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Your support helps us to tell the storyFrom reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it’s investigating the financials of Elon Musk’s pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, ‘The A Word’, which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.Your support makes all the difference.Read moreA huge gas field has been found under Lincolnshire that could reportedly fuel the UK for a decade.However, there are fears the discovery near the town of Gainsborough could spark a row as the gas would need to be extracted via fracking, with critics arguing the practice distracts from net zero goals.The energy company behind the findings, which is set to officially announce the discovery at a conference this month, claimed the Gainsborough Trough field will boost the British economy by more than £100 billion and lead to less reliance on energy imports. Egdon Resources added that it will lead to the creation of tens of thousands of jobs.Consultants Deloitte, who analysed the test drilling results on behalf of Egdon, argued that using gas from the field rather than from abroad would have significantly less environmental impact.The newly found field has around 480 billion cubic metres of gas – roughly seven times what the country consumes each year – which it is suggested could cover the UK’s gas needs for the next 10 years, due to declining consumption, reported LBC.Energy secretary Ed Miliband is among the many Labour MPs as well as others across the UK who are opposed to fracking, the technique that would need to be used to extract the gas More

Your support helps us to tell the storyFrom reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it’s investigating the financials of Elon Musk’s pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, ‘The A Word’, which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.Your support makes all the difference.Read moreThe government has toughened up guidance for refugees, making it more difficult for those who arrive here in small boats across the Channel to obtain citizenship.The Home Office’s good character guidance now states that an applicant will “normally” be refused citizenship if they entered the UK illegally – no matter how long they have lived in the UK.It makes particular reference to those who arrived “having made a dangerous journey”, including those “travelling by small boat or concealed in a vehicle”.The changes come after the government released footage of migrants being escorted onto planes and deported on Monday. Home secretary Yvette Cooper warned it will be “governments and not gangs” deciding who gets to enter the country.Some 18,987 people, including foreign criminals and those not eligible for asylum, have been returned to countries across Europe, Asia, Africa and South America since Labour took power in July.According to the Home Office, 5,074 were forced returns of people with no legal right to remain in the UK, up 24 per cent between 5 July last year and 31 January, compared with 4,089 forced returns in the previous 12-month period.Here, The Independent takes a look at how many illegal migrants the UK is hosting, and why calculating the exact number is a complicated process.How does someone become an unauthorised/illegal migrant?There are four main ways for a person to become an unauthorised migrant in the UK. Firstly, by entering the country on a visa and overstaying the conditions of the visa; Secondly, entering the UK without authorisation or through deception, such as using forged documents. Thirdly, by not leaving the country after an asylum application has been rejected and fourthly, being born in the UK to parents who are unauthorised migrants because the UK does not have birthright citizenship.It is difficult to calculate exactly how many illegal or unauthorised migrants there are in the UK. Those trying to do so face the challenge of attempting to count individuals who don’t want to be found.How are illegal migrants entering the UK?Small boats are the main way irregular migrants are entering the country since 2020, according to the Home Office. The government saw a decline in other methods such as inadequately documented air arrivals and detections at ports due to the Covid pandemic making air or ferry entry less viable.Between 2020 and the end of September 2024, around 175,000 unauthorised arrivals were recorded by the authorities. Of these, 78 per cent arrived in the UK after crossing the Channel in a small boat.Small boat arrivals typically peak during the summer months (Q3 of each year), however, this is not always the case. The government does not make comparisons between shorter periods where arrival numbers may fluctuate considerably.The most common small vessels detected making these types of crossings are rigid-hulled inflatable boats (RHIBs), dinghies and kayaks.Since the beginning of 2025, 1292 migrants have arrived on small boats into the UK.Where are they coming from? Around 70 per cent of irregular migrants arriving into the UK since 2018 have been adult men and just under one-fifth (19 per cent) of detected irregular arrivals have been children aged 17 and under, according to the Home Office.Just under one-sixth, 15 per cent, of detected irregular arrivals in the year ending September 2024 were Afghans, the nationality in the top 5 for all 4 entry methods. The number of Afghan nationals arriving by small boats have almost halved, 46 per cent, in the year ending September 2024.Albanians were the top nationality detected arriving by small boat in the year ending September 2022 (12,024 arrivals), but their numbers have since declined to only 559 small boat arrivals in the year ending September 2024. The large number of 2022 arrivals was in part influenced by an agreement between the UK and Albania to deter and disrupt irregular migration and criminal networks, according to the Home Office.Government statistics show arrivals by Vietnamese nationals in January to September 2024 (3,132 arrivals) were almost 3 times higher than in the same period of 2023 (1,131 arrivals). In April 2024, the UK signed an agreement with Vietnam to increase cooperation on dealing with irregular migration.How does the UK’s illegal immigration numbers compare to countries in Europe?A study by Measuring Irregular Migration found the UK had the second highest number of unauthorised migrants in Europe after Germany.Another two previous studies conducted across the EU in 2008 and 2017 also showed the UK had more unauthorised migrants than most other European countries.Along with Italy and France, the four countries make up 70 per cent of all Europe’s unauthorised migrants.Labour’s new Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill, which scraps the Conservatives’ Rwanda plan, passed its first hurdle in the Commons on Monday.It will also introduce new criminal offences and hand counter terror-style powers to police and enforcement agencies to crack down on people smuggling gangs bringing migrants across the English Channel. More

Your support helps us to tell the storyFrom reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it’s investigating the financials of Elon Musk’s pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, ‘The A Word’, which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.Your support makes all the difference.Read morePeter Mandelson has admitted concern about the looming prospect of tariffs from the US, saying Sir Keir Starmer’s government can “make our views known privately and directly”.While the UK’s top diplomat in Washington said Britain would “not necessarily agree” with every detail of the new US president’s agenda, he said the government must respect Donald Trump’s “strong and clear mandate for change” and “understand what drives him”.It comes after Mr Trump announced a worldwide 25 per cent tariff on steel on Monday, triggering panic over the future of Britain’s fragile industry. It also sparked fears that more trade fees could deepen problems for the UK economy, which is already teetering on the brink of a recession.US president Donald Trump plans to impose tariffs on all steel coming into the US More

Your support helps us to tell the storyFrom reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it’s investigating the financials of Elon Musk’s pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, ‘The A Word’, which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.Your support makes all the difference.Read moreKing Charles could be dragged into a row with Donald Trump over the US president’s claim that he wants to make Canada the 51st state, one of Britain’s top broadcasters has warned.The monarch risks being exposed in the spat due to his role as Canada’s head of state, raising questions about whether he should stay silent as the country faces the ire of the US president.As well as being a key member of the Commonwealth, Canada and the UK both share a head of state in King Charles.But Sir Keir Starmer has so far refused to criticise Mr Trump for saying he would “love to see Canada become the 51st state”, even threatening to use “economic force” to make it happen.King Charles is also Canada’s head of state More

Your support helps us to tell the storyFrom reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it’s investigating the financials of Elon Musk’s pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, ‘The A Word’, which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.Your support makes all the difference.Read moreMigrants who are unemployed or in low-paid jobs will face being forced to leave the UK under plans being drawn up by Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch.As she seeks both to win back votes from Reform UK and to revitalise the party after last year’s election defeat, Ms Badenoch has pledged to crack down on legal and illegal migration.“The right to citizenship and permanent residency should only go to those who have demonstrated a real commitment to the UK. That’s why we should double the length of time before people can qualify for indefinite leave to remain from five to 10 years,” Ms Badenoch said.Under the proposal, legal migrants applying for indefinite leave to remain must navigate much stricter criteria than they’re currently faced with if their application is to succeed.They would have to have been “net contributors” to the British economy over the previous 10 years – up from five years at present.Conservatives leader Kemi Badenoch has pledged a tough stance on migration More

Your support helps us to tell the storyFrom reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it’s investigating the financials of Elon Musk’s pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, ‘The A Word’, which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.Your support makes all the difference.CloseRead moreRachel Reeves’ Budget measures will devastate care providers, leaving vulnerable disabled and elderly people without care next year, healthcare experts are warning.The disastrous scenario could also bankrupt local authorities, care providers say.The rise in employers’ national insurance in April, together with increases in the minimum wage and national living wage, will threaten the future of care companies, according to the Homecare Association, a membership body for care providers.It follows a report by industry analysts LaingBuisson that found a widening gap between the profits of providers reliant on privately paying customers and those of providers dependent on clients funded by the state or NHS.The care sector is especially sensitive to minimum wage changes because care worker pay is among the lowest in the UK, statistics show, and most workers are on low wages.The association says that if care providers fold, the UK risks widespread failure of care provision, which could “leave people without care, overwhelm family carers and cripple NHS services”.The Homecare Association and Care England, which jointly commissioned the report, warned the chancellor, health secretary Wes Streeting and deputy PM Angela Rayner in a letter: “Local authorities could not cope with contract hand-backs or failure of multiple providers.“Councils would have to provide the care themselves. This would cause insolvency of councils.”Councils are already struggling with spiralling costs More

Your support helps us to tell the storyFrom reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it’s investigating the financials of Elon Musk’s pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, ‘The A Word’, which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.Your support makes all the difference.CloseRead moreReform UK leader Nigel Farage has threatened to name the Chinese spy who was revealed to have links with Prince Andrew, amid reports he also met two former prime ministers.Mr Farage says the party may use parliamentary privilege – which provides legal immunity for MPs in cases such as this – to reveal the name of the businessman in the House of Commons.The alleged spy, known as H6, has been described in court as having formed an “unusual degree of trust” with Prince Andrew and has been banned from entering the UK since 2023. The Home Office, led at the time by Suella Braverman, said the spy had engaged in “covert and deceptive activity” on behalf of the Chinese Communist Party.It comes following a Sunday Times report that H6 also met David Cameron at a Downing Street reception and Theresa May at a black-tie event, keeping photos of both encounters, which took place over the last 15 years, in his London office. It is unclear whether the meetings took place while either was in office. On Thursday, a specialist tribunal in London found that Ms Braverman was “entitled to conclude” that H6 was a “risk to national security”.Farage said Reform UK is prepared to lift the anonymity order More

Your support helps us to tell the storyFrom reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it’s investigating the financials of Elon Musk’s pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, ‘The A Word’, which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.Your support makes all the difference.CloseRead moreThe government has unveiled its “most ambitious” clean power plan yet, pledging to produce almost all its electricity from renewables by 2030 in a bid to stabilise energy prices. The plan, announced on Friday, sets a target of achieving 95 per cent clean electricity by the end of the decade by overhauling the country’s electricity grids, expanding investment and connecting more houses to renewables. Energy secretary Ed Miliband described the measures as the amounting to “the most ambitious reform to the energy system in generations”.“This is about harnessing the power of Britain’s natural resources to protect working people from the ravages of global energy markets,” he said. “The clean power sprint is the national security, economic security, and social justice fight of our time.”The announcement comes after prime minister Keir Starmer told reporters at the UN’s Cop29 climate summit that the UK wants to build on its reputation as a “climate leader”. The UK’s commitment under the Paris Agreement is to reduce emissions by at least 81 per cent by 2035 compared to 1990 levels. The government says its new roadmap will protect households from energy price spikes by shifting Britain’s reliance on volatile fossil fuel markets to homegrown renewables like wind and solar. To do this it aims to unlock £40bn annually in private investment, paving the way for economic growth and thousands of skilled jobs across the UK.“The UK has paid the price for over-reliance on expensive gas over the past few years, and the crisis is not over yet,” said Jess Ralston, head of energy at the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU).“Accelerating the rollout of renewables will stabilise prices, and clean technology like electric heat pumps will increasingly run off British wind and solar in contrast to gas boilers, which rely on foreign imports.”One of the biggest barriers to renewable energy expansion has been the UK’s outdated grid system. Clean energy projects have been stuck in long queues under a “first-come, first-served” system, leaving billions of pounds of investment tied up. With its new plan, the Labour government wants to prioritise ready-to-go projects that are in line for meeting the 2030 target while removing speculative or stalled proposals from the queue.The government says its Planning and Infrastructure Bill will streamline approvals for critical energy projects like wind farms and battery storage facilities.A view of the Barrett Steel factory with solar panels covering the roof in Shoreham Port, East Sussex, England More