Britain enac ts measures to depor t foreign criminals under slaver y overhaul

LONDON

A F P

Britain’s government Monday enacted new measures to accelerate the deportation of foreign criminals, clamping down on some who have claimed protection under UK law as purported victims of “modern slavery”

It cited the case of one convicted rapist who appealed against a decision by the Home Office (interior ministry) to expel him from Britain, by claiming he was a victim of criminal gangs engaged in human trafficking

He was bailed pending the appeal, committed another rape and remains in the UK, the Home Office said

“It is totally unfair that genuine victims of modern slavery may be left waiting longer to receive the protections they need due to the flagrant abuse of the system, Home Secretary Suella Braverman said in a statement

“The changes coming into force will mean if you ve committed an offence, we have the power to refuse your protections and kick you out of our country, she said T h e m e a s u r e s t a k i n g e f f e c t u n d e r a n e w N a t i o n a l i t y a n d B o rd e r s A c t m e a n t h a t H o m e O f f i c e c a s e w o r k e r s c a n i n t h e f u t u r e d em a n d e v i d e n c e o f m o d e r n s l a v e r y, r a t h e r t h a n t a k i n g a v i c t i m s w o r d

That could include evidence from a charity worker or police officer who has helped rescue the victim But the changes have been criticised by rights groups for undermining protections for genuine victims One Braverman initiative to fly crossChannel migrants to Rwanda for per- manent resettlement has already been blocked in the courts

Britain’s National Crime Agency reported in November that Albanian crime groups in particular were manipulating the National Referral Mechanism (NRM) which is being reformed under the new act Established in 2009 to help protect human trafficking victims, the NRM is used to identify and refer them to UK government agencies to ensure they receive appropriate support

If caught working in cannabis farms or other criminal enterprises Albanian migrants have been coached to claim they are victims of modern-day slavery and apply to the NRM the crime agency’s report said

In December, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced a new deal with Albania to stem the flow of migrants from the country crossing the Channel on small boats from mainland Europe

The agreement only came about after the government in Tirana demanded an apology for an anti-migrant “campaign” in UK media, following some incendiary rhetoric from Braverman

But the minister has maintained a hard line, to the delight of Conservative right-wingers keen to show that Britain can control its borders after Brexit and the clampdown is one of five priorities promised by Sunak for this year

“We must stop people exploiting our immigration and asylum laws,” Braverman said in Monday s statement “And I am personally determined to crack down on those abusing the generosity of the British public and taking our country for a ride ”

Islamabad

S tA F F R e P o R t hUNDREds of participants from different the cities of Pakistan along with the diplomatic community based in Pakistan participated in the 2nd edition of Islamabad Marathon on 29th Jan Sunday that was organized by enthusiasts from the running community Islamabad Run With Us (IRU)

The weather conditions were perfect for the marathon run which is 42 2 KM distance and a great increase in the number of participants from last year was witnessed To create awareness and encourage masses to vaccinate children aged under five years against polio, IRU collaborated with Pakistan Polio Eradication Programme and dedicated the event with the theme Race To End Polio in Pakistan

The Islamabad Marathon 2023 was organized with full support of District Administration Islamabad, District Health Office and Capital Traffic Police Qasim Naz, the founder of Islam- abad Run With Us said that the main objective of the event was to promote healthy lifestyle, promote marathon tourism and project a positive image of Pakistan all over the world With the beautiful Maragalla Hills in the backdrop, the runners also passed through the scenic jungle at Shakarparian as they completed their 21 1 and 42 2 km distances

Ambassador of Denmark to Pakistan, Jakob Linulf also ran the Full Marathon (42 2 km) and was thrilled to be at the biggest running event in Islamabad

He said “me and my brother enjoyed the enthusiasm shown by Pakistanis of all age groups coming from different cities to participate in the marathon organized by ‘Islamabad Run with Us Such initiatives serve as a great way to raise awareness about the importance of physical activity and healthy lifestyle choices I hope Pakistanis integrate such healthy activities into their everyday lives ”

The event was very well organized that attracted huge attendance from families including elderly and children who gathered to support the runners

The running event included five different categories to cater to encourage vast participation of all ages and of different athletic abilities Full marathon of 42km, Half marathon of 21 km, 10 km and 5 km running were the categories that were primarily chosen for the adults and teenagers

A special category of ‘Kids Fun Run for children under 14 years was also organized to encourage children and they loved their participation with great enthusiasm

To encourage the runners Cash Prizes were given to top 3 winners from all categories

The Chief Guest Mr Hamish Young representing Pakistan Polio Eradication Programme in his address, lauded the efforts of Islamabad Run with Us for making the marathon such a big success Mr Young not only emphasized on the importance of choosing a healthy lifestyle but also stressed on creating awareness and take actions to inspire others to eradicate polio District Health Officer Dr Zaeem Zia also fully