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WORLD NEWS Tuesday 7 March 2023
U.K. aims to deport Channel migrants, but critics skeptical

By JILL LAWLESS grabbing immigration poli-
Associated Press cies have run into opposi-
LONDON (AP) — The British tion. A plan announced
government said Monday last year to send migrants
it will introduce legislation arriving in Britain on a one-
to ban anyone who arrives way trip to Rwanda is mired
in the U.K. in small boats in legal challenges.
across the English Chan- Cooperation with France
nel from ever settling in the on stopping the boats
country. stalled amid Britain’s ac-
The government said a rimonious split from the
bill — expected to be an- European Union, though
nounced Tuesday — will bar U.K.-EU relations have im-
asylum claims by anyone proved since Sunak took
who reaches Britain by un- office in October. The U.K.
authorized means, and will and France signed an
compel the government agreement in November
to detain and then deport to increase police patrols
them “to their home coun- on beaches in northern
try or a safe third country.” France, and Sunak hopes
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to cement further cooper-
said the law would stop ation when he meets Ma-
the “immoral” business of A group of people thought to be migrants are brought in to Dover, Kent, onboard a Border Force cron at a U.K.-France sum-
smuggling gangs who send vessel following a small boat incident in the Channel, England, Monday March 6, 2023. mit on Friday.
desperate people on haz- Associated Press Sunak also faces pressure
ardous journeys across one of reaching the U.K. One protest near Liverpool and points to an upswing from right-wingers inside his
of the world’s busiest ship- Most attempt the journey last month descended into last year in arrivals from Al- Conservative Party, who
ping lanes. in dinghies and other small violence, with demonstra- bania, a European country have called for tougher
Critics say the plan is un- craft now that authorities tors setting a police van on that the U.K. considers safe. measures, including pulling
ethical and unworkable, have clamped down on fire. Refugee groups say most Britain out of the Europe-
since people fleeing war other routes such as stow- The channel journey can be of the channel arrivals are an Convention on Human
and persecution can’t be ing away on buses or trucks. as little as 30 miles (42 kilo- fleeing war, persecution or Rights. The government
sent home, and is likely More than 45,000 people meters), and is less danger- famine in countries includ- says it has no plan to leave
to be the latest in a series arrived in Britain by boat ous than migration routes ing Afghanistan, Iran and the convention.
of unfulfilled immigration in 2022, up from 28,000 in across the Mediterranean, Iraq. A majority of those Refugee charities and
pledges by successive U.K. 2021 and 8,500 in 2020. where at least 70 people whose claims have been human rights groups say
governments. Most went on to claim asy- died in a shipwreck on Feb. processed were granted many migrants risk the
Britain receives fewer asy- lum, but a backlog of more 26 off Italy’s southern coast. asylum in the U.K. cross-channel journey be-
lum-seekers than some than 160,000 cases has But dozens of people have Sunak has made stopping cause there are few safe,
European nations — nine led to many languishing in died in the channel, includ- the boats one of his “five legal ways to reach the
per 100,000 people in 2021, overcrowded processing ing at least 27 in a Novem- pledges” to voters, along- U.K. The government says
compared to a European centers or hotels, without ber 2021 sinking of an over- side halving inflation, kick- it will establish more legal
Union average of 16 per the right to work. crowded boat. starting economic growth, asylum programs — add-
100,000. But thousands of Protesters, some aligned The British government says slashing the national debt ing to those set up for Af-
migrants from around the with far-right groups, have many of those making the and cutting health care ghanistan, Hong Kong and
world travel to northern demonstrated outside ho- journey are economic mi- waiting lists. Ukraine — but has yet to
France each year in hopes tels housing asylum-seekers. grants rather than refugees, But previous headline- give details.q

European police, FBI bust international

cybercrime gang

By FRANK JORDANS The gang allegedly behind the world’s most disruptive
Associated Press the ransomware, known as cybercrime. Gangs mostly
BERLIN (AP) — German po- DoppelPaymer, appears based in Russia break into
lice said Monday they have tied to Evil Corp, a Russia- networks and steal sensitive
disrupted a ransomware based syndicate engaged information before activat-
cybercrime gang tied to in online bank theft well be- ing malware that scram-
Russia that has been black- fore ransomware became bles data. The criminals
mailing large companies a global scourge. demand payment in ex-
and institutions for years, Among its most prominent change for decryption keys
raking in millions of euros. victims were Britain’s Na- and a promise not to dump Dirk Kunze, right, Head of Department 42 at the North Rhine-
Working with law enforce- tional Health Service and the stolen data online. Westphalia State Criminal Police Office, and Markus Hartmann,
ment partners including Duesseldorf University Hos- An analyst with the cyber- Head of the North Rhine-Westphalia Cybercrime Central and
Europol, the FBI and au- pital, whose computers security firm Emsisoft, Brett Contact Point, answer questions during a press conference in
thorities in Ukraine, police in were infected with Doppel- Callow, said DoppelPay- Duesseldorf, Germany, Monday, March 6, 2023.
Associated Press
Duesseldorf said they were Paymer in 2020. A woman mer has published data
able to identify 11 individu- who needed urgent treat- stolen from about 200 com- DoppelPaymer’s suspect- agency — “the bust could
als linked to a group that ment died after she had to panies, including in the U.S. ed connection through Evil provide law enforcement
has operated in various be taken to another city for defense sector, which re- Corp to the FSB — the suc- with some exceptionally
guises since at least 2010. treatment. Ransomware is sisted payment. And given cessor to Russia’s KGB spy valuable intel,” he said.q