-the-books work. But the recent increase in attempts to cross the English Channel by boat reflects a shift in how migrants are traveling, not in how many, according to migration experts and rights groups, who say that, overall, asylum applications in Britain are down this year. The crossings have become another element in the worsening relations between France and Britain, which have also clashed over fishing rights and trading checks after Britain’s departure from the European Union, as well as over a submarine alliance among Australia, Britain and the United States that undermined a previous French deal.

France, Britain agree to step up efforts to limit channel crossings

It was cold in Belarus, bitterly cold, but at least it offered hope, however illusory.

Nazar Shamsaldin was one of thousands of Iraqis who made their way to the Eastern European country in recent months, hoping it would prove a jumping-off point to new lives in the West, only to become pawns in a geopolitical game.

But this weekend he was back in Iraq, sitting on the cold floor of a tiny unfinished concrete house, newly deported from Belarus. Nearby a small boy, one of a dozen children crammed into the house, was trying to warm his hands over a single, battered kerosene heater.

Shamsaldin, a laborer, and 35 of his relatives had risked everything to travel West. Like many of the hundreds of other Iraqis deported last week, they are now deep in debt and despair.

The Iraqis are at the heart of a crisis that erupted after Belarus loosened its visa rules this summer, luring migrants but then pushing them across borders to punish the European Union for imposing sanctions against the autocratic Belarusian president.

Once in Belarus, many of the migrant families were abandoned in deep forests with no shelter, food or water, sometimes thrust into dangerous confrontations as they tried to make it into Poland, Lithuania or Latvia, all members of the European Union.

“A Belarusian police officer pointed a pistol at my head, so I had to go back to Lithuania,” said Shamsaldin, 24, who had three small children with him. “In Lithuania, the commandos had guns pointed at me and told me, ‘If you don’t go back, we will kill you.’”

He got the message.

On Thursday, Shamsaldin returned with his family on an Iraqi Airways flight evacuating 431 migrants from Minsk, the capital of Belarus.

Several thousand other migrants remain in Belarus near the border. They are mostly Iraqi Kurds, like Shamsaldin, as well as Iraqi Arabs, Syrians, Yemenis and even some Cubans. But with their usefulness to Belarus diminished, the now-penniless Iraqi migrants are being deported.

Most are traumatized. Some have lingering injuries.

“The Belarusians beat us with sticks, but the Lithuanians attacked us with sticks and tasers,” said Dhiab Zaydan, a cousin of Shamsaldin’s.

Zaydan, 30, had a large bandage around his leg where, he said, he was beaten with night sticks. Photographs showed his entire side to be a deep purple, which he attributed to electric shocks.

Reports of assaults at the border are common.

“People have been beaten up, and they are in distress,” said Safeen Dizayee, head of the Foreign Relations Department of the semi-autonomous Kurdistan Regional Government. “We have told these authorities that they should be treated humanely and, at least until this problem is resolved, they should be treated like normal human beings with some kind of shelter or some food.”

For many of the migrants, it was not their first attempt to leave. Shamsaldin had been trying to get to Germany, where he spent six months in 2015 before returning to Iraq to care for his sick father.

“Germany is the only country where we have experienced human rights,” he said.

Shamsaldin said that after walking for two days, he and his relatives were captured by the Belarusian police, pushed into the back of a military truck and driven to the Lithuanian border. There, they were told to cross the fence.

Once they were in Lithuania, an aid organization gave them bread and water, and medical staff assessed any injuries while a cameraman filmed the operation, they recounted. Shamsaldin’s 2-month-old son was taken to a hospital to be treated for exposure.

But once the aid organization and the cameras left, Lithuanian soldiers started using sticks and tasers, the Kurds said, trying to drive them back over the border.

Shamsaldin said he reprimanded one Lithuanian officer, telling him, “‘You destroyed our country, and now we are coming to you, and you don’t have any humanity.'”

The reference was to the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003, but the Lithuanian was quick to offer a correction.

“That was Poland,” he replied.

While Lithuania provided support during the U.S. occupation, Poland was part of the invading force.

Shamsaldin said he sold his car to pay $11,000 for airfare and visas for his wife and three children, which he said were issued by a Belarus travel agency. After they were stranded in the forest in Belarus, he said, a Belarusian soldier in civilian clothes demanded their last $3,000 to drive them back to Minsk.

His cousins, most of whom make $10 a day working in construction, borrowed tens of thousands of dollars and now cannot pay rent. More than a dozen children were crammed into the only living area of the two-room house. None go to school, their families unable to afford the transportation fees of about $20 per month per child.

On Thursday, another family deported from Belarus sat on the sidewalk outside the air terminal in Irbil, the capital of Iraqi Kurdistan, dazed and silent and unable even to come up with the taxi fare to return to the camp for displaced Iraqis where they had been living. They were Yazidis, members of a religious minority, many of whom still languish in camps seven years after the Islamic State group began a campaign of genocide against them.

One of the Yazidis, Naam Khalo, 56, said she, her son and her daughter-in-law had spent 24 nights in the deep forest, only to be sent back to Belarus each time they made it across the border.

To raise the $20,000 needed for the trip, Khalo said, she borrowed money and sold her gold jewelry.

“Now we don’t have anything,” she said.

In a middle-class neighborhood of Irbil, Yadgar Hussein described her own tortuous journey, which led to her deportation from Poland three weeks earlier with her children. In October, they had waded through stream of sewage, she said, and walked through the forest for days in freezing temperatures after the Belarusian police cut the border fence. But once in Poland, a driver led them into a police checkpoint, where they were arrested, with her 19-year-old son and another migrant hiding in the trunk of the car.

She still cannot sleep, she said.

“The only thing I know is my life is destroyed,” said Hussein, who was married at 14 and widowed four years later when her husband stepped on a land mine.

She is divorced from the father of her three youngest children.

Hussein says she has not given up on leaving Irbil again, perhaps next time by the perilous sea crossing from Turkey to Greece.

“If I had money, I would go by sea tomorrow for the sake of my children,” she said. “Either you die or you make it there. But nobody gets arrested.”

It was cold in Belarus, bitterly cold, but at least it offered hope, however illusory. Nazar Shamsaldin was one of thousands of Iraqis who made their way to the Eastern European country in recent months, hoping it would prove a jumping-off point to new lives in the West, only to become pawns in a geopolitical game.

It was cold in Belarus, bitterly cold, but at least it offered hope, however illusory. Nazar Shamsaldin was one of thousands of Iraqis who made their way to the Eastern European country in recent months, hoping it would prove a jumping-off point to new lives in the West, only to become pawns in a geopolitical game. But this weekend he was back in Iraq, sitting on the cold floor of a tiny unfinished concrete house, newly deported from Belarus. Nearby a small boy, one of a dozen children crammed into the house, was trying to warm his hands over a single, battered kerosene heater. Shamsaldin, a laborer, and 35 of his relatives had risked everything to travel West. Like many of the hundreds of other Iraqis deported last week, they are now deep in debt and despair. The Iraqis are at the heart of a crisis that erupted after Belarus loosened its visa rules this summer, luring migrants but then pushing them across borders to punish the European Union for imposing sanctions against the autocratic Belarusian president. Once in Belarus, many of the migrant families were abandoned in deep forests with no shelter, food or water, sometimes thrust into dangerous confrontations as they tried to make it into Poland, Lithuania or Latvia, all members of the European Union. “A Belarusian police officer pointed a pistol at my head, so I had to go back to Lithuania,” said Shamsaldin, 24, who had three small children with him. “In Lithuania, the commandos had guns pointed at me and told me, ‘If you don’t go back, we will kill you.’” He got the message. On Thursday, Shamsaldin returned with his family on an Iraqi Airways flight evacuating 431 migrants from Minsk, the capital of Belarus. Several thousand other migrants remain in Belarus near the border. They are mostly Iraqi Kurds, like Shamsaldin, as well as Iraqi Arabs, Syrians, Yemenis and even some Cubans. But with their usefulness to Belarus diminished, the now-penniless Iraqi migrants are being deported. Most are traumatized. Some have lingering injuries. “The Belarusians beat us with sticks, but the Lithuanians attacked us with sticks and tasers,” said Dhiab Zaydan, a cousin of Shamsaldin’s. Zaydan, 30, had a large bandage around his leg where, he said, he was beaten with night sticks. Photographs showed his entire side to be a deep purple, which he attributed to electric shocks. Reports of assaults at the border are common. “People have been beaten up, and they are in distress,” said Safeen Dizayee, head of the Foreign Relations Department of the semi-autonomous Kurdistan Regional Government. “We have told these authorities that they should be treated humanely and, at least until this problem is resolved, they should be treated like normal human beings with some kind of shelter or some food.” For many of the migrants, it was not their first attempt to leave. Shamsaldin had been trying to get to Germany, where he spent six months in 2015 before returning to Iraq to care for his sick father. “Germany is the only country where we have experienced human rights,” he said. Shamsaldin said that after walking for two days, he and his relatives were captured by the Belarusian police, pushed into the back of a military truck and driven to the Lithuanian border. There, they were told to cross the fence. Once they were in Lithuania, an aid organization gave them bread and water, and medical staff assessed any injuries while a cameraman filmed the operation, they recounted. Shamsaldin’s 2-month-old son was taken to a hospital to be treated for exposure. But once the aid organization and the cameras left, Lithuanian soldiers started using sticks and tasers, the Kurds said, trying to drive them back over the border. Shamsaldin said he reprimanded one Lithuanian officer, telling him, “‘You destroyed our country, and now we are coming to you, and you don’t have any humanity.'” The reference was to the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003, but the Lithuanian was quick to offer a correction. “That was Poland,” he replied. While Lithuania provided support during the U.S. occupation, Poland was part of the invading force. Shamsaldin said he sold his car to pay $11,000 for airfare and visas for his wife and three children, which he said were issued by a Belarus travel agency. After they were stranded in the forest in Belarus, he said, a Belarusian soldier in civilian clothes demanded their last $3,000 to drive them back to Minsk. His cousins, most of whom make $10 a day working in construction, borrowed tens of thousands of dollars and now cannot pay rent. More than a dozen children were crammed into the only living area of the two-room house. None go to school, their families unable to afford the transportation fees of about $20 per month per child. On Thursday, another family deported from Belarus sat on the sidewalk outside the air terminal in Irbil, the capital of Iraqi Kurdistan, dazed and silent and unable even to come up with the taxi fare to return to the camp for displaced Iraqis where they had been living. They were Yazidis, members of a religious minority, many of whom still languish in camps seven years after the Islamic State group began a campaign of genocide against them. One of the Yazidis, Naam Khalo, 56, said she, her son and her daughter-in-law had spent 24 nights in the deep forest, only to be sent back to Belarus each time they made it across the border. To raise the $20,000 needed for the trip, Khalo said, she borrowed money and sold her gold jewelry. “Now we don’t have anything,” she said. In a middle-class neighborhood of Irbil, Yadgar Hussein described her own tortuous journey, which led to her deportation from Poland three weeks earlier with her children. In October, they had waded through stream of sewage, she said, and walked through the forest for days in freezing temperatures after the Belarusian police cut the border fence. But once in Poland, a driver led them into a police checkpoint, where they were arrested, with her 19-year-old son and another migrant hiding in the trunk of the car. She still cannot sleep, she said. “The only thing I know is my life is destroyed,” said Hussein, who was married at 14 and widowed four years later when her husband stepped on a land mine. She is divorced from the father of her three youngest children. Hussein says she has not given up on leaving Irbil again, perhaps next time by the perilous sea crossing from Turkey to Greece. “If I had money, I would go by sea tomorrow for the sake of my children,” she said. “Either you die or you make it there. But nobody gets arrested.”

Limping and penniless, Iraqis deported from Belarus face bleak futures

Britain's National Health Service, which provides free healthcare funded from general taxation and welfare contributions, is one of the world's largest and most cosmopolitan employers.

But the NHS -- which listed 211 nationalities in England alone in 2020 -- faces chronic staff shortages.

By 2029, the state-run service in England will face a shortfall of 108,000 nurses, according to the Health Foundation think-tank.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/johnson-pledges-transformed-economy-for-uk-418731">Johnson pledges transformed economy for UK</a>

Now there are fears the crisis will further deepen due to a combination of shocks depleting its substantial foreign workforce: retirement, the coronavirus pandemic, Brexit and tougher immigration rules.

Migration has long been a "stopgap solution" as Britain suffered "recurring crises" for 40 years, said Mark Dayan, policy analyst at the Nuffield Trust health think-tank.

'No chance'

Retired doctor Iftikhar Ali Syed left Pakistan for Britain in 1960 and spent 45 years working in Burnley, a northern English town defined by factory chimneys belching black smoke.

Syed, 86, belonged to a generation of medical professionals from ex-British colonies who filled labour shortages after World War II.

They were directed to poorer regions -- often ex-industrial heartlands like northern England and south Wales -- where recruitment was hardest and health needs greatest.

Even today, the life expectancy gap between deprived areas of northern England and the more affluent southeast is more than 10 years.

Also Read |<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/no-quarantine-for-fully-vaccinated-indians-in-uk-from-october-11-british-envoy-418989">&nbsp;No quarantine for fully vaccinated Indians in UK from October 11: British envoy</a>

"Overseas doctors had no chance. You got a practice where no-one wants it," Syed told AFP.

Syed and other immigrant doctors of his generation "flooded" Burnley, he remembered, helping to establish its first cardiology unit and improve midwifery services.

But they retired after 2000, creating a shortage in Burnley, mirrored in places where immigrants disproportionately filled healthcare roles.

'Tremendous demand'

As in other countries, the pandemic has traumatised and exhausted Britain's frontline health and social care staff and created a huge backlog in treatments for other conditions.

In the year to March 2021, international travel disruptions meant 3,700 fewer nurses came to Britain than in the previous year.

Faizan Rana, a 34-year-old NHS operations manager, said pandemic travel curbs have weakened services and exacerbated staff shortages at his London hospital and elsewhere.

Britain has become less welcoming and financially rewarding for EU staff after the 2016 Brexit referendum and the subsequent fall in the pound's value, added Dayan.

In 2021, there were around 8,000 fewer nurses from European Economic Area nations on the official register than in 2016.

And more than half of EU nurses leaving Britain cited the country's departure from the bloc as a reason for their decision, a 2020 Nursing and Midwifery Council survey suggested.

Syed remembered EU staff filling shortages in Burnley after his retirement and predicted "tremendous demand" again as their numbers diminished after Brexit.

'Existential crisis'

Under Britain's new points-based immigration system, migrants must meet salary and English proficiency levels and have an offer for a skilled job, although a special visa scheme exempts healthcare workers.

Naveen Keerthi, 42, runs a recruitment agency bringing foreign doctors to Britain and believes the reforms will help hire overseas staff, with a "surge" in applicants in the past four years.

But Akshay Akulwar, a 34-year-old NHS doctor from India, said compatriots were increasingly choosing Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the Middle East because of more generous visa rules.

And Dayan said the reforms will hit social care, where staff are not considered skilled and paid low wages.

The fate of social care, where trained carers look after vulnerable people in their homes and offer mental health services, is closely tied to the NHS.

Hospitals suffer greater pressures when patients cannot be discharged as adequate care services -- often provided by cash-strapped local authorities -- are unavailable for them to return home.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/france-stole-millions-of-covid-vaccines-from-uk-in-an-act-of-war-report-418646">France 'stole' millions of Covid vaccines from UK in an 'act of war': Report</a>

Social care has particularly suffered as Brexit sealed the "escape valve" of freedom of movement across the EU that had filled staff shortages, Dayan added.

Rebecca Bland, registered manager at a nursing agency in northwest England, told AFP the pandemic and new immigration rules have hampered recruitment.

The 42-year-old's company works with the local NHS and has long recruited from abroad, especially the Philippines, but has only hired one-tenth of the staff required since the pandemic began.

Bland said her colleagues were "being pushed to the limit", calling it "an existential crisis" exacerbated by pre-existing recruitment difficulties caused by low-paid, insecure work.

Mixed picture

However, Dayan blamed workforce shortages on decades-old failures by successive UK governments to train enough staff and provide adequate long-term planning.

"The underlying problems are domestic in nature," he stressed.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/uk-set-to-discontinue-compulsory-10-day-quarantine-rule-417795">UK set to discontinue compulsory 10-day quarantine rule</a>

The UK government last month announced new NHS and social care funding worth £36 billion ($50 billion, 42 billion euros) over three years.

But Dayan warned cash injections alone would not resolve staff shortages, instead advocating better workforce planning to recruit and retain staff more effectively.

Britain's National Health Service, which provides free healthcare funded from general taxation and welfare contributions, is one of the world's largest and most cosmopolitan employers.

Britain's National Health Service, which provides free healthcare funded from general taxation and welfare contributions, is one of the world's largest and most cosmopolitan employers. But the NHS -- which listed 211 nationalities in England alone in 2020 -- faces chronic staff shortages. By 2029, the state-run service in England will face a shortfall of 108,000 nurses, according to the Health Foundation think-tank. Also Read | Johnson pledges transformed economy for UK Now there are fears the crisis will further deepen due to a combination of shocks depleting its substantial foreign workforce: retirement, the coronavirus pandemic, Brexit and tougher immigration rules. Migration has long been a "stopgap solution" as Britain suffered "recurring crises" for 40 years, said Mark Dayan, policy analyst at the Nuffield Trust health think-tank. 'No chance' Retired doctor Iftikhar Ali Syed left Pakistan for Britain in 1960 and spent 45 years working in Burnley, a northern English town defined by factory chimneys belching black smoke. Syed, 86, belonged to a generation of medical professionals from ex-British colonies who filled labour shortages after World War II. They were directed to poorer regions -- often ex-industrial heartlands like northern England and south Wales -- where recruitment was hardest and health needs greatest. Even today, the life expectancy gap between deprived areas of northern England and the more affluent southeast is more than 10 years. Also Read | No quarantine for fully vaccinated Indians in UK from October 11: British envoy "Overseas doctors had no chance. You got a practice where no-one wants it," Syed told AFP. Syed and other immigrant doctors of his generation "flooded" Burnley, he remembered, helping to establish its first cardiology unit and improve midwifery services. But they retired after 2000, creating a shortage in Burnley, mirrored in places where immigrants disproportionately filled healthcare roles. 'Tremendous demand' As in other countries, the pandemic has traumatised and exhausted Britain's frontline health and social care staff and created a huge backlog in treatments for other conditions. In the year to March 2021, international travel disruptions meant 3,700 fewer nurses came to Britain than in the previous year. Faizan Rana, a 34-year-old NHS operations manager, said pandemic travel curbs have weakened services and exacerbated staff shortages at his London hospital and elsewhere. Britain has become less welcoming and financially rewarding for EU staff after the 2016 Brexit referendum and the subsequent fall in the pound's value, added Dayan. In 2021, there were around 8,000 fewer nurses from European Economic Area nations on the official register than in 2016. And more than half of EU nurses leaving Britain cited the country's departure from the bloc as a reason for their decision, a 2020 Nursing and Midwifery Council survey suggested. Syed remembered EU staff filling shortages in Burnley after his retirement and predicted "tremendous demand" again as their numbers diminished after Brexit. 'Existential crisis' Under Britain's new points-based immigration system, migrants must meet salary and English proficiency levels and have an offer for a skilled job, although a special visa scheme exempts healthcare workers. Naveen Keerthi, 42, runs a recruitment agency bringing foreign doctors to Britain and believes the reforms will help hire overseas staff, with a "surge" in applicants in the past four years. But Akshay Akulwar, a 34-year-old NHS doctor from India, said compatriots were increasingly choosing Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the Middle East because of more generous visa rules. And Dayan said the reforms will hit social care, where staff are not considered skilled and paid low wages. The fate of social care, where trained carers look after vulnerable people in their homes and offer mental health services, is closely tied to the NHS. Hospitals suffer greater pressures when patients cannot be discharged as adequate care services -- often provided by cash-strapped local authorities -- are unavailable for them to return home. Also Read | France 'stole' millions of Covid vaccines from UK in an 'act of war': Report Social care has particularly suffered as Brexit sealed the "escape valve" of freedom of movement across the EU that had filled staff shortages, Dayan added. Rebecca Bland, registered manager at a nursing agency in northwest England, told AFP the pandemic and new immigration rules have hampered recruitment. The 42-year-old's company works with the local NHS and has long recruited from abroad, especially the Philippines, but has only hired one-tenth of the staff required since the pandemic began. Bland said her colleagues were "being pushed to the limit", calling it "an existential crisis" exacerbated by pre-existing recruitment difficulties caused by low-paid, insecure work. Mixed picture However, Dayan blamed workforce shortages on decades-old failures by successive UK governments to train enough staff and provide adequate long-term planning. "The underlying problems are domestic in nature," he stressed. Also Read | UK set to discontinue compulsory 10-day quarantine rule The UK government last month announced new NHS and social care funding worth £36 billion ($50 billion, 42 billion euros) over three years. But Dayan warned cash injections alone would not resolve staff shortages, instead advocating better workforce planning to recruit and retain staff more effectively.

Migrant-dependent UK healthcare battles staffing crisis

At the beginning of Conservative Party's conference, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Sunday he would not return to "uncontrolled immigration" to solve gas, fuel and Christmas food crises. &nbsp;

The leader, who was forced to again defend his government, suggested for the first time that the issues were related to Brexit. &nbsp;&nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/queen-elizabeth-urges-scottish-parliament-to-tackle-climate-change-417916" hreflang="en">Queen Elizabeth urges Scottish parliament to tackle climate change</a>

The Johnson government is facing numerous issues as people are unable to get petrol for vehicles, retailers are warning about shortages for Christmas and gas companies are struggling with a spike in wholesale prices. &nbsp;

Although the British leader was looking to refocus on his 2019 election pledges to tackle regional inequality, crime and social care at the conference, he was forced to get on the backfoot. &nbsp;&nbsp;

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/sarah-everards-killer-was-put-on-parliamentary-duty-5-times-despite-criminal-background-reports-417885" hreflang="en">Sarah Everard's killer was put on Parliamentary duty 5 times despite criminal background: Reports</a>

Johnson told BBC's Andrew Marr Show, "The way forward for our country is not to just pull the big lever marked uncontrolled immigration, and allow in huge numbers of people to do work ... So what I won't do is go back to the old failed model of low wages, low skills supported by uncontrolled immigration." &nbsp;&nbsp;

"When people voted for change in 2016 and ... again in 2019 as they did, they voted for the end of a broken model of the UK economy that relied on low wages and low skill and chronic low productivity, and we are moving away from that," the PM added. &nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

At the beginning of Conservative Party's conference, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Sunday he would not return to "uncontrolled immigration" to solve gas, fuel and Christmas food crises.

At the beginning of Conservative Party's conference, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Sunday he would not return to "uncontrolled immigration" to solve gas, fuel and Christmas food crises. The leader, who was forced to again defend his government, suggested for the first time that the issues were related to Brexit. Also Read: Queen Elizabeth urges Scottish parliament to tackle climate change The Johnson government is facing numerous issues as people are unable to get petrol for vehicles, retailers are warning about shortages for Christmas and gas companies are struggling with a spike in wholesale prices. Although the British leader was looking to refocus on his 2019 election pledges to tackle regional inequality, crime and social care at the conference, he was forced to get on the backfoot. Also Read | Sarah Everard's killer was put on Parliamentary duty 5 times despite criminal background: Reports Johnson told BBC's Andrew Marr Show, "The way forward for our country is not to just pull the big lever marked uncontrolled immigration, and allow in huge numbers of people to do work ... So what I won't do is go back to the old failed model of low wages, low skills supported by uncontrolled immigration." "When people voted for change in 2016 and ... again in 2019 as they did, they voted for the end of a broken model of the UK economy that relied on low wages and low skill and chronic low productivity, and we are moving away from that," the PM added. (With inputs from agencies)

Immigration to not solve food, fuel crises, says UK PM Boris Johnson

Thousands of migrants, mainly fleeing Haiti, are currently being held under a bridge at Del Rio near the US-Mexico border as immigration facilities in the area have reached capacity.

US immigration: Thousands gather under a bridge at US-Mexico border

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