Hundreds of migrants have been arrested in the UK since the start of this year as part of a crackdown on illegal work, the government announced, BNR reported. Many migrants are lured by false promises of the opportunity to live and work on the island, which leads them to risk their lives by crossing the English Channel.
Law enforcement teams have raided 828 premises, including beauty salons, car washes and restaurants, and made 609 arrests. This is a 73 percent increase compared to January 2024 and the highest number ever for any January in history.
The actions come at a time when the government's immigration bill is due to be debated by MPs today at its second reading. Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp called it a "weak bill that won't stop the boats."
Most of the arrests were made in beauty salons and car washes, but also in restaurants, takeaways, cafes, vape shops and food warehouses.
Those arrested came to the island by various routes, including across the English Channel, and often with expired visas if they had any.
King Charles II has given Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Deputy Prime Minister Angela Raynor a rare guided tour of his green housing project in Cornwall, the BBC reported, quoted by BNR.
The king wanted to show the prime minister and Angela Raynor, who is also the housing minister, the project, which is a mix of homes with traditional building materials, healthy living and educational opportunities, but without being involved in politics, as monarchs generally do not take a stand on political issues.
The construction of new homes is a priority for the government, with a goal of building 1.5 million new homes by 2029. By protocol, the king and the prime minister meet every week, as well as on some public occasions, and Charles and Starmer are believed to be on good terms. The BBC also believes that Charles is on good terms with Raynor. The three met at the king's Nansledan estate, where they met with locals, visited local farms, saw a community kitchen that provides training, visited a primary school and saw an orchard that provides locally grown produce and supports 45 jobs.
The Nansledan project, which is effectively a suburb of Newquay, was launched in 2014, based on the king's environmental and building principles. There are even rules for residents' behavior - not to cause disturbance or annoy neighbors, not to make "excessive noise, including through arguments or slamming doors". So far, 840 houses have been built, but the plan calls for 3,700.