Category World News

Six members of the proscribed UK direct action group, Palestine Action, go on trial on Monday for allegedly damaging weapons at the UK base of Israeli defence firm Elbit Systems in August 2024.

The detainees, who are just some of a total of 24 activists linked to the group who have been arrested at different times, have been in custody for more than a year without trial, breaking the UK’s six-month pre-trial detention limit.

Their prosecution, which has drawn international scrutiny, has become a test case for how the British government under Prime Minister Keir Starmer is dealing with pro-Palestine demonstrations, with many UK residents and rights groups accusing authorities of heavy-handedness.

Thousands of people have demonstrated in support of the detained group, collectively known across the UK as the “Filton24”, named after the location of the targeted Elbit Systems offices in Filton, Bristol.

Hundreds of people have been arrested in recent weeks for demonstrating in solidarity with Palestine Action, which was banned under “anti-terror” laws in July.

At least 500 people, aged between 18 and 89, were detained at protests in London on October 4. Authorities said they had been arrested for “supporting a proscribed organisation”.

Here’s what we know about the court case starting this week:

What is happening and in which court?

Six Palestine Action members are being tried at Woolwich Crown Court in London. This is the first trial since the initial group of Filton24 members were arrested in August 2024, with others being arrested during subsequent police raids. All face charges of aggravated burglary, criminal damage and violent disorder.

This week’s case focuses on the six defendants who were caught on the premises of Elbit Systems on August 6, 2024.

According to the Free the Filton 24 group, formed by family and friends, they are: Zoe Rogers, Fatema Zainab (Ray) Rajwani, Jordan Devlin, Samuel Corner, and Charlotte “Lottie” Head. One other person has been identified by activist groups on social media only as “Ellie”. Most of the Filton24 appear to be UK citizens, but this has not been confirmed.

Other members of Palestine Action may be tried later in relation to the Elbit Systems incident.

They include: Ian Sanders, Madeleine Norman, William Plastow, Leona Kamio, Hannah Davidson, Teuta “T”  Hoxha, ​​Zahra Farooque, Yulia Brigadirova, Qesser Zuhrah, Heba Muraisi, Kamran Ahmed, Amu Gib and Aleksandra Herbich.

Sean Middleborough, 32, who told local media he had been arrested in a violent raid on his home last November, was the only one to be granted temporary bail to attend his brother’s wedding in October. He reportedly failed to return to prison in early November as scheduled, and the police are now searching for him, according to Sky News.

The names of the remaining five arrested members of Palestine Action are unknown.

What is Palestine Action?

Founded in July 2020 by activists Huda Ammori and Richard Barnard, Palestine Action describes itself as “a pro-Palestinian organisation which disrupts the arms industry in the United Kingdom with direct action”. The group has accused the UK government of complicity in Israeli war crimes in Gaza and says it is “committed to ending global participation in Israel’s genocidal and apartheid regime”.

The group’s members have targeted Israel-linked companies across the UK, spraying their facilities with trademark red paint. Members have also blocked entrances to buildings, chained themselves to infrastructure and damaged equipment.

In the wake of Israel’s war on Gaza, which began on October 7, 2023, the group’s demonstrations intensified. In October that year, its members targeted the BBC’s headquarters in London with red paint, in protest against the broadcaster’s perceived pro-Israel bias.

Its members also blocked the facilities of weapons manufacturers Lockheed Martin, a US aerospace and defence group in London, and Leonardo, a defence and security group.

What happened in Filton?

On August 6, 2024, Palestine Action’s members broke into the premises of the Israeli defence firm Elbit Systems in Filton, Bristol, and reportedly destroyed quadcopter drones, which the group says are used by the Israeli military in Gaza to target Palestinians.

The action was estimated to have caused more than 1 million pounds ($1.3m) in damage, according to local news outlets. Six activists were arrested at the scene – the same who are on trial on Monday.

Four others were arrested in connection with the Filton event in nationwide raids days after. Then, in November 2024, more raids saw the number of those arrested and held climb to 18. Later, in June 2025, a final raid led to six more people being arrested.

The detainees are being held in different prisons, including New Hall – for female and young offenders – located in West Yorkshire, and Pentonville in London. While they were initially held on charges of “terrorism”, those charges were later dropped, and all are now facing non-terror-related charges. According to the Free the Filton 24 group, formed by family and friends of the activists, nearly all the activists have been denied bail despite several applications.

At least six members began a hunger strike this month in protest against what they say is “systematic abuse” in the prisons, including wardens referring to them as “terrorists”, confiscating their clothing – including their Palestinian kefiyehs – and restricting their visits and letters. They include Amu Gib, Heba Muraisi, Jon Cink, Kamran Ahmed, Teuta “T” Hoxha and Qesser Zurah.

The group has vowed to refuse food until Elbit is shut down and prison authorities stop the alleged abuse.

What else has Palestine Action done?

In June 2025, the group announced that some of its members had cut through the outer fences of Brize Norton airbase in Oxfordshire, the largest station of the British Air Force, and sprayed red paint on the turbine engines of two Airbus Voyager aircraft.

The planes are used for air-to-air refuelling and have allegedly been used to refuel Israeli military fighter jets. The two activists involved used electric scooters to enter the compound and were able to escape unhindered.

Five people were later arrested and charged on July 3, 2025, in relation to the Brize Norton action: Muhammad Umer Khalid, Amy Gardiner-Gibson, Jony Cink, Daniel Jeronymides-Norie and Lewie Chiaramello. All are being charged with conspiracy to enter a prohibited place and conspiracy to commit criminal damage.

Analysts at the time said the breach, while not posing a direct military threat, was embarrassing for the UK’s Ministry of Defence, as aircraft used by the king and prime minister are normally stationed there.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer condemned the attack, calling it “disgraceful”. The spraying reportedly cost the UK between 7 million and 30 million pounds ($9.2-$39m) in damage, according to police officials and various UK broadcasters, although the government told news site Declassified UK that it has not estimated a precise figure.

Before it intensified its demonstrations against Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza, the Palestine Action group’s members were also noted for:

• A series of break-ins at Elbit’s Ferranti site in Oldham, near Manchester in northern England, between 2020 and 2022.
• Occupying the Leicester drone factory operated by UAV Tactical Systems, a subsidiary of Elbit, in May 2021, with activists chaining themselves to the roof for nearly a week.
• Chaining themselves to an Elbit site in Braunstone, Leicestershire, in April 2022, and breaking into the Thales UK factory in Glasgow in June 2022, causing more than 1 million pounds ($1.37m) in damage with smoke bombs and property destruction.
• Following the launch of Israel’s war on Gaza in October 2023, Palestine Action intensified its efforts. It targeted the BBC’s headquarters in London with red paint to protest against the broadcaster’s perceived pro-Israel bias and blockaded facilities of arms manufacturers, including Lockheed Martin, the US aerospace and defence group, which has a base in London, and Leonardo, the defence and security group.
• In November 2023, the group’s US branch occupied the roof of an Elbit facility in Merrimack, New Hampshire. Three activists were arrested but were later released on misdemeanour charges.

Why did the UK government proscribe them as a ‘terrorist’ organisation?

In July, following the Brize Norton incident, the UK parliament voted overwhelmingly to proscribe Palestine Action as a “terrorist” group, making it a criminal offence to join or support the group, subject to a jail sentence of 14 years. That puts the group in the same category as armed groups, such as al-Qaeda.

The UK government said it proscribed Palestine Action for national security reasons. By doing so, “the government is demonstrating its zero tolerance approach to terrorism, regardless of its form or underlying ideology”, a statement read, adding that the group had orchestrated “aggressive and intimidatory attacks” against businesses, institutions, and the public in violation of the UK’s Terrorism Act of 2000.

“National security is the government’s first priority, and it will not shy away from this responsibility,” the government’s statement read, adding that the right to “legitimate” protests will be protected.

What are the arguments against this?

The move has drawn widespread condemnation from pro-Palestine campaigners in the UK and rights groups. Hundreds of people marching in support of the group’s detained members, and condemning the proscription, have been arrested, according to the UK authorities.

UN human rights chief Volker Turk warned days after the ban that the move represented a “misuse” of the country’s terrorism laws, as it was being applied to conduct that is not “terrorist” in nature – Palestine Action is not an armed group and its members have not killed or seriously injured anyone, nor have they threatened to do so.

Amnesty International described the government’s move as “disturbing” and called on the UK to instead focus on taking action against Israel.

“Instead of taking draconian measures to [proscribe Palestine Action], the Government should be taking immediate and unequivocal action to put a stop to Israel’s genocide and end any risk of UK complicity in it,” Sacha Deshmukh, Amnesty International UK’s chief executive, said.

Palestine Action, meanwhile, argues that its actions are a form of civil resistance aimed at disabling weapons production.

BREAKING: The government LOST their appeal and failed to stop the legal challenge of the Palestine Action ban.

That means the Judicial Review will go ahead on November 25-27th.

Not only that, but we won TWO MORE grounds to argue the illegality of the ban.

Huge victory.

In October, cofounder Huda Ammori was granted permission by a UK court to challenge the proscription on the grounds that it constitutes a disproportionate interference with free speech rights, after the UK government tried to block her appeal. The case is due to be heard between November 25 and 27.

Which other groups are proscribed as ‘terrorists’ in the UK and what for?

• Ideological armed groups such as al-Qaeda and ISIS are proscribed by the UK. Al-Qaeda has been linked to major attacks in the UK, such as the London bombings of 2005, in which 56 people were killed and more than 700 were injured. These groups are also proscribed by many other governments.
• On the same day the UK proscribed Palestine Action as a “terrorist” group, the Maniacs Murder Cult (MMC) and the Russian Imperial Movement (RIM) were also classified in the same category. Both groups are described as white supremacist groups, with MMC believed to have neo-Nazi leanings, and reportedly encouraging members to film themselves being violent to others.

According to the Gaza Government Media Office, more than 288,000 families are facing a shelter crisis as a result of Israeli restrictions on humanitarian aid.

Palestinians are suffering in conditions that “no society can endure,” according to a statement released on Monday from the local authorities. Tens of thousands of tents have been submerged in the past few days due to heavy rain.

Palestinians have been subject to “the most dangerous humanitarian disaster” since the start of the conflict, according to the government media office, which Israel has “deliberately contributed to adâncening the catastrophe” through its obstruct to essential shelter supplies.

The Israeli occupation continues to commit crimes against civilians, it said.

“We hold the occupation completely responsible for the suffering of hundreds of thousands of displaced people who are without safe shelter or basic services in the harsh winters, and for its catastrophic crime of requiring the occupation to completely close the crossings and preventing the entry of shelter supplies.”

The first winter storm to hit Gaza on Thursday caused the flooding to start. More than 13, 000 homes were immediately affected, according to the United Nations.

As the rain continued over the following days, conditions continued to worsen, overtaking the worn-out tents that have been a shelter for displaced families for almost two years.

Lower elevations than the surrounding areas are where many displacement camps are located. Hani Mahmoud of Al Jazeera reported on Monday that “some areas are completely submerged” as a result of the water’s rush into them from all directions.

The enclave requires 300, 000 tents and mobile homes to provide basic shelter, according to Gaza authorities, who have “clearly stated” for months.

Despite a ceasefire that ended on October 10, Israel has obstructed their entry.

UN figures show that during the war, more than 80% of Gaza’s buildings suffered damage or destruction, leading to significant displacement.

According to experts in the field of human rights, Israel’s strategy amounts to genocide. According to the UN, “deliberately inflicting on]a] group conditions of life intended to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part” are among the acts that fall under the category of “genocide.”

The government media office criticized Israel on Monday for “remaining its policy of restrainting and preventing the entry of tents, tarps, and plastic covers,” keeping border crossings closed, and “rejecting the humanitarian protocol” it signed as part of the ceasefire.

The Israeli military organization COGAT, which coordinates aid deliveries to Gaza, has repeatedly refuted claims that it is restricting humanitarian supplies.

However, UNRWA’s head of UNRWA, Philippe Lazzarini, described the situation as “misery on top of misery” last week and warned that Gaza’s fragile shelters “quickly flood, soaking people’s belongings.”

UNRWA reported that it has enough food in Jordan and Egypt to fill 6, 000 trucks, including food, to last three months’ entire population in Gaza. Due to Israeli restrictions, only 500 to 600 of the daily entry requirements for aid trucks are made in the territory.

According to Israeli authorities’ import restrictions, UNRWA has also stated that it cannot import pens and notebooks into the territory.

Around 260, 000 Palestinian families, or nearly 1.5 million people, were exposed to vulnerability as the winter approached, according to a warning issued by aid organizations in early November.

By imposing restrictions, UNRWA senior UNRWA official Natalie Boucly claimed that Israel is still violating international humanitarian law. cited blatantly the Fourth Geneva Convention and a recent decision by the International Court of Justice that Israel was required to provide for Palestinians with “essential supplies of daily life.”

During a visit to Jordanian aid warehouses this month, British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper claimed that Israel has “no excuse” for halting humanitarian supplies.

Aid restrictions are entirely political, according to the statement.

The University of Manchester professor Mukesh Kapila claimed that the restrictions are made with intention rather than by reason of necessity.

He told Al Jazeera, “This is entirely a political act because Gaza is one of the easiest areas to reach,” citing the humanitarian crisis in which it is occurring.

“Human suffering in Gaza is compounded by Israeli actions to keep up pressure on Hamas on the hostages and possibly to end it,” says the statement.

In a statement released by the government media office, the US president called on the mediator nations to “take serious and immediate action to force the occupation to abide by what it signed” in terms of the truce and humanitarian protocol.

Deir el-Balah, Gaza – Every morning for Israa Abu Reyala and her husband, Mohammad, is a battle to find decent food for their five daughters, the youngest three of whom are triplets born during the war.

The ceasefire agreement, which took effect about a month ago, has made little difference in the family’s daily life, Israa, 31, and Mohammad, 33, told Al Jazeera.

“The war was a nightmare,” Israa says as she feeds her little ones in her parents’ home in Deir el-Balah. “But the hardest part by far has been finding food, milk, and supplies for my three babies.”

Israa learned she was pregnant with triplets two months before the war.

“We were planning for a third child, not three at once,” she laughs, exchanging a look with her husband.

Their concerns at the time – about income, rent, and how to manage three infants – feel like paradise now compared to what they lived through during the pregnancy and birth, they say.

‘I’m worried’

Israa says her triplets, who are now 19 months old, don’t even know what an egg looks – much less tastes – like. They’ve eaten chicken a few times, but only when sharing meals with extended family.

The couple had high hopes for the ceasefire that ostensibly ended Israel’s war on Gaza and stipulated that Israel would allow food and aid supplies to enter the beleaguered enclave.

But instead of more and higher-quality food entering Gaza, they found little of nutritional value.

Mohammad says the markets are “stuffed with commercial goods” like biscuits, chocolate, candy, snacks, nuts, and canned foods, with few fruits and vegetables that enter at prices many can’t afford.

“But what about the quality? What about proper food? And the prices are insane,” he adds.

“Where are the eggs? Where is meat and poultry? Fresh dairy and cheese? Everything healthy, nutritious, or essential for children doesn’t exist, and if it does, it’s in tiny quantities and disappears instantly,” Israa says.

Humanitarian officials call the state Israel has imposed on Gaza since it launched its genocidal war on it in October 2023, engineered starvation – a policy aimed at weakening the population physically and psychologically until society collapses from within.

Dr Khalil al-Degran, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Health in Gaza, told Al Jazeera that Israel has not adhered to humanitarian protocols requiring the entry of food and medical aid into Gaza, with quantities entering now “only 15 to 20 percent of actual needs”.

He adds that the products Israel allows in are nonessentials, like chips and instant noodles, which lack vital nutrients.

Markets remain empty of meat, poultry, dairy products, eggs, and most protein and fat sources, he says, calling it “clear engineered starvation”.

Israa says her girls are getting more to eat now, but she still worries because of the severe lack of nutritious food.

“I’m worried about my health, too,” she says. “I did lab tests last month and the specialist told me I’m in the early stages of malnutrition.”

A premature birth

Ten-year-old Toleen says she will never forget the tanks and Israeli soldiers she had to walk past with her parents, hands up in the air, holding white flags.

She and her six-year-old sister, Jana, had fled with their parents from one displacement shelter to another for weeks before they fled south on foot through what Israel called “the safe corridor”.

They tried to stay in the north, leaving their home in Shati refugee camp for a UNRWA school in al-Nasr – but Israeli tanks kept advancing, and the family had to keep fleeing.

So one day in November 2023, they headed south to Israa’s parents’ home in Deir el-Balah, central Gaza, where she spent the rest of her pregnancy and delivery, struggling with malnutrition and the fear of Israeli bombs.

They stayed there until a ceasefire in January this year, when they went back to Gaza City, only to be caught by a famine caused by Israel’s blocking of the entry of all aid supplies.

On March 28, 2024, two weeks before her scheduled caesarean section, she was woken up at night by labour pains, but the war was raging, with intense Israeli bombardment in nearby Nuseirat.

Moving at night was dangerous, and they had to call the ambulance service repeatedly, telling them they were expecting triplets, before Israa was taken to al-Awda Hospital for an emergency c-section.

Her daughters, Keraz, Kifah, and Jumana were born, one weighing two kilogrammes (4.4 pounds) and two weighing in at 1.9 kilogrammes (4.2 pounds), well within the average for healthy triplets.

“Giving birth to healthy babies in a war felt like a miracle,” she says.

Dr al-Degran says most pregnant and breastfeeding women face acute anaemia caused by a lack of food and supplements, with many giving birth prematurely or miscarrying.

Once home, the struggle to find baby formula, diapers, and clothes for the newborns began.

The triplets needed about one can of formula per day, which their severely malnourished mother had to supplement by breastfeeding them. Her health collapsed.

“My body was exhausted and hungry,” Israa says.

“These three … I cried as they cried from hunger,” she says, looking at her triplets playing nearby.

“‘Nanna, nanna, nanna,’ that’s the sound they made asking for food, day and night. I can still hear it.”

Israa and her husband spiralled.

“I used to escape into the street from my babies’ screams, walking aimlessly, crying for hours,” she says.

Damage that may be irreversible

Al-Degran says Gaza has suffered chronic malnutrition throughout Israel’s genocidal war on the enclave.

He warns that even if essential foods were allowed in today, the damage done to children, especially infants, has already left long-term physical and cognitive consequences.

Israa’s daily struggle continues, as she divides a single bite of food into three portions for her three infants.

“This piece for one, this for the second, and this for the third … just so they quiet down a little. But then they start crying again. They don’t understand. They’re just hungry.”

Israa and Mohammad remain grateful for what little they have, though Israa cannot hide her heartbreak over Toleen and Jana, who she says have endured hunger and still tried to help her care for the babies.

The family’s only wish now is simple: “To see a semblance of a normal life again,” Israa says.

“Open crossings. Food. Supplies. Aid.

After a mudslide ripped through a home in Brazzano di Cormons overnight, firefighters are searching for two missing people in northeastern Italy. Unknown are a 35-year-old German man who lives nearby and a woman who is still unaccounted for. There has already been a rescue for one person.

As Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s recent comments about Taiwan retaliates, China is advising its citizens against visiting the country. Katrina Yu from Al Jazeera explains.

Before proposals for major government changes that would end refugees’ automatic right to permanent residency in the UK, home secretary Shabana Mahmood claimed the country’s asylum system is “not working” and is “putting communities under enormous strain.”

Speaking to the BBC on Sunday, Mahmood said undocumented migration is “tearing the country apart”.

The government’s proposals, to be unveiled on Monday, will have two main prongs. First, they would put an end to refugees’ automatic transition to settled status after five years. Second, they would forbid those who have the right to work and are able to provide for themselves from receiving state benefits.

After a summer of fierce protests outside&nbsp, hotels&nbsp, housing asylum seekers and an anti-immigration march in London, Mahmood also announced new plans to curb small-boat crossings from France as well as to return refugees to their home countries once it is safe to do so.

What are the numbers for immigration right now?

Net migration, or the number of people entering a nation minus the number leaving, has increased by 200, 000 to 300, 000 people annually since 2011, according to figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

However, after Brexit was enacted in 2020, there was a large increase in the number of undocumented immigrants entering the UK. According to ONS data, net migration increased to 906, 000 over the course of the 12-month period until June 2023.

However, more recent statistics revealed a sharp decline in those figures since then. Net migration figures dropped by more than half in 2024 – to 431, 000. The decrease in the availability of student visas and healthcare was largely attributable to this.

Despite the media’s coverage of people entering the UK in small boats from France, this group only accounts for a small portion of the country’s total population. In 2024, for instance, the Home Office found that 36, 816 people who arrived in the UK came via small boats. &nbsp ,

Last year, 108 out of 138 people applied for asylum. Of those, only one-third came via small boats. As a result, the majority of asylum applications were processed formal (and included some of the people’s dependents).

Despite the declining numbers, there is still a lot of unease with the ruling Labour Party. In an August YouGov poll, 38 percent of respondents said they believed Reform UK, an anti-immigration party, would be more effective at handling asylum cases than Labour, who secured just 9 percent of the tally.

What modifications has the government announced?

citizenship acquiescement

On Monday, the government is expected to&nbsp, announce&nbsp, a shift from permanent settlement for refugees to a temporary-protection model.

The current regulations allow for an “indefinite leave to remain” request, allowing for the right to citizenship, for refugees who have been granted asylum to remain in the UK for five years.

However, under the new regulations, those seeking permanent residency in the UK must first apply for asylum for up to 20 years.

In addition, people granted asylum would have to renew their status every 30 months to see if the situation in their home country has changed such that UK residence is still required.

Social benefits are available to you.

Mahmood said she intends to end the government’s legal obligation to provide all asylum seekers with basic financial support.

The government is expected to withdraw support from asylum seekers deemed able to work as well as from those people who commit offences, ignore removal orders or work illegally.

If their asylum claim has been delayed for at least a year, or longer, asylum seekers may now apply for employment.

What are the claims of refugee rights organizations?

Enver Solomon, chief executive of the Refugee Council charity, said that instead of deterring migrants, the 20-year path to citizenship would “leave people in limbo and experiencing intense anxiety for many, many years”.

He stated on Sunday on BBC Breakfast that “we need a system that is controlled and fair, and the way you do that is you make decisions fairly, in a timely manner, and they go on and contribute to our communities and give back.”

According to Mahmood’s suggestion for 30-month checks, refugees could be returned to their home countries once the government believes the situation has improved, a move that was inspired by Denmark’s much-discussed policy.

Although research by the Danish Foreign Policy Yearbook has found that deterrence has limited influence on where asylum seekers travel to, a 2017 study did suggest that Denmark’s “negative branding” had led to fewer asylum applications.

What other people’s opinions of the proposals were there?

The opposition home office minister, Matt Vickers, claimed the government’s new plans to reform the asylum system contain “lots of gimmicks” while Oxford University’s Migration Observatory predicted that Mahmood’s overhaul would place the UK’s immigration system among the most restrictive nations in Europe.

He told the BBC that a “deterrent” is what is needed: “If people arrive in this country and know they’re going to get sent back, they won’t get in those boats in the first place”.

What other recommendations does the UK government make?

Using artificial intelligence to determine age

The government wants to introduce artificial intelligence-based assessments to determine the age of people who arrive without documentation. According to ministers, errors in the current system could lead to mistreatment of minors as adults or the introduction of adult-oriented care.

However, rights organizations warned that automated systems could instill prejudice, unfairly classify children as adults, and harm them.

Earlier this year, Solomon told the BBC that he was “not convinced” that using AI tools was the government’s correct approach on age identification because he has concerns about children being put in unsafe situations. He continued, “These AI] technologies continue to raise serious questions about accuracy, ethics, and fairness.”

Threatened by a visa ban for three African nations

The Home Office has said visa applications from Angola, Namibia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo will be refused unless their governments improve collaboration with the UK regarding the deportation of their nationals.

The department’s “unacceptably low cooperation and obstructive return procedures” was cited as the potential penalty in a statement.

They would be subject to restrictions “unless they consent to the return of their criminals and irregular migrants.”

Right to ‘ family life ‘ claims to be checked

The government’s interpretation of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) in regard to family law is also being covered by the UK media.

According to the government, Article 8 of the ECHR, which guarantees the right to a family and private life, will be reinterpreted “to better reflect the expectations of the British public.”

The new law would likely clarify that a “family connection” refers to immediate relatives only, such as a parent or child, and not to extended family members.

What will the impact be for Ukrainian refugees?

When asked about Ukrainians fleeing Russia’s invasion, Mahmood said they would continue to be admitted under a “bespoke scheme” and would be expected to return once the conflict was over. She stressed that many arrivals from Ukraine have expressed a desire to return home.

Ukrainian refugees have access to healthcare, education, and benefits under the current arrangement. Ukrainian nationals are largely exempt from the new 20-year settlement rules for asylum seekers because these visas are only temporary.

Will there be new authorised pathways for asylum seekers to come to the UK?

Through the UK’s Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme, vulnerable Afghan citizens from Afghanistan are granted legal residency, employment, education, and healthcare in addition to Ukrainians.

Additionally, the BNO visa, which provides a pathway to settled and eventual citizenship, grants Hong Kong BNO status holders and their dependents the right to reside, work, and study in the UK.

Mahmood also told the BBC that new “safe and legal” avenues will be introduced to try to reduce the number of people attempting perilous crossings of the English Channel.

Organisations like Amnesty International have repeatedly emphasized that many people have no choice but to enter illegally because of strict laws and restricted visa programs.

To reduce people smuggling and fatalities, Amnesty International has called on Westminster to expand legal avenues, including family reunification, and community sponsorship.

One option would be to allow individuals and charities in the UK to sponsor refugees, echoing the Homes for Ukraine scheme, which endows local communities with housing responsibilities.