Overview
- Around 80 men held at Harmondsworth near Heathrow compiled a dossier alleging arbitrary detention, denial of legal representation, inadequate medical care, and severe psychological harm, including self‑harm and isolation.
- The Home Office rejected the allegations, saying detainees are informed of their right to legal advice within 24 hours, have access to 24‑hour healthcare and contact facilities, and that welfare is treated as a priority.
- New measures now allow officers to seize and examine mobile phones from small‑boat arrivals for intelligence on smuggling networks, with related offences carrying potential prison terms.
- Under the UK–France ‘one in, one out’ scheme, official figures show 193 people returned to France and 195 legally admitted to the UK in its early months, with the first deportation flight of 2026 scheduled for Wednesday.
- Channel crossings totaled about 41,472 in 2025, the second‑highest on record, while the IOM documented 36 deaths in northern France that year compared with 85 in 2024.