Travel News
English Channel crossings pass 30,000 arrivals in record time - P.A.MEDIA
BY Anahita Hossein-Pour, Ian Jones and Nina Lloyd, PA
The number of migrants arriving in the UK after crossing the English Channel has topped 30,000 in record time.
It is the latest milestone to be reached after record numbers of people made the dangerous journey so far this year, despite ministers seeking to crack down on people smuggling gangs.
Newly appointed Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said the numbers were “utterly unacceptable” and that she expected migrant returns to begin “imminently” under a deal with France agreed last month.
Some 1,097 migrants crossed the Channel in 17 boats on Saturday, bringing the total in 2025 so far to 30,100, Home Office figures show.
This is up 37% on this point last year (22,028) and 37% higher than at this stage in 2023 (21,918), according to PA news agency analysis.
It is the earliest point in a calendar year at which the 30,000 mark has been passed since data on Channel crossings was first reported in 2018.
Last year, the figure was not passed until October 30 and in 2023 it was never reached as crossings totalled 29,437 for the whole year.
In 2022, the number was reached on September 21.
The record arrivals come as Ms Mahmood was appointed Home Secretary on Friday, as part of a major Government reshuffle in the wake of Angela Rayner’s resignation.
The former justice secretary is expected to unveil plans to move asylum seekers from hotels into military barracks as the Government seeks to harden its immigration policy amid rising numbers of crossings.
She said on Sunday: “These small boats crossings are utterly unacceptable and the vile people smugglers behind them are wreaking havoc on our borders.
“Thanks to our deal with France, people crossing in small boats can now be detained and removed to France and I expect the first returns to take place imminently.
“Protecting the UK border is my priority as Home Secretary and I will explore all options to restore order to our immigration system.”
On her first major engagement in her new role, Ms Mahmood will host counterparts from the Five Eyes security alliance for talks in London on people-smuggling.
The Home Secretary said the intelligence-sharing pact made up of Britain, the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand would “agree new measures to protect our border”.
Before the Cabinet shake-up, her predecessor Yvette Cooper announced plans to change the rules for family reunion for refugees, and suspended new applications to the existing route earlier this week.
Meanwhile, the migrants returns deal with France, which took effect in August, is yet to begin the first removals of people back to the continent.
The latest arrivals signal the scale of the challenge for the new Home Secretary, after discontent over the summer with how the Government has addressed small boat crossings and housed asylum seekers in hotels, which has led to a wave of protests and criticism from Labour’s political opponents.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has said he wants to speed up efforts to empty asylum hotels before the next election, but has not committed to a date.
The most common nationalities of migrants arriving in the UK illegally - THE INDEPENDENT
New Home Office data has revealed that the most common nationalities of migrants arriving in the UK via irregular routes are among the least likely to be granted legal visas.
For the year to June, five countries alone accounted for more than half of all detected entries through these so-called "irregular" channels.
These nations are Afghanistan, Eritrea, Iran, Sudan, and Syria.
But while these five countries together make up 55% of the total irregular migration to the UK, where nationality is known, they account for only 3% of visas issued to foreign nationals in the same period coming to the UK legally for employment, study, family or humanitarian reasons.
The most common nationalities of those arriving in the UK through these legal routes are India, China, Pakistan, Nigeria and the United States, which together make up 51% of the visa total.
None of these countries appear in the top 10 most common nationalities for irregular migration, or even in the top 15.
The highest placed nationality is Indian, which ranks 17th and accounted for just over 1% of irregular arrivals in the year to June.
The Government said on Monday that it could suspend visas for countries that do not agree to returns deals for migrants who are in the UK illegally.
A total of 48,478 people whose nationality is known were detected in the 12 months to June as having arrived in the UK through an irregular route, the Home Office data shows.
The majority (42,446) had crossed the English Channel, while the remainder had arrived another way – such as inside a lorry or shipping container – or had been discovered as not having the correct documentation to be in the UK legally.
The full list of the top 10 most common nationalities for irregular migration in the year to June is Afghanistan (6,589 arrivals, 13.6% of the total); Eritrea (6,267, 12.9%); Iran (5,367, 11.1%); Sudan (4,318, 8.9%); Syria (4,216, 8.7%); Vietnam (2,563, 5.3%); Somalia (2,308, 4.8%); Iraq (2,289, 4.7%); Yemen (2,242, 4.6%); and Turkey (1,797, 3.7%).
A far higher number of visas were issued in this period to foreign nationals coming to the UK legally for employment, study, family or humanitarian reasons.
This total stood at 834,977, with the top 10 as follows: India (165,970 visas issued, 19.9% of the total); China (114,128, 13.7%); Pakistan (69,580, 8.3%); Nigeria (45,966, 5.5%); United States (30,898, 3.7%); Nepal (24,714, 3.0%); Philippines (20,340, 2.4%); Bangladesh (16,015, 1.9%); Ukraine (15,979, 1.9%); and Australia (13,298, 1.6%).
Britain could cut visas from countries that don't accept migrant returns - REUTERS
By Alistair Smout
LONDON (Reuters) -Britain said on Monday it could cut the number of visas granted to countries that do not accept the return of migrants with no right to remain, after talks with allies including the United States on how to assert more control over borders.
Britain's new interior minister Shabana Mahmood said counterparts from the United States, Australia, Canada and New Zealand - a decades-old intelligence-sharing partnership collectively known as Five Eyes - agreed to the principles at a meeting in London.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer appointed Mahmood to the role on Friday in a shake-up of his government as he faces mounting public criticism over immigration and the arrival of migrants via illegal small boat crossings.
"This announcement sends a clear message to anyone seeking to undermine our border security. If you have no legal right to remain in the UK, we will deport you. If countries refuse to take their citizens back, we will take action," Mahmood said in a statement.
U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, who has been a leading figure in the Trump administration's crack-down on illegal immigration, said that the countries agreed to share background information on any criminal history of migrants, and work against cartels "utilising social media and technology companies to push their message".
"We need to be just as aggressive in partnering together to push back on those kinds of new developments," she told reporters on the sidelines of the meeting.
Noem defended the detention of hundreds of mainly South Korean workers on a Hyundai Motor car battery facility under construction in Georgia last Thursday, saying the administration was following the law, and adding the tough U.S. measures might be an inspiration for other countries to do the same.
Starmer is a former human rights lawyer who took office in July last year after his Labour Party won an election landslide. His new-look government is prioritising a harder line on immigration - an issue that leads opinion polling as the public's top concern and that has fuelled a poll lead for Nigel Farage's populist Reform UK.
Mahmood said she would take a strong approach.
"That does mean saying to countries who do not take their citizens back, that we're not simply going to allow our laws to remain unenforced, that they do have to play ball," she told broadcasters in an interview. "And if cutting visas is one of the ways to do that, then I'll do whatever it takes."
(Reporting by Alistair SmoutAdditional reporting by William James and Sam TabahritiEditing by Frances Kerry)
UAE property prices to dip from 2026 as 150,000 new homes hit market: Moody’s - GULF NEWS
Dubai: Home prices in the UAE could begin easing in 2026 as tens of thousands of new apartments and villas hit the market, according to a new report from Moody’s Ratings. For residents, that could mean more choice, steadier rents, and a less overheated housing market.
What residents can expect
Moody’s says over 150,000 new homes are scheduled for delivery between 2025 and 2027. That’s about a 20% jump in Dubai’s housing stock. The report forecasts this wave of supply will lead to “a modest price correction starting in 2026.”
For buyers, that may mean more bargaining power. For renters, it could mean relief after years of steep rent increases.
Why demand remains high
The dip won’t come from weak demand. Dubai’s population grew 6% in 2024 to 3.9 million, supported by economic growth and new visa policies. At the same time, household sizes are shrinking — now averaging 3.9 people compared with 4.4 in 2019 — pushing up the need for more housing units.
Wealthy newcomers are reshaping the market too. Dubai is now home to more than 80,000 millionaires, double the number of a decade ago. In the first quarter of 2025 alone, over 590 homes priced above Dh20 million were sold, the highest in two years.
This mix of population growth and high-net-worth arrivals means demand is unlikely to collapse. Moody’s describes the outlook as “stable over the next 12 to 18 months, supported by strong demand fundamentals and macroeconomic resilience.”
Apartments vs villas
The type of home matters. Villas have been the big winners since the pandemic, with prices climbing 20% in late 2024 compared with the year before. Apartments rose 18% in the same period.
Moody’s expects villa demand to stay strong in the near term but warns growth will slow as more communities are delivered. Apartments, especially in mid-market areas, may see sharper price declines once supply outpaces demand.
For buyers, that could mean better deals on flats. For families, villas will remain pricey but with less aggressive increases.
Developers stronger than before
One reason residents may feel more secure this time is that developers are financially stronger.
Emaar’s revenue backlog has soared to Dh129 billion in 2025 from Dh25 billion in 2020.
Major builders have slashed their debt levels, with average leverage dropping to 1.4x in 2025 from 4.8x in 2020.
Combined profits for the six biggest developers reached Dh46 billion in the past year, up from Dh12 billion five years earlier.
Moody’s says this means builders can keep projects moving, even if prices soften.
Rules that protect buyers
The past decade has also seen big regulatory changes to protect residents. Off-plan buyers’ money must now be placed in escrow accounts, only released to developers once construction milestones are reached. Developers also face stricter launch requirements, ensuring land and approvals are secured before sales begin.
Moody’s says these reforms “help safeguard buyers but also support long-term growth by mitigating systemic risks.”
In Sharjah, a new escrow law will take effect this year, bringing protections closer in line with Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
What it means for you
Thinking of buying? Expect more choice and potentially softer prices from 2026.
Renting? Extra supply could ease the pressure on rents, especially in apartments.
Investing? Villas and luxury homes remain in demand, but competition is growing fast.
Moody’s sums it up: despite rising supply, the UAE housing market “will remain stable” — giving residents more security, whether they’re renters, buyers, or long-term investors.
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