The French Meditteranean Island is now in danger of becoming the new processing point for European asylum seekers according to French authorities, something Immigration Mister Eric Beeson is determined to not be allowed to happen. Beeson claimed the incident should serve as a reminder that the EU needs to upgrade its international border patrols lest the Mediterranean fall completely into the hands of trafficking gangs. Beeson further called for crisis talks to be held by EU immigration ministers with a view to strengthening controls and emergency measures along the sea’s coastline.

According to official reports a total of 38 children, 29 women – five of them pregnant – and 57 men were taken ashore close to the southern township of Bonifacio. The boat then sped away and remains to be found by Italian coastguards who are working together with French officials. Many of those abandoned claimed to be Syrian Kurds or from the Middle East while others reportedly came from North Africa.

Most of the group is now being transported to mainland detention centres inside France after initially being housed in a gymnasium near where they were found. French authorities have said that each case will be treated individually and that medical checks would be carried out before any attempts were made at a voluntary return.

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Of the three arrests, one of them – an Iraqi national – was discovered to be remaining inside the UK despite his visa expiring. He is not under detention as moves are made to deport him back to his homeland.

The other two men involved in the incident were from Iran and Nigeria. Both were placed under arrest and removed for questioning at Cardiff Bay Police Station. The Nigerian man was formally charged with two separate incidences of forgery and he remains remanded in custody. The man from Iran has also been questioned over an offence related to the ID Cards Act and also over an alleged theft. He has been released on bail and will face further questioning.

According to agency officials, the cake shop, owned by Finsbury Food, was fully cooperative with their inquiries and investigation.

Around 1,100 staff are employed at Memory Lane Cakes, the Cardiff business that was also raided by immigration officials back in 2005. At that time, some 19 people of various nationalities were arrested, all of them understood to be illegal immigrants.

Regional Director for the UKBA in Wales and the South West, Jane Farleigh, claimed that the operation was part of an ongoing targeting of criminal offenders and illegal migrants in the area and across Wales itself. The UKBA will continue to seek out workers who are doing so illegally in the UK and remove them from the country. Any potential criminal activity will result in prosecution.

The UKBA has published guidelines for employers on the prevention of hiring of illegal workers on its website and encourages all business owners to be familiar with the regulations.

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On the 23rd of November the UKBA led a joint operation in conjunction with Suffolk and Essex police, the Metropolitan Police Clubs and the Department for Work and Pensions which saw seven addresses visited – two in Ipswich and five in Colchester.

An Abbey Court property in Ipswich saw a 43-year-old Chinese woman arrested under suspicion of controlling or managing a brothel. The woman, who had entered Britain illegally, was also found to be in possession of a controlled substance and charged with intent to supply. Another Chinese man was also arrested under suspicion of controlling or managing a brothel in Mountbatten Court. The 43-year-old had overstayed his visa.

Three other Chinese nationals were released on bail after it was discovered the women were all illegal entrants into the UK ahead of their removal from Britain, for which arrangements are currently being made.

A sixth person, a 33-year-old Thai woman, has been placed into police care and is considered a potential human trafficking victim.

Heralding the success of the raids the UK Border Agency’s Midland and East Regional Director Gail Adams stated that the agency has shown that it is committed to uncovering trafficking victims and places their care as a top priority. The partnership with local authorities has resulted in the adoption of a victim-led approach in their investigations

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The drones or Unmanned Autonomous Systems (UAS) have been employed by British armed forces in order to monitor enemy action in Afghanistan. The new proposal would see maritime surveillance boosted by the drones as early as 2012 where they would be under the control of the Kent and Essex police forces in conjunction with BAE systems.

BAE systems have confirmed that it was currently working together with the two forces to investigate the options. The partnership would also extend to the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, the UK Border Agency and the Marine and Fisheries Agency.

The drones have the capability to operate at a height of 20,000 feet and would use high resolution imagery of ships and vessels to police control rooms. The UAS can also remain airborne for up to 15 hours at a time.

Kent police have advised that they are investigating new approaches in terms of aviation options available to police forces, saying that UAS could perform a major role in working alongside the likes of the Civil Aviation Authority.

The drones can be programmed to take-off, search and record all with a single mouse click and may even be used to monitor large scale public events like music festivals. For immigration control, the UAS would have a twofold role – identifying and monitoring the English Channel shipping lanes and also acting as a police extension for watching out for illegal immigration.

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The lorry was stopped by UKBA officers based in Calais where three men of Iranian descent were prevented from entering the UK from the French port. UKBA officials made inspections of the vehicle after discovering that one of the truck’s tilt cords had been sliced in had been put back together with superglue and a needle.

Hi-tech carbon dioxide equipment used to detect the presence of living forms was then used to make the discovery of the three hideaways. The vodka was allowed to continue on its onward journey to Nottingham after the stowaways were removed.

The three were consequently photographed, fingerprinted and refused entry into Britain. All three were handed over to French authorities.

According to a spokesperson from the UK Border Agency, fines could be applied to both the lorry driver and the owners of the haulage company. A civil penalty fine of £2,000 can be imposed if it was proven that the company did not take appropriate measures to ensure the vehicle was secure before attempting the border crossing.

The UK Border Agency is the agency responsible for keeping Britain safe and controlling its migration. The UKBA manages border control and customs regulations in addition to citizenship and asylum applications.

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A total of ten illegal immigrants were found to have been working without permission at the Currys distribution depot in the midlands town which lies around 30km north-east of Nottingham. The raid, undertaken by officers from the UK Border Agency occurred at 2pm on Wednesday this week and was run in collaboration with members of the local police constabulary.

Currys is a radio, computer and television outlet which operates a large online distribution service and has depots across the UK. The company had contacted the UKBA to ask for their assistance as it had become suspicious about some of the documentation used by members of its workforce that were presented in order to gain employment.

The raid found ten workers at the Newark depot had forged identification documents in order to secure employment all of whom were arrested and taken for questioning at the Newark police station. The workers, predominantly from Zimbabwe, will face forced removal from the UK by the agency after investigations into criminal activity have been completed.

The UKBA has been working hard to stop illegal workers and organisations which lure illegal immigrants to the UK. The practice is considered unfair on honest employers and also harmful to local workers who suffer job shortages and pay reductions. The UKBA commended Currys and said it will continue to work together with community minded recruiters to secure Britain’s borders. No legal action will be taken against Currys owing to its proactive stance on the issue.

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The officials examined some 30 staff and their records were compared to those on the Home Office database as all were investigated under suspicion of working illegally. The result was that 10 different men were eventually arrested and taken to their places of residency to search for legal documents such as passports and visas. Just Prepared was issued with a notice pertaining to potential liability which means it may incur the full penalty under law of hiring illegal workers. At £10,000 for each illegal staff member the company is looking at a fee of around £100,000. The owner of the salad packing company has so far refused to comment.

Immigration officials did point out that Just Prepared has records for all of the migrant workers but acknowledged that many of the documents may be forgeries. Of the ten arrested it is believed that 5 entered the UK illegally while 3 had outstayed their visas. The other two men were a failed asylum seeker and a student whose visa had expired. Half of the group wrere Indian nationals while the remainder were of Pakistani or Sri Lankan origin

Agency officials claim they had been watching the site for some time prior to the raid which was undertaken as soon as the local Magistrates court issued a search warrant.

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Fatou Gaye and her 4-year-old son Arouna were removed from their Glasgow residence in a move which sparked widespread publicity and sympathy. SNP Member John Mason brought up the case to the attention of the House of Commons while fellow MP Christina McKelvie of the SNP raised it with the UK Home Office.

Both of the MPs were lured in by Gaye’s story of her home on the Ivory Coast but it transpired that the 38 year-old Gaye was in fact from Senegal in yesterday’s Luton Crown Court session.

The prosecution claimed that Gaye had cost over £100,000 to taxpayers after repeated appeals and tribunal reviews. Gaye was also provided with accommodation, cash and food tokens in what prosecutors labeled a web of deceit over the past four years.

Ms Gaye first arrived in the UK on a visitor’s visa from Senegal in mid-2004. In early 2005 she approached the Croydon office of the UK Border Agency requesting refugee status for herself and her son claiming they were from the Ivory Coast. Gaye persisted with the lie until May this year when she admitted the truth. She had apparently been informed that an Ivory Coast national would have more chance of success in remaining in the UK.

Gaye broke down after being sentenced to serve time for two charges of attempting to remain in the UK by deception.

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