White Home ‘very happy’ with UK’s enhance in defence spending forward of Starmer-Trump assembly – reside | Politics

Attorneys and human rights campaigners have warned of a “hostile setting” for Afghans within the UK who’ve fled the Taliban amid a pointy rise within the quantity having their asylum claims refused.

Quarterly immigration statistics launched on Thursday confirmed that 2,000 Afghan asylum seekers had their claims refused within the final quarter, a rise from 48 in the identical quarter of 2023. The grant price for Afghan circumstances has gone down from 98.5% within the final quarter of 2023 to 36% within the final quarter of 2024.

Nonetheless, the Residence Workplace has mentioned it can not ship anybody again to Afghanistan, which has been dominated by the Taliban since 2021.

This implies these whose circumstances are refused will likely be caught in limbo, with out the fitting to work or transfer on with their lives and vulnerable to destitution.

A latest inner Residence Workplace doc about returns to Afghanistan seen by the Guardian states: “Enforced or voluntary removals are at the moment paused and can’t be progressed at current. That is because of the Taliban informing the UK that they’ll now not settle for journey paperwork issued from the Afghan embassy in London.

“The UK authorities’s place is that they don’t recognise the Taliban as an accepted overseas authorities. There may be at the moment no timescale for when this will likely be resolved.”

Learn the complete report right here:

Variety of youngsters in momentary lodging in England hits document excessive, figures present

Andrew Sparrow

Separate figures out at this time present the variety of youngsters in momentary lodging in England hit a document excessive of 164,040 as of the tip of September, PA Media stories. PA says:

The quantity has risen 15% in a yr and is the very best since information for this measure started in 2004.

The variety of households in momentary lodging was additionally at a document excessive of 126,040, having elevated 16% in a yr.

There have been 5,400 households with youngsters residing in mattress and breakfasts (B&Bs) by the tip of September final yr – an increase of 15% in a yr.

Some 3,470 households with youngsters had been in B&Bs for greater than the six-week restrict.

By legislation, B&Bs are meant for use just for households in an emergency, and for now not than six weeks.

The charity Shelter mentioned youngsters had been being “robbed of stability in momentary lodging, crammed into B&Bs and hostels with none area to sleep, play or do their homework” whereas Disaster mentioned the figures present younger individuals are “rising up in unsafe circumstances, proscribing life probabilities and trapping individuals in poverty throughout generations”.

Jane Clinton is taking up the weblog now. I will likely be again later this afternoon.

Tough sleeping in England has risen by a fifth in a yr, in keeping with new snapshot estimates branded “devastating and shameful”, PA Media stories. PA says:

There have been an estimated 4,667 individuals sleeping on the streets on a single evening in autumn final yr, in keeping with annual authorities statistics.

This was a rise of 769 individuals – or 20% – on the earlier yr’s snapshot estimate of three,898.

The newest determine is greater than twice the quantity for the reason that estimates – the most recent of that are based mostly on a single date in October or November chosen by native authorities – started being recorded in 2010, when it was 1,768.

Whereas the most recent determine stays slightly below the height in 2017- when it stood at 4,751 – it’s the third yr in a row the quantity has risen.

Commenting on the figures, Rick Henderson, CEO of Homeless Hyperlink, which represents homelessness charities, mentioned in a press release:

It’s past devastating and shameful that our society has allowed 1000’s upon 1000’s of individuals to face the trauma of sleeping tough throughout this nation. In latest reminiscence we virtually halved tough sleeping (from its 2017 peak). We all know what works and but as soon as once more the state of affairs is getting worse yearly. Increasingly more lives are being irreparably broken, failed by the programs that meant to help them.

We are able to see the causes of homelessness wherever we glance. A welfare system unfit for function, an acute scarcity of actually inexpensive housing, extraordinarily over-stretched homelessness, well being and social care companies and a disconnect between authorities insurance policies – from hospitals and prisons discharging individuals onto the streets to individuals leaving the asylum system with nowhere to reside.

This should finish right here. The Labour authorities should do what its predecessor did not – to place the fitting funding and help in place to forestall and finish homelessness for good.

And Josh Nicholson, senior researcher on the Centre for Social Justice (CSJ), a centre-right social justice thinktank, mentioned:

The progress made in the direction of ending tough sleeping throughout the pandemic has been squandered. At present’s figures level to a tidal wave of want amongst Britain’s tough sleepers.

This is the reason the CSJ has at this time launched a marketing campaign calling on the federal government to roll out a confirmed answer to ending tough sleeping, Housing First. Housing First offers odd settled housing alongside intensive, person-centred help for individuals whose homelessness is compounded by a number of and complicated help wants. Housing is obtainable with out circumstances apart from a person’s willingness to take care of a tenancy. This contrasts to the standard strategy which requires individuals to show their ‘tenancy readiness’ earlier than accessing mainstream housing.

The Conservative get together has criticised the federal government for less than giving certified approval to the enlargement of Gatwick airport, and never permitting it to go forward instantly. In a press release Gareth Bacon, the shadow transport secretary, mentioned:

Labour promised to go ‘additional and sooner’ on progress, however as soon as once more they’re failing to ship.

Rising aviation capability would hep to ship financial progress. Labour’s determination to kick the can down the highway, extending the deadline for the ultimate determination on Gatwick to October, reveals this promise wasn’t well worth the paper it was written on …

Below new management, the Conservatives would drive airport enlargement ahead to help a thriving economic system.

Reuters has posted some snaps from a briefing given by an official within the Trump administration.

Senior Trump administration official: Very happy with UK’s elevated protection spending

Senior Trump administration official: Happy with Starmer’s discussions of committing British troops to assist implement peace

Senior Trump administration official: Financial partnership with Ukraine doesn’t embrace particular assure of funding for future warfighting

Senior Trump administration official: Commerce to be a part of trump-starmer discussions

Senior Trump administration official: US needs reciprocal, equal commerce with UK

None of that is very new, however the information that the White Home is “very happy” in regards to the enhance in UK defence spending (versus simply being “happy” with the dedication about troops for Ukraine) is noteworthy. It’s a bit stronger than the remark from Pete Hegseth, the US defence secretary, welcoming the finances uplift on Tuesday.

New figures revealing virtually a million younger individuals are not in schooling, employment or coaching have been described as “surprising”, PA Media stories. PA says:

The variety of so-called NEETs aged 16 to 24 elevated from 877,000 to 987,000 in October to December in comparison with the identical quarter the earlier yr.

The Workplace for Nationwide Statistics (ONS) mentioned an estimated 13.4% of all individuals aged 16 to 24 within the UK weren’t in schooling, employment or coaching within the closing quarter of final yr, a rise of 1.3 share factors in contrast with October to December 2023.

An estimated 14.4% of younger males and 12.3% of younger ladies had been NEET, mentioned the ONS.

The rise was brought on by each younger males, with a rise of 56,000 on the yr, and younger ladies, with an increase of 53,000.

Of the overall variety of younger individuals who had been NEET, 542,000 had been younger males and 445,000 had been younger ladies.

Touch upon the figures, the TUC common secretary Paul Nowak mentioned:

Each younger individual deserves an honest begin to their working life however underneath the Tories, increasingly more younger individuals turned caught out of labor or coaching, which comes with big penalties for future alternatives.

The federal government is now rightly prioritising change however with shut to at least one million younger individuals exterior of employment or schooling the state of affairs is stark.

The Youth Assure is the fitting step however it should be a part of a complete plan to make sure all younger individuals throughout the nation can entry high-quality coaching and first rate, well-paid work in addition to well timed and efficient healthcare.

Stephen Evans, chief govt on the Studying and Work Institute, mentioned:

At present’s worrying rise could sign additional bother forward within the absence of financial progress, and highlights the significance of implementing a youth assure so all younger individuals are provided a job, coaching place or apprenticeship.

Ben Harrison, director of the Work Basis at Lancaster College, mentioned:

At present’s information reveals that younger individuals not in employment schooling or coaching is on the highest stage for 10 years, which could possibly be trigger for concern for the federal government’s plan to spice up employment ranges.

With falling vacancies and a sluggish labour market, estimates seem to point out that younger individuals are being hit hardest as an extra 110,000 younger individuals are not in schooling, employment or coaching in comparison with a yr in the past.