Northern Irish Leave For Greener Pastures

Immigration: For And Against

Updated: 8:32am UK, Friday 18 October 2013

Two Britons tell Sky News their views on immigration.

AGAINST:

:: Nigel Sykes, 51, Sales Manager, Yorkshire

Before any debate on immigration can take place let us rid ourselves of one word: "racism". Until this word is put in its correct place there will never be reasoned debate. My views come as I watch my country slide deep down into the abyss of which it will never return.

Coming from an area and background that was "everyone votes Labour round here" you may be surprised to now hear the same people are beginning to turn their back on this old custom. Here are some reasons of which I hear every day in pubs, clubs, parks, workplace etc.

Our two main political parties have had to revise immigration policy, why? Because another party has gained ground by listening to the views of its citizens, these citizens are after all the ones who put them there. Something which seems to evade 650 MPs.

These are the same people who are now subject to the strains of mass uncontrolled immigration introduced by the Labour Party intending to create a one-party state. Without going too in depth let's look at some facts.

We have a huge housing shortage even amongst our own populace but yet continue to allow migrants to pour in and take housing that should be available for our own people.

Our hospitals and schools are at breaking point for one reason only. Immigration.

We cannot look after our own pensioners, many who have paid their dues all their life, but yet we can give benefits to immigrants who have paid nothing.

Many of our true unhealthy or disabled have had benefits cut yet we can somehow afford to give immigrants money to claimants back in their homeland.

No doubt I shall hear "they will do work no Brit will do" please show me the jobs and I guarantee I can have a Brit ready to start.

People are fed up of the complete disregard by immigrants for our own laws, our schools, our British heritage, customs and way of life.

FOR:

:: Angelo Iudice, chairman, Accademia Apulia UK

I am a naturalised British subject who has lived in London for over 30 years. During this time I have seen what was once a depressing pub-centred society turning into the centre of the world.

In today's multicultural Britain the most important, world-acclaimed architects, doctors, scientists and artists are leaving their mark: and they are not all English.

I would say to anyone who is anti-immigration that they should be proud of the fact that migrants from every corner of the world want to come here: Britain is the most civilised country in the whole world.

I was aged 18 when I first arrived on these shores searching for meritocracy within an open-minded society - a dimension I cherished from day one.

From day one I paid my taxes and upheld my social responsibilities.

Humanity and civilisation know no borders.

Modern Britain, in my view, is about tolerance and acceptance.

I believe that the focus should not be on "migration", but that politicians should be searching for solutions and strategies to fight world poverty in order to safeguard the future of our planet.

:: Immigration UK: A week of special coverage on Sky from October 14 to 18 - watch on Sky 501, Virgin Media 602, Freesat 202, Freeview 82, Skynews.com and Sky News for iPad

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Slavery Fight To Stop Traffickers Steps Up

Slavery Victims' Nightmare Stories

Updated: 6:45am UK, Friday 18 October 2013

By Liz Lane, Sky News Reporter

The safe house in southern England, where up to half a dozen women live at any time, has seen many human trafficking victims walk through its door in the six years it has been operating.

But Victims' Minister Damian Green's visit this week was the first time a man has been allowed in. It is run by Hestia, via the Salvation Army, and is the only place the women feel truly safe.

Two of those living in the house (not their real names) tell their stories to Sky News:

Rita, 25, from Nigeria

Rita's trafficker spent several years grooming her as she worked selling food on the side of a road in Nigeria with her mother. He befriended the family and persuaded her parents he could get her a job in Europe as a waitress or nanny.

As soon as Rita arrived in Germany, her trafficker's manner changed. He told her she would have to work as a prostitute to pay back her travel costs, then made her have sex with another girl and filmed it. Rita was beaten if she resisted the men who paid to have sex with her.

Her ordeal continued when she and three other girls were brought to the UK on a boat. She was repeatedly raped at the house where she was held, and told she would be killed, as would her family, if she tried to escape.

Rita says she only found the courage to do so in April this year, with the help of another trafficking victim. They took their chance when their captors were out and those supposed to be guarding them began to inject drugs.

The two girls grabbed shoes and a coat and ran into the streets where in their panic they became separated. Rita was eventually helped to a police station, and taken to the safe house, which she now calls home. This week she has been been granted refugee status.

Jenny, 20, from Albania

Jenny, the eldest of three girls, comes from a very poor family in Albania. Her home life turned even more difficult when her mother started a relationship with an extremely violent man.

Over the course of a year, Jenny became friends with a young man who came regularly to buy vegetables from her. At the age of 17, when she felt that her two younger sisters were old enough to cope without her, she agreed to leave for Italy with him. The man, who she regarded as her boyfriend, promised her a new life.

Almost as soon as they crossed the border his attitude changed completely.

She was taken to a house, gang raped, and then kept against her will in a basement with other girls, and forced to work as a prostitute.

Two years later she was sold to a group of Romanian men who arranged to have her trafficked to the UK in the back of a lorry.

After days of travelling, and while the lorry was stationary, Jenny found a piece of metal and managed to rip through the side and escape. She shouted for help, and was taken to the nearest police station.

Since Jenny has lived in the safe house, she has been reunited with her two younger sisters.

In an incredible coincidence, they were living nearby, in the UK. They had escaped Albania after the middle sister, too, was sold into prostitution, this time by the stepfather.

The three are now living safely near each other in England, thousands of miles from what was their home.

:: Immigration UK: A week of special coverage on Sky from October 14 to 18 - watch on Sky 501, Virgin Media 602, Freesat 202, Freeview 82, Skynews.com and Sky News for iPad

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English Is Not First Language In 240 Schools

By David Crabtree, Midlands Correspondent

There are 240 schools in England where over 90% of students speak English as a second language, according to official figures analysed by Sky News.

In the last academic year, Department of Education census figures reveal five primary schools in England had no native speakers, with 100% of their pupils speaking English as a second language.

Sky News has visited one of the five schools - the Sacred Heart Primary School in Tipton, West Midlands - which has since admitted three native speakers.

Staff at the primary school believe they have a winning formula for teaching children from a diverse community.

English is the second language for 95% of the school's 128 pupils - the vast majority of them with parents from Pakistan or Bangladesh.

Children are encouraged to speak in English in school

Sacred Heart Primary has recently won a regional award for its inclusive policy and standards of education.

Head teacher Melanie Gee told Sky News she takes a pragmatic approach: "Our school is really no different to any other. We have a curriculum and all the lessons are taught in English.

"We have got bilingual staff. Children in the very early days will probably communicate to the staff in nursery in their home language, but within a couple of weeks we find that they are communicating in English.

"The majority of our bilingual staff, if we use them, are actually to communicate more with the parents rather than with the children."

The school has children who speak Urdu, Bengali, Punjabi, French, Polish and Tamil as well as English.

Helen Pflaumer, ethnic minority achievement leader at Sacred Heart, said they encourage the children to interact with staff in English the majority of the time.

"There may be an occasion where if they want to discuss something in more depth we can say use your home language if that's going to be easier for you.

"But obviously we tend to feed back in English largely because of the English speaking teachers. The children pick up English so quickly and they and the parents are very happy about that."

Occasionally, says Ms Gee, they need to bring in an interpreter which stretches the budget. But she maintains that it never compromises the running of the school.

 :: Immigration UK: A week of special coverage on Sky from October 14 to 18 - watch on Sky 501, Virgin Media 602, Freesat 202, Freeview 82, Skynews.com and Sky News for iPad

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Prince Charles Warns Of Pensions Crisis

The Prince of Wales has warned the pensions industry to ditch its short-term outlook or risk condemning many to a "miserable future".

Prince Charles told investors they had a responsibility to create a sustainable financial system during the economic storm created by unprecedented levels of debt, a rapidly growing world population and climate change.

In a pre-recorded speech to the National Association of Pension Funds' annual conference, he said: "With an ageing population, and pension fund liabilities that are therefore stretching out for many decades, surely the current focus on 'quarterly capitalism' is becoming increasingly unfit for purpose?"

He added: "Your sector plays a very significant role indeed in how our economic system works, both now and in the future.

"So it really does fall to you, I am afraid, to help shape a system designed for the 21st and not the 19th century.

"Make that innovative and imaginary leap that the world so badly needs, otherwise your grandchildren, and mine for that matter, will be consigned to an exceptionally miserable future."

Although he is known for his views on the environment, it is a rare for the Prince, who turns 65 next month, to comment on financial matters.

Business Secretary Vince Cable has already criticised traders in equities markets for going after a "quick buck" rather than looking for sustainable returns through responsible capitalism.

An Office of Fair Trading report published earlier this month warned that up to £40bn of pension savings could already be in schemes which are delivering poor value or are at risk of doing so.

Less than half the population is currently thought to be putting enough money aside for retirement.

Office for National Statistics figures recently showed that the number of private sector workers saving into a company pension fell to an all-time low, since records began in 1953, of 2.7 million last year.

The peak for private sector pension saving was in 1967, when 8.1 million people were saving into a pension.

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Grangemouth Oil Refinery Strike Called Off

It has been confirmed that the planned strike at the Grangemouth oil refinery has been called off - ending the prospect of big fuel shortages in Scotland.

The decision was announced by the Unite union following talks which continued through the night with the site's owners at the conciliation service Acas, even though the discussions failed to resolve their bitter row over the treatment of a union convenor.

The meeting broke up at 5am, Unite said, because of  "scandalous behaviour" by Ineos but claimed its decision to abandon the 48-hour stoppage, due to begin on Sunday, was in the interest of protecting a national asset.

Unite's Scottish Secretary Pat Rafferty said: "We are outraged that Ineos representatives walked away from Acas talks, after 16 hours of negotiation and on the cusp of an agreement, for the ludicrous reason that Ineos chairman Jim Ratcliffe instructed his management representatives to demand an apology on his behalf.

"Acas representatives informed us that we could not conclude an agreement to take to our members because a list of fresh demands were placed upon us and because 'Jim wants an apology' and that this was 'a deal-breaker'.

Ineos says Grangemouth is run at a loss

"I have never came across anything like this in over 30 years of employment relations and it is utterly reprehensible," he said.

Unite accused Ineos of running the Grangemouth refinery and petrochemical sites into a "damaging cold shutdown" which will impact on fuel production and supply across Scotland.

Mr Rafferty continued: "As a result, Unite will now call off all industrial action with immediate effect in order to protect this national asset from the scandalous behaviour ofits owner.

"The plant should now start the return to full production and there is no excuse for this not happen."

Petrol and diesel production was suspended at the plant on Monday night in preparation for Sunday's walkout.

Experts had warned that the stoppage raised the prospect of shortages if the dispute was not resolved as all of Scotland's needs are met through supplies from Grangemouth.

The row centred on alleged unfair treatment of plant worker, Stephen Deans, who is also a union official while the union and company were also arguing over terms and conditions at the plant.

Ineos had previously warned the petrochemical site would have to close by 2017 unless a "survival plan" involving cutting pension entitlement and pay was implemented.

The company argued that the refinery, located on the Firth of Forth, was not profitable - losing more than £576m in the last four years.

It claimed the pension scheme was £200m in deficit and pension costs of 65% of salary were "unsustainable".

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Pressure On Cameron As Food Bank Use Soars

David Cameron has come under pressure to launch an inquiry into why people are turning to foodbanks as demand for emergency supplies continues to surge.

More than 350,000 people received a three-day food package from the Trussell Trust between April and September, three times as many as the same period last year.

It has written to the Prime Minister calling on him to look into the "scandalous" problem of food poverty, warning some food bank recipients are so poor they have returned produce that needs cooking because they cannot afford the electricity to heat it up.

Trussell Trust executive chairman Chris Mould said: "We said in April that the increasing numbers of people turning to food banks should be a wake-up call to the nation, but there has been no policy response and the situation is getting worse. The level of food poverty in the UK is not acceptable.

"It's scandalous and it is causing deep distress to thousands of people. The time has come for an official and in-depth inquiry into the causes of food poverty and the consequent rise in the usage of food banks."

Earlier this year, Chancellor George Osborne suggested food bank use had increased "because people have been made aware of the food bank service through local jobcentres".

But the Trust has echoed concerns that some households will have to choose between eating and heating this winter as they struggle to cope with the rising costs of food and energy.

It also highlights the impact of welfare reforms that came into force in April, reporting an increase in referrals as a result of the so-called "bedroom tax".

Mr Mould said: "We're talking about mums not eating for days because they've been sanctioned for seemingly illogical reasons, or people leaving hospital after a major operation to find that their benefits have been stopped or delayed."

Chris Johnes, Oxfam's UK poverty programme director, said: "These figures lay bare the shocking scale of destitution, hardship and hunger in the UK.

"It is completely unacceptable that in the seventh wealthiest nation on the planet, the number of people turning to food banks has tripled."

TUC general secretary Frances O'Grady described the figures as "shocking".

A Government spokesman said: "The Trussell Trust itself says it is opening three new food banks every week, so it's not surprising more people are using them. They also agree that awareness has helped to explain their recent growth."

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Murder Inquiry Launched As Man Hit By Lorry

A murder investigation has been launched after a man was hit by a lorry in Barking, east London.

Scene of the incident in east London

Police believe the incident, which took place on River Road at 10.30am on Monday, could be linked to a commercial robbery, which took place in the area shortly beforehand.

A 43-year-old man was pronounced dead at the scene.

Police say they know the identity of the victim

The investigation is being led by officers from the Homicide and Serious Crime Command.

Next of kin have been informed

Police say they know the identity of the victim and his relatives have been informed.

Anyone who was in the area at the time or who has information about this incident is asked to call the Incident Room on 020 8345 1570 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

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'Sex Slaves' Saved In Birmingham Brothel Raids

Five women believed to be sex-trafficking victims have been rescued by police during raids on nine suspected brothels in Birmingham.

Police, who arrested two women and three men on suspicion of managing a brothel, said they were determined to put a stop to "modern day slavery" in the region.

Three of the buildings raided by some of the 40 officers involved in the operation were found to be empty, but evidence at the scene suggested they had also been used as brothels.

Officers from West Midlands Police seized mobile phones, cash, laptops and paraphernalia relating to prostitution.

Police break down the door at one of the houses

A video posted on YouTube by the police force shows officers bashing down a front door and storming one of the properties.

Detective Inspector Darren Haynes said in the video: "We've seized laptops, satnavs, mobile phones, there's clear evidence of large amounts of cash, receipts, the whole picture of this premises would lead me to believe that it is being used as an illegal brothel and perhaps the girls inside are being human trafficked.

"The victims are lost, treated really badly and abused on a daily basis."

The raids were part of Operation Sentinel, a crackdown on sex trafficking and exploitation in the region and were launched following intelligence gathered from local residents.

Officers seized a range of items as evidence

As part of the operation the force is conducting a comprehensive review of the policies and procedures it uses to tackle human trafficking.

Detective Superintendent Tim Bacon said: "It's hard to believe that modern day slavery is happening in the West Midlands, but sadly it's on the increase and we're determined to put a stop to it.

"Tonight's action, first and foremost, is about protecting people who more often than not don't even realise that they are victims.

"But we're also sending out a strong message to the traffickers that they're not going to get away with using our area as a place to commit this appalling abuse."

The raids took place in the areas of Bordesley Green, Hay Mills, Acocks Green, Sheldon, Alum Rock and Moseley.

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Terror Arrests: Four Men Detained In London

Four men are in police custody after being arrested in London as part of a pre-planned anti-terror operation.

Counter-terrorism police detained the men at 7.10pm on Sunday during raids on several premises across the capital.

A statement from the Metropolitan Police said the men were arrested under the Terrorism Act 2000.

Two of the men were detained in Mansell Street, east London. A third man was arrested at a premises in Westbourne Grove, west London.

The fourth man was detained in Peckham Street, southeast London.

Officers conducted a search of six addresses as part of the pre-planned operation.

The men have been taken to a police station in south London.

Police said public safety remained their overriding concern.

A man who witnessed the arrest on Westbourne Grove - a street lined with restaurants and shops in Notting Hill - said he saw two police vans and a police car at the scene.

He said: "There was quite a lot of police. There was quite a scene as I approached."

The area was now clear, the man added.

Sky's defence correspondent Alistair Bunkall described the operation as "significant".

"Sometimes these arrests are made as a pre-emptive measure very early on in any planning for a terrorism operation, and sometimes they are made because the feeling is a terrorist attack may be imminent, but we haven't been given those sort of details yet," he said.

"But S015 officers, from Counter Terrorism Command, and armed Met Police officers were involved, so it certainly was a big operation by the Met."

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Two Men Face Jail For 55 Child Sex Offences

Two men have been convicted of committing a series of sex crimes against children throughout the country over a number of years and will be sentenced in December.

Anthony Marsh and Lee Davis appeared in court last month where they pleaded guilty to a total of 55 offences at a plea and case management hearing.

A further 14 offences were denied and later dropped by the Crown Prosecution Service.

It means the men will be sentenced for the crimes they have committed on December 2.

Anthony Marsh, 53, from Hatfield, Doncaster, who also used the names Tony Taylor and Tony Smith, pleaded guilty to 34 offences including possessing and distributing indecent images of children, and sexual activity with a child.

Lee Davis, 39, from Conisbrough, Doncaster, who also used the name James Parkin, had pleaded guilty to 20 offences including rape, sexual activity with a child, and taking indecent photographs of a child.

Both men were also jointly charged with conspiracy to commit sexual activity with children, and both admitted this offence at the earlier court hearing in September.

The offences to which they pleaded guilty date back to 2005 and involved teenage boys from South Yorkshire, Humberside, the north east, north west and the midlands, aged between 13 and 17.

Detective Inspector Delphine Waring, who led the investigation codenamed Operation Klan on behalf of South Yorkshire Police, said: "Marsh and Davis committed many appalling crimes against young, vulnerable boys over many years.

"They searched various websites trawling for impressionable, young, vulnerable boys and having engaged in conversation then made arrangements to meet them.

"I very much hope this case serves as a warning to anyone who believes they can abuse young children for their own sexual gratification.

"The young boys who were the victims of their crimes will continue to receive the support of specialist agencies in order that they can come to terms with what happened to them and to build successful and happy lives."

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Baby Kidney Donor Is Britain's Youngest

A five-week-old baby is a lifesaver after becoming Britain's youngest ever organ donor.

The infant's tiny kidneys were donated to 22-year-old Samira Kauser and transplanted during a seven-hour operation at St James's University Hospital in Leeds.

The organs were just 4cm long but will grow to up to three-quarters the size of a normal adult's.

Together with the liver, heart and lungs, a baby's kidneys are fully functioning after 37 weeks in the womb.

Ms Kauser, from Halifax, who was spending nine hours a night on dialysis after a genetic condition caused her kidneys to fail, told The Sunday Times she plans to get married next year.

"When I found out (the donor) was a child who had died, I felt so sad," she said.

"I thought about the parents and how much they wanted to donate and I knew I had to have the operation, even though I was scared."

The operation took place at Leeds' St James's University Hospital

She added: "Words cannot express the gratitude I feel to the parents of this baby.

"They have lost so much - much more than I can ever comprehend.

"Their only solace is that someone else has been able to carry on with their life. It's a massive gift."

The Sunday Times said the transplant had reignited the debate about whether organs from so-called "beating heart" babies, who are being kept alive on ventilators but are certified as brain dead, should be made available to patients on the donor waiting list.

It said a decision on the issue is expected within the next six months.

Transplant surgeon Niaz Ahmad, who led the team that carried out the transplant, told the newspaper: "There is such an acute shortage of organs that we're now prepared to do this.

"This case, I hope, shows that it can work."

Around 19.7 million people are on the NHS organ donor register.

More than 7,200 people are waiting for a transplant - 6,000 of whom need a new kidney.

Some 2,820 kidney transplants were carried out last year.

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Madeleine McCann Timeline Of Events 'Wrong'

British detectives working on the Madeleine McCann investigation have revealed that key details in the timeline of her disappearance were wrong.

The revised details will be documented in a new Crimewatch appeal on the case to be broadcast on Monday.

Speaking ahead of the BBC programme, senior investigating officer Detective Chief Inspector Andy Redwood, of the Metropolitan Police, said: "The timeline we have now established has given new significance to sightings and movements of people in and around Praia da Luz at the time of Madeleine's disappearance.

"Our work to date has significantly changed the timeline and the accepted version of events that has been in the public domain to date.

"It has allowed us to work with Crimewatch to build the most detailed reconstruction as yet, and highlight very specific appeal points.

"I hope that when the public see our investigative strands drawn together within the overall context of that appeal, it will bring in new information that moves our investigation forward."

The timeline of Madeleine's disappearance has 'significantly changed'

The full reconstruction of the events six years ago when Madeleine went missing starts with a scene of Madeleine's parents Kate and Gerry playing tennis.

Madeleine, dressed in pink shorts, T-shirt and hat, then runs across the court, holding a batch of tennis balls.

In another clip, the McCanns are asked how often they think of their daughter, who went missing when she was three years old on May 3, 2007 from a holiday apartment as her parents dined at a nearby tapas restaurant with friends.

Mr McCann says: "When it's a special occasion, when you should be your happiest and Madeleine's not there, that's when it really hits home. Obviously, Madeleine's birthday goes without saying."

Mrs McCann adds: "It's when you have big family occasions really. That's it isn't it? 'Family occasion' and you haven't got your complete family."

During the programme, DCI Redwood discusses how the police have approached the inquiry.

Gerry and Kate McCann tell Crimewatch their anguish is undiminished

He says: "Primarily what we sought to do from the beginning is try and draw everything back to zero if you like. Try and take everything back to the beginning and re-analyse and reassess everything, accepting nothing.

"The careful and critical analysis of the timeline has been absolutely key.

"Primarily, we're focused on the area between 8.30pm and 10pm. We know at 8.30pm that was the time Mr and Mrs McCann went down to the tapas area for their dinner and we know that around at 10pm that was when Mrs McCann found that Madeleine was missing."

A number of e-fits are also to be shown in the appeal in a bid to "identify the men and eliminate innocent sightings".

Scotland Yard detectives, who have interviewed 442 people as part of their review-turned-investigation, hope to track down as many people present in the Portuguese town at the time.

Since launching its own investigation, 41 people of interest have been identified by the Met Police, including 15 UK nationals.

Madeleine seen on the day before she went missing in May 2007

Detectives have issued 31 international letters of request to mostly European countries in relation to some of the persons of interest as well as accessing phone records.

A large but "manageable" list of phone numbers identified as being in Praia da Luz - though not necessarily used to make phone calls - has been drawn up by detectives with a "significant" number unattributed to any named person.

British detectives launched a fresh investigation in July this year - two years into a review of the case.

The Met Police now has a team of six Portuguese detectives based in Faro who are carrying out inquiries on its behalf.

The Portuguese investigation is officially closed but authorities there are backing the Scotland Yard inquiry and officers from both countries are working together in pursuing new leads.

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