Two people have been sentenced for recruiting drivers to smuggle migrants in vans
Two men who dangerously smuggled 31 illegal migrants into the UK, including seven children and a pregnant woman, have been sentenced to a combined 14 years in prison.
Akan Brayan, of Nottingham, and Dylan Shwani, of Lincoln, were found guilty of recruiting drivers to hide migrants in hired vans containing various goods before smuggling them into the UK.
The defendants, both aged 37, were sentenced at Nottingham Crown Court yesterday (7 June, 2022) following a five-year investigation by the Home Office’s Criminal and Financial Investigations (CFI) unit.
They were each sentenced to seven years in prison.
Between 2016 and 2018, Brayan and Shwani, paid six drivers from the Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire areas to bring 31 Iraqi migrants, on six separate occasions, into the country.
Although the majority of the migrants were men, children as young as one and a pregnant woman were also found in the vans.
People were crammed into the vehicles among stacks of tyres, second-hand furniture and household goods being transported to the UK. Photos show in one of the vans a woman cradling a small child, with other children sat around her in the tightly enclosed space.
CFI teams found boxes of goods deliberately placed to hide people as well as paprika on the floor of one of the vans in an attempt to confuse sniffer dogs from detecting the migrants’ scents.
Minister for Justice and Tackling Illegal Migration, Tom Pursglove MP said: “These brazen attempts to smuggle illegal migrants, including very young children, into the UK in tiny, air-tight spaces with room to barely move, are despicable.
“Our expertly trained officers continue to work round the clock to prevent this illegal activity, which puts lives in extreme danger.
“The Nationality and Borders Act will make it easier to prosecute people smugglers and, by making it a criminal offence to arrive in the UK illegally, we can truly break the business models of these callous criminals.”
Ben Thomas, Deputy Director for Immigration Enforcement’s Criminal and Financial Investigations, said: “My team work tirelessly to bring to justice anyone attempting to smuggle people unlawfully into the country.
“These two evil men endangered the lives of people, including children, to line their pockets without a care in the world for their safety. I hope these sentencings send a powerful message that breaking the law and putting individuals’ lives at risk will not go unpunished.”
New analysis by the TUC reveals that plans by Boris Johnson’s government to cut 91,000 civil service jobs will be deeper than deepest point of George Osborne’s programme of cuts in the last decade.
The analysis looks at civil service staffing levels relative to the UK population. And it finds that if the proposed cuts go ahead the number of civil servants relative to UK people will fall below the lowest point while David Cameron was Prime Minster and Osborne Chancellor.
Year
Civil servants per 10,000 people
2010 (actual)
76
2016
59
2021
70
2025 (projected)
56
`
The reduction from 76 civil servants per 10,000 people in 2010 to 59 in 2016 was a 22% cut to civil service staff.
The reduction now being planned from 70 civil servants per 10,000 to 56 will be a 20% cut, but starting from a lower level, and therefore reaching a lower point.
The cuts under George Osborne set a record for the smallest civil service since the Second World War. If these cuts go ahead, they will break that record.
What do civil service staff do?
The UK has just over 475,000 full-time equivalent civil servants. They work in government departments and many government agencies. This includes:
56,000 staff in the Ministry of Defence, whose work has been intensified by Russia’s invasion of the Ukraine and the need to protect the UK from new security threats such as cyber sabotage.
64,000 staff in HMRC who administered the furlough scheme and who protect honest taxpayers and public services by preventing and detecting tax fraud.
96,000 staff in justice services, including courts, prisons, legal aid, fraud detection organised crime prevention, and victim support who protect the nation, bring criminals to justice and support victims.
84,000 work and pensions staff who make sure that low-income households, disabled people and pensioners get the essential support they need to be fed, housed, warm and safe.
33,000 home office staff who process passport claims, give safe haven to refugees from wars such as the conflict in Ukraine, and make sure businesses and services like the NHS have visas for the skilled workers they need.
Agencies that employ smaller numbers of civil servants, but that do vital work protecting the safety and interests of the public, including the Health and Safety Executive, Ofgem, Ofwat, Food Standards Agency and the Coastguard Agency.
Where will the cuts be made?
The government has not yet said where the cuts will be made, but ministers have been instructed to start identifying staff cuts of up to 40% in some departments immediately.
The TUC says that there are no easy places to make cuts without consequences that will harm UK families and businesses, and that some services may have to be stopped altogether.
There could be less resilience if a future pandemic takes place and less security against attacks on our allies or cyber-attacks on the UK by hostile countries like Russia.
There could be less safety for UK families from fraud and crime, unsafe public places and workplaces, and dangerous ingredients or hygiene standards in food production and services.
And there could be backlogs and delays to essential support like disability benefits and universal credit, or the issuing of vital documents like passports, driving licences and work visas.
TUC General Secretary Frances O’Grady said:“They said we would build back better. But the Conservative government has changed its tune. Now it’s cut back harder – with cuts that go even deeper than George Osborne’s.
“It’s like Russian roulette. We don’t know which central government services will take the hit. But if these damaging plans don’t change, we know there will be harm to families and businesses that depend on services.
“Osborne’s cuts made the nation less resilient when we were hit by the pandemic, because he scrapped staff responsible for emergency planning and public health. The price was too high. We cannot make the same mistake again.”
Mike Clancy, General Secretary of Prospect, said:“Areas of the civil service and its agencies are already struggling with increased duties following Brexit and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
“We have seen imports going unchecked because of a lack of capacity and an increasing mismatch between the size of the armed forces and the vital civilian support staff who help them to operate effectively.
“Cuts of this magnitude will have a huge impact on institutional knowledge, the balance of experience within the workforce, overall capability in vital areas and ultimately will leave the country less secure. The government must think again.
“It is also unclear whether existing funded vacancies will be filled, further reducing capacity.”
FDA Assistant General Secretary Steven Littlewood:“We are still dealing with the consequences of the cuts leading up to 2016 in areas like the justice system, where there remains a historically large backlog of cases.
“It’s clear from the TUC’s research that in terms of providing services to the population, the government proposals actual go beyond where we were in 2016 and will lead to the lowest number of civil servants per head since World War Two.
“Given the new responsibilities the government has post-Brexit for areas like borders, customs and agriculture it is impossible to see how it can provide the services it currently is with the proposed job losses. The government needs to be honest about what services it would cut if it reduces numbers.”
PCS general secretary Mark Serwotka said:“Making cuts will only make things worse, make waiting lists longer for those seeking passports and driving licences, make telephone queues longer for those with tax enquiries.
“We shall fight for every job in the civil service. Not just on behalf of our members, but on behalf of every member of the public who relies on the services they provide.”
The Royal Highland Show is launching a free RHS app designed to making visiting the Show a more enjoyable and interactive experience.
The app has been designed to provide the best way of navigating around the showground, allowing visitors to plan their day so as not to miss out on any of the exciting activities, classes, exhibits and shopping.
Featuring an interactive map of the Ingliston Showground, users can access an overview of what is going on in each area and be provided with wayfinding routes across the site.
The app will also enable Show organisers to highlight in real time specific ‘not to be missed’ events and attractions, such as the start of the Grand Parade, celebrity chef demonstrations or the show jumping Grand Prix.
Users will also be able to quickly access links to live results from the Showground as well as stream RHS TV straight to their devices.
The app can be downloaded on both iPhone and Android devices and is available for free in both the App Store and Google Play.
The app release comes as the Show celebrates its bicentenary in 2022, marking 200 years since the very first Highland Show took place in 1822. The app will also compliment the brand-new RHS TV, which will see a dynamic mix of live and pre-recorded content from the Show broadcast online throughout the four days, all available to access for free and featuring the perfect balance of livestock judging, equestrian classes, culture, interviews, food & drink and of course, the grand parade.
Presenting RHS TV in the mornings will be Dougie Vipond, with Sarah Mack taking the reins in the afternoons. Not only beamed across the globe, RHS TV will also be transmitted across the showground on giant screens throughout the four days.
The content captured will be available to watch back on the Royal Highland Show YouTube channel.
Mark Currie, Director of Operations at the Royal Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland (RHASS), organisers of the Royal Highland Show, said: “The RHS app marks another exciting step forward into the future for the Royal Highland Show, allowing visitors to experience the Show like never before.
“We know there is simply so much to see at the Show that some people don’t know half of what’s going on, so the RHS app will make sure they can experience as much as possible!”
The Royal Highland Show, supported by the Royal Bank of Scotland, will take place 23-26th June 2022.
Tickets, including for car parking, must be pre-purchased online this year and no tickets will be available to buy on the gate. Tickets are limited in number this year with sell out days anticipated, so it is advised to purchase early.
The Show will be broadcast online this year via RHS TV, funded by the Scottish Government.
For further information and to purchase tickets please visit:
A five-star housebuilder hosted an interactive site safety discussion at Frogston Primary School recently to remind children of the dangers of its nearby building sites at Heritage Grange in Edinburgh.
Barratt Developments PLC, which includes Barratt Homes and David Wilson Homes, hosted a site safety session during a school assembly on Monday 30th May. The session took the pupils through the dangers of construction sites, how to stay safe near them, the developments themselves and site worker safety.
Lorraine Lawrie, Head Teacher at Frogston Primary School said: “Pupils at Frogston Primary School had a great time during their visit from Stewart at Barratt Developments.
“They enjoyed the site safety presentation, which was both fun and interactive but also emphasised the importance of being safe near building sites. A highlight for the children was dressing up in Barratt’s PPE equipment.
“This was a great educational experience to have ahead of the summer holidays.”
Stewart Ponton, Safety, Health and Environment Operations Manager for Barratt Developments PLC said: “Our site managers are very aware of the attractiveness of construction sites to children. While they might look like fun obstacle courses or play parks, the fact of the matter is that they are extremely dangerous.
“It is our duty of care to the people of Edinburgh, among the many other communities in which we operate, to provide local schools like Frogston Primary School with the proper information on how the pupils can stay safe.”
Barratt Developments have a range of three bed homes at DWH @ Heritage Grange. Situated next to the Pentland Hills in the south of Edinburgh and surrounded by beautiful countryside views and lots of open space, this development makes the perfect location to enjoy a combination of country and city living.
Scottish Government welcomes study, co-authored by Edinburgh Napier University academic, that highlights the societal advantages of walking and cycling
A new report from the World Health Organisation (WHO) shows that swapping driving for cycling just one day a week saves the equivalent emissions of a flight from London to New York – about half a tonne of carbon dioxide.
The report, co-authored by Dr Adrian Davis, Professor of Transport and Health at Edinburgh Napier University, provides the latest evidence on the benefits and risks of active travel. It clearly shows that for individuals and societies, promoting active travel is good for population health and the environment.
For example, if just one in five urban residents can be convinced to permanently swap the driving seat for the saddle one day a week, it would cut emissions from all car travel in Europe by about 8%.
The health benefits of active travel are also laid bare with the report showing that active travellers have as much as a 40% lower risk of dying from cancer and a 52% lower risk of dying from heart disease compared to those commuting by car or public transport. They also have a 46% lower risk of developing heart disease and a 45% lower risk of developing cancer at all. This means a poorer quality of life.
The report also contains the latest evidence on the benefits of e-bikes which are bringing more people to cycling, including older adults for whom there is a positive impact on their health and wellbeing.
The report has been warmly welcomed by the Scottish Government. Minister for Active Travel Patrick Harvie said: “I’m pleased to welcome this new report from the World Health Organisation on the many benefits of active travel.
“This peer-reviewed publication – co-authored by Dr Davis from Edinburgh Napier University – provides the latest evidence base for policy makers across the globe on why investment in walking, wheeling and cycling is so important for our health, our cities and our environment.
“The vital role active travel can play in building healthier and happier lives is well recognised in Scotland. That’s why I’m proud the Scottish Government has committed to spend at least 10% of the transport budget on active travel by 2024/25, enabling a transformational investment in communities across the country. This report sets out all the benefits that we will see as we make that shift.”
Professor Adrian Davis outside the Scottish Parliament with his Transport Policy Paper.
Neil Hanna Photography
www.neilhannaphotography.co.uk
07702 246823
Co-author Dr Adrian Davis said: “This report clearly shows that for individuals and societies active travel is good for health and that we can all play our part in tackling climate change. As Individuals, we can take actions which benefits our own health and that of others.
“People who walk or cycle as well as use cars have lower carbon footprints from all daily travel. More people switching some of their journeys to active travel would lower carbon emissions from transport on a daily basis.
“The report provides timely evidence to support policy makers and practitioners, coming as it does shortly after the Scottish local government elections.”
Over 1,300 children waiting more than a year for treatment
The Scottish Children’s Services Coalition (SCSC), an alliance of leading providers of specialist children’s services, has warned of a mental health emergency and called for greatly increased investment as the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic on the young become clearer.
It notes that the mental health of children and young people is set to further worsen given the cost-of-living crisis, as more people are driven into poverty.
The SCSC has also warned of the devastating impact of cuts in public services on those with mental health issues, as outlined in the Scottish Government’s Resource Spending Review, with an estimated £3.5 billion spending shortfall by 2026/27.
The call comes as new figures published by Public Health Scotland yesterday (7th June 2022), indicate that over the quarter covering January to March 2022, 9,672 children and young people were referred to specialist child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) for treatment.
This includes issues such as anxiety and depression and represents a staggering 22.4% increase in numbers from the same quarter of the previous year when the equivalent figure was 7,902.
With already under-resourced and overstretched services facing overwhelming pressure due to increased demand, the SCSC has raised concerns over a potential “lost generation” of vulnerable children and young people whose mental health is being impacted by Covid-19.
Even before the pandemic, cases of poor mental health were at unprecedented levels with services in crisis, and there are a growing number of vulnerable children who cannot access adequate support. The pandemic and cost-of-living crisis has exacerbated this, with more children and young people driven into poverty, with the resulting impact on their mental health. This has led to unprecedented demand and backlogs, with services struggling to keep up.
In total, 5, 016 children and young people started treatment at CAMHS during the period January to March 2022, an increase of 7.7% from the previous quarter (4,659). Just over a quarter (26.8%) were not seen within the Scottish Government’s maximum waiting time for the NHS of 18 weeks from referral to treatment (to be met by at least 90% of patients).
A total of 1,322 children and young people had been waiting over a year for treatment at the end of March 2022.
A spokesperson for the SCSC commented: “We have been warning for some time that we are facing a potential lost generation of vulnerable children and young people, whose mental health is being impacted even further by the Covid-19 pandemic and the cost-of-living crisis.
“Adding to this are cuts in public services, which will impact especially on local government and the third sector, responsible for many of the preventative and early intervention services supporting those with mental health problems.
“Faced by such a devastating series of factors, there must be a radical transformation of our mental health services, investing in specialist services and with a renewed focus on preventing such problems arising in the first place through intervening early.
“This is a crisis we can overcome, but as the country comes to terms with the biggest hit to its mental health in generations, it will require a similar energy and commitment to that demonstrated for Covid-19 if we are to achieve this and prevent many young people giving up on their futures.”
4.68 million unpaid carers concerned for physical and mental health
2.2 million carers worried about ability to cope financially
More care is being provided than ever before – even more than during the height of the pandemic
Overwhelming public support for more Government action to help unpaid carers
Carers Week charities are calling for an urgent 12-month plan of targeted support for unpaid carers, as many struggle with the ongoing impact, as well as the legacy, of the pandemic, together with the strain of the social care and cost of living crises.
For the first time, the impact of caring on their own physical and mental health has topped carer’s concerns, closely followed by money worries.
The research, released for Carers Week 2022 (6-12 June), reveals that 84% of the general public think that the UK governments should provide additional support to unpaid carers including increased financial support and investment in care and support services so that unpaid carers can have a break. Only 3% disagreed.
The report also shows that the number of unpaid carers remains higher than before the pandemic with one in five of the UK’s adults (approximately 10.58 million people) now supporting a relative, close friend or neighbour because of chronic illness, including mental ill-health, dementia, disability, or older age.
The intensity of care they are providing has grown since earlier in the pandemic, with several factors possibly having an impact: Many services remain reduced or closed, vulnerable people continue to shield, pressures on primary health care and the chronic shortage of social care. The numbers of people providing over 50 hours per week has risen by 30%.
At the same time, carers with lower household incomes were much more likely to be providing significant amounts of care (i.e, over 20 hours per week). Providing more care also reduces the chance to cope financially as carers are less likely to be able to juggle work and care.
The seven charities supporting Carers Week 2022; Carers UK, Age UK, Carers Trust, MND Association, Rethink Mental Illness, Oxfam GB and The Lewy Body Society are calling for a recovery and respite plan dedicated to the needs of carers including: specific investment in their mental health support, carers leave a priority, help with food and energy costs and ahead of the winter, prioritisation in the vaccination programme.
Commenting on behalf of Carers Week charities, Helen Walker, Chief Executive of Carers UK said: “Clearly, whilst society has opened up for many people, it’s a very different picture for significant numbers of carers.
“So many have sacrificed their physical and mental health caring for their loved ones over the last two years and as this report clearly shows, it is absolutely essential that carers get the support they need to stay well to be able to continue to care for their loved ones, that working carers are helped to stay in employment and that all carers can feel visible, valued and supported.”
@scotgov has introduced 2 new and unique benefits, Young Carer Grant and Carer’s Allowance Supplement – additional support of over £42 million to more than 90,000 carers this year.
A new partnership between ENABLE Scotland, Edinburgh Napier University and global professional services firm, EY, has set out to create equality across those accessing higher education opportunities.
Whilst 45% of all Scotland’s school leavers go to university, only 8.6% of school leavers who have a learning disability go on to higher education. Now, ENABLE Scotland’s Breaking Barriers programme is working with young people who have a learning disability to ensure they have the support required to access university life, can undertake work experience opportunities with a leading global employer, and graduate with a university qualification from a world-class academic institution.
Breaking Barriers, a ground-breaking initiative established by ENABLE Scotland in 2018, has partnered with some of Scotland’s highest profile corporate employers and has named EY as its newest official partner alongside Edinburgh Napier University – expanding its reach across the East of Scotland.
A cohort of young people from the East of Scotland are already undertaking studies and will now start work placements at EY. Anna Taylor (17) and Jaymes Doyle (18) from Edinburgh are working towards obtaining an Accreditation in Applied Business Skills from Edinburgh Napier University.
On her experience with Breaking Barriers so far, Anna Taylor said: “It has been really refreshing to meet different people who have the same anxieties and barriers as I do and who understand how you feel.
“It is a very unique experience; I have the support I need but also get to pursue something that was previously outside of my comfort zone.
“I am looking forward to my work placement with EY to see how the topics we have covered with Edinburgh Napier apply in a real life work setting.”
James Doyle added:“Breaking barriers has benefited me a lot as I have learned how to be in a university environment and have found a new interest in banking and business. I feel like I have been helped with my confidence and social skills a lot.”
ENABLE Group CEO and co-founder of the Breaking Barriers programme, Theresa Shearer, spoke at the 2022 Harkin International Disability Employment Summit in Belfast yesterday, discussing the Breaking Barriers programme and the charity’s goal to ensure further education is made more accessible for those with a learning disability.
Theresa Shearer said:“I am delighted that we are building on the success of the Breaking Barriers programme and making it possible for even more students who have a learning disability to access the life-shaping experience of university that is a rite of passage for so many, yet it is currently available to so few disabled young people.
“Breaking Barriers demonstrates how the public, private and third sectors can work collaboratively to improve diversity, equity and inclusion in education and the workplace, and I am excited to welcome Edinburgh Napier University and EY as the programme’s newest partners, advancing our shared ambition of a truly inclusive society for all.”
Professor Nazira Karodia, Vice Principal of Learning and Teaching at Edinburgh Napier University said: “We are delighted to welcome our ENABLE students to The Business School, where our vision is to be the Business School for empowerment, enterprise and employability for all.
“Our ethos as a university is to be the home for difference makers and our position as the number one modern university in Scotland reflects our success in providing students with a positive learning experience, and our close industry links.
“Not everyone has an opportunity to change the world, but everyone can make a positive difference to the world around them: working with fantastic partners like ENABLE and EY is truly helping break barriers faced by young people with learning difficulties.”
Ally Scott, EY Scotland Managing Partner, said: “Breaking Barriers is an inspiring initiative that EY is delighted not just to support, but to work with to give these remarkable young people the skills for a successful and fulfilling career.
“This is a great example of Scotland’s strong ecosystem between education, industry and the civic community in action, and I look forward to celebrating their graduation with them in the summer.”
The Breaking Barriers programme originated in the West of Scotland and has entered its fifth consecutive year, delivered in a partnership between ENABLE Scotland, the University of Strathclyde Business School, ScottishPower and STV.
Such is the success of the programme that many former graduates have gone on to shape their chosen career path and secure employment and additional training opportunities in fields such as filmmaking, para-medicine, cyber security, financial services, digital music, and fashion.
The expansion of the programme is supported by Edinburgh City Council through the Young Person Guarantee.
Families have been urged to check whether they are eligible and apply for the Best Start Grant School Age Payment as applications open for children old enough to start primary school
This one-off payment of £267.65 is to help at a key stage in a child’s life and can be used for anything from a new pair of shoes to books or arts and crafts materials.
Best Start Grant School Age Payment is available to families who get Universal Credit, tax credits or certain benefits with children born between 1 March 2017 and 28 February 2018.
Parents who have deferred their child’s entry to school from August 2022 to August 2023, or those who are home schooling, should still apply before 28 February 2023 or they will lose out on their payment. There is no cap on the number of children in a household who can get this payment.
Best Start Grant School Age Payment is one of the Scottish Government’s five family payments administered by Social Security Scotland.
The package includes Scottish Child Payment, three Best Start Grants, and Best Start Foods. From the end of this year, both the Best Start Grant School Age Payment and the Best Start Grant Early Learning Payment will be paid automatically to families who get Scottish Child Payment when their child is of eligible age.
Minister for Social Security Ben Macpherson said: “When a child is due to start school it comes with additional costs, and so I would encourage parents and carers to check if you are eligible and, if so, to apply for our Best Start Grant School Age Payment.
“This money can be used for whatever your child needs and is one of the Scottish Government’s five family benefits, which are only available in Scotland.
“We have built our new social security system to make it as straightforward as possible for people to access support. This is why people can apply online, by post or over the phone.
“You can also apply for all five family payments for all the children that you are responsible for, in a single straightforward form – and we put no cap on the number of children who can get these payments. We want every child in Scotland to have the best start in life and our social security system is here to help with that.”
Social Justice Secretary @ShonaRobison visited St @StBernardsPS in Glasgow today to raise awareness of Best Start Grant School Age Payment.
Applications are open now for children born between 1 March 2017 and 28 February 2018.
Police have confirmed that a 33-year-old man has been charged following a serious road crash involving a motorbike and a pedestrian.
The incident took place on Queen Street, at the junction with Frederick Street, around 10.30am on Sunday (5 June, 2022).
The pedestrian, a 13-year-old girl, was taken to hospital for treatment. The man will be reported to the Procurator Fiscal and is expected to appear in court at a later date.
Anyone with further information on the incident should call police on 101, quoting incident 1334 of 5 June 2022.
