Matt Dathan
@mattdathan.bsky.social
Home Affairs Editor at The Times
Will the UK-France migrant returns deal stop the boats?
Latest podcast from TheStory by @thetimes.com:
open.spotify.com/episode/4W7X...
Latest podcast from TheStory by @thetimes.com:
open.spotify.com/episode/4W7X...
Will the UK-France migrant deal stop the boats?
The Story · Episode
open.spotify.com
August 7, 2025 at 12:34 PM
Will the UK-France migrant returns deal stop the boats?
Latest podcast from TheStory by @thetimes.com:
open.spotify.com/episode/4W7X...
Latest podcast from TheStory by @thetimes.com:
open.spotify.com/episode/4W7X...
Excl: Some of the UK's most prominent lawyers have warned Starmer that his pledge to recognise Palestine breaks international law
Lord Pannick, who represented the government against claims the Rwanda scheme breached international law, is among 40 peers who have written to the AG t.co/2naeSnZhhA
Lord Pannick, who represented the government against claims the Rwanda scheme breached international law, is among 40 peers who have written to the AG t.co/2naeSnZhhA
July 30, 2025 at 9:48 PM
Excl: Some of the UK's most prominent lawyers have warned Starmer that his pledge to recognise Palestine breaks international law
Lord Pannick, who represented the government against claims the Rwanda scheme breached international law, is among 40 peers who have written to the AG t.co/2naeSnZhhA
Lord Pannick, who represented the government against claims the Rwanda scheme breached international law, is among 40 peers who have written to the AG t.co/2naeSnZhhA
Excl: Europeans to be allowed to move to the UK for more than a year under EU youth mobility scheme: www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/...
Young Europeans may be allowed to stay in UK for longer than a year
A minister has opened the door for a reciprocal youth mobility scheme that could add to net migration figures despite concerns from the Home Office
www.thetimes.com
July 20, 2025 at 8:53 PM
Excl: Europeans to be allowed to move to the UK for more than a year under EU youth mobility scheme: www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/...
New: 1,194 migrants crossed the Channel in 18 boats yesterday, the Home Office has said.
That's the highest daily figure so far this year and takes the total number to 14,811, the highest ever record in the first five months of a year and 42% higher than this time last year.
That's the highest daily figure so far this year and takes the total number to 14,811, the highest ever record in the first five months of a year and 42% higher than this time last year.
June 1, 2025 at 10:34 AM
New: 1,194 migrants crossed the Channel in 18 boats yesterday, the Home Office has said.
That's the highest daily figure so far this year and takes the total number to 14,811, the highest ever record in the first five months of a year and 42% higher than this time last year.
That's the highest daily figure so far this year and takes the total number to 14,811, the highest ever record in the first five months of a year and 42% higher than this time last year.
The French authorities prevented just 184 of the roughly 1,400 migrants who attempted crossing the Channel yesterday: www.premar-manche.gouv.fr/communiques-...
Bilan des opérations d'assistance et de sauvetages de 184 migrants dans le détroit du pas de Calais - Préfecture maritime de la Manche et de la mer du Nord
Préfecture maritime de la Manche et de la mer du Nord. Présentation de la préfecture et description de ses missions. Publication des avis nautiques et des communiqués de la préfecture.
www.premar-manche.gouv.fr
June 1, 2025 at 8:20 AM
The French authorities prevented just 184 of the roughly 1,400 migrants who attempted crossing the Channel yesterday: www.premar-manche.gouv.fr/communiques-...
EXCL: Keir Starmer is pressing ahead with migrant 'return hubs' in the Balkans despite MI6 warning they could be hijacked by Russian spies: www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/...
Migrant return hubs ‘could let Russian spies into Europe’
MI6 has raised concerns about Keir Starmer’s proposals to send failed asylum seekers to the Balkans
www.thetimes.com
May 30, 2025 at 6:03 PM
EXCL: Keir Starmer is pressing ahead with migrant 'return hubs' in the Balkans despite MI6 warning they could be hijacked by Russian spies: www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/...
Excl: Britain to ask Kosovo to take rejected asylum seekers as part of Keir Starmer's new plan for 'return hubs': www.thetimes.com/article/206a...
UK to ask Kosovo to take migrants as part of ‘return hubs’ plan
The president of the Balkan nation has signalled that it would be open to hosting one of Britain’s ‘migration hubs’ but talks have not yet started
www.thetimes.com
May 25, 2025 at 9:54 PM
Excl: Britain to ask Kosovo to take rejected asylum seekers as part of Keir Starmer's new plan for 'return hubs': www.thetimes.com/article/206a...
Why mandatory chemical castration will never happen in the UK and how it was used by the government as a cynical dead cat strategy to distract from hugely unpopular measures to release killers and rapists:
www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/...
www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/...
How would chemical castration policy work — and could it ever go ahead?
The government is said to be considering mandatory drug treatment to suppress libido for some sex offenders, but critics say it violates medical ethics
www.thetimes.com
May 23, 2025 at 12:03 PM
Why mandatory chemical castration will never happen in the UK and how it was used by the government as a cynical dead cat strategy to distract from hugely unpopular measures to release killers and rapists:
www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/...
www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/...
Excl: Britain faces "horrible reality” of releasing prisoners early as part of long-term fix to the prisons crisis, Shabana Mahmood admits.
Full and frank interview with @thetimes.com as she prepares to announce major shakeup of sentencing laws on Thursday:
www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/...
Full and frank interview with @thetimes.com as she prepares to announce major shakeup of sentencing laws on Thursday:
www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/...
Shabana Mahmood: release offenders early or face collapse of justice system
The justice secretary issued a stark warning that, without reforms to sentencing, Britain’s prisons will reach capacity
www.thetimes.com
May 20, 2025 at 9:37 PM
Excl: Britain faces "horrible reality” of releasing prisoners early as part of long-term fix to the prisons crisis, Shabana Mahmood admits.
Full and frank interview with @thetimes.com as she prepares to announce major shakeup of sentencing laws on Thursday:
www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/...
Full and frank interview with @thetimes.com as she prepares to announce major shakeup of sentencing laws on Thursday:
www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/...
Excl: 40,000 criminals will be electronically monitored at any one time as part of a mass expansion of tagging technology to be at the heart of sentencing reforms
Shabana Mahmood has secured £700m from Treasury to quadruple the number of criminals tagged
www.thetimes.com/article/b63c...
Shabana Mahmood has secured £700m from Treasury to quadruple the number of criminals tagged
www.thetimes.com/article/b63c...
40,000 criminals to be tagged in sentencing law overhaul
Shabana Mahmood, the justice secretary, has secured £700m to pay for monitoring devices
www.thetimes.com
May 20, 2025 at 6:28 AM
Excl: 40,000 criminals will be electronically monitored at any one time as part of a mass expansion of tagging technology to be at the heart of sentencing reforms
Shabana Mahmood has secured £700m from Treasury to quadruple the number of criminals tagged
www.thetimes.com/article/b63c...
Shabana Mahmood has secured £700m from Treasury to quadruple the number of criminals tagged
www.thetimes.com/article/b63c...
Why the OBR isn't fully accounting for the impact of immigration on the public finances, according to the Home Office, immigration experts and the Prime Minister's chief of staff:
www.thetimes.com/article/b69a...
www.thetimes.com/article/b69a...
How do you measure migrant costs? The question the OBR can’t answer
Net migration boosts the books, but experts say key long-term costs are missing from official forecasts
www.thetimes.com
May 10, 2025 at 10:26 AM
Why the OBR isn't fully accounting for the impact of immigration on the public finances, according to the Home Office, immigration experts and the Prime Minister's chief of staff:
www.thetimes.com/article/b69a...
www.thetimes.com/article/b69a...
Other lines:
- PM's aides have set an informal net migration target of 200k by next election.
- Immigration White Paper will also set out plans to restrict judges' interpretation of Article 8 of the ECHR (family rights).
- Law change will also restrict what counts as a 'family connection'
- PM's aides have set an informal net migration target of 200k by next election.
- Immigration White Paper will also set out plans to restrict judges' interpretation of Article 8 of the ECHR (family rights).
- Law change will also restrict what counts as a 'family connection'
May 10, 2025 at 9:43 AM
Other lines:
- PM's aides have set an informal net migration target of 200k by next election.
- Immigration White Paper will also set out plans to restrict judges' interpretation of Article 8 of the ECHR (family rights).
- Law change will also restrict what counts as a 'family connection'
- PM's aides have set an informal net migration target of 200k by next election.
- Immigration White Paper will also set out plans to restrict judges' interpretation of Article 8 of the ECHR (family rights).
- Law change will also restrict what counts as a 'family connection'
Excl: The Home Office fears that long-term immigration will be higher than expected and believes the government is overstating the benefits of migration:
www.thetimes.com/article/0a9b...
www.thetimes.com/article/0a9b...
May 9, 2025 at 9:47 PM
Excl: The Home Office fears that long-term immigration will be higher than expected and believes the government is overstating the benefits of migration:
www.thetimes.com/article/0a9b...
www.thetimes.com/article/0a9b...
Excl: All migrants will have to learn a higher standard of English under plans to ensure they integrate into society.
The Immigration White Paper will also restrict employers' ability to hire foreign workers if they don't train up domestic workers:
www.thetimes.com/article/a46c...
The Immigration White Paper will also restrict employers' ability to hire foreign workers if they don't train up domestic workers:
www.thetimes.com/article/a46c...
May 7, 2025 at 10:05 PM
Excl: All migrants will have to learn a higher standard of English under plans to ensure they integrate into society.
The Immigration White Paper will also restrict employers' ability to hire foreign workers if they don't train up domestic workers:
www.thetimes.com/article/a46c...
The Immigration White Paper will also restrict employers' ability to hire foreign workers if they don't train up domestic workers:
www.thetimes.com/article/a46c...
The cost of housing asylum seekers in hotels and other temporary accommodation has ballooned to three times as much as the Home Office originally estimated - to £15.3 billion, according to the National Audit Office: www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/...
Cost of housing asylum seekers triples as small boat crossings rise
The bill is expected to be £15.3 billion over ten years, as the price of accommodation, especially hotels, increases
www.thetimes.com
May 7, 2025 at 2:49 PM
The cost of housing asylum seekers in hotels and other temporary accommodation has ballooned to three times as much as the Home Office originally estimated - to £15.3 billion, according to the National Audit Office: www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/...
Excl: The Home Office will restrict work and study visa applications from nationalities including Pakistanis, Nigerians and Sri Lankans who are most likely to overstay and claim asylum.
The plans will be unveiled as part of Keir Starmer's Immigration White Paper:
www.thetimes.com/article/c6fe...
The plans will be unveiled as part of Keir Starmer's Immigration White Paper:
www.thetimes.com/article/c6fe...
May 5, 2025 at 9:57 PM
Excl: The Home Office will restrict work and study visa applications from nationalities including Pakistanis, Nigerians and Sri Lankans who are most likely to overstay and claim asylum.
The plans will be unveiled as part of Keir Starmer's Immigration White Paper:
www.thetimes.com/article/c6fe...
The plans will be unveiled as part of Keir Starmer's Immigration White Paper:
www.thetimes.com/article/c6fe...
Excl: Domestic abusers must be exempt from the government's sentencing reforms that will make greater use of alternatives to custody, its domestic abuse commissioner has said:
www.thetimes.com/uk/crime/art...
www.thetimes.com/uk/crime/art...
Keep jailing domestic abusers, says government adviser
Dame Nicole Jacobs, the domestic abuse commissioner, fears the risk of community sentences as the government prepares radical prison reforms
www.thetimes.com
May 5, 2025 at 4:02 PM
Excl: Domestic abusers must be exempt from the government's sentencing reforms that will make greater use of alternatives to custody, its domestic abuse commissioner has said:
www.thetimes.com/uk/crime/art...
www.thetimes.com/uk/crime/art...
More than 10,000 migrants have now arrived in the UK on small boats so far this year, the Home Office has confirmed.
It's the earliest in the year the 10,000 mark has been reached (it wasn't hit until May 24th last year)
And it's 44% higher than this time last year.
It's the earliest in the year the 10,000 mark has been reached (it wasn't hit until May 24th last year)
And it's 44% higher than this time last year.
April 29, 2025 at 12:26 PM
More than 10,000 migrants have now arrived in the UK on small boats so far this year, the Home Office has confirmed.
It's the earliest in the year the 10,000 mark has been reached (it wasn't hit until May 24th last year)
And it's 44% higher than this time last year.
It's the earliest in the year the 10,000 mark has been reached (it wasn't hit until May 24th last year)
And it's 44% higher than this time last year.
New data reveals that 16,231 prisoners were released from jail early between September 10-December 31st under Labour's emergency prisoner release scheme.
The standard determinate 40% scheme (SDS40) releases prisoners after serving just 40% of their sentence.
The standard determinate 40% scheme (SDS40) releases prisoners after serving just 40% of their sentence.
April 24, 2025 at 8:39 AM
New data reveals that 16,231 prisoners were released from jail early between September 10-December 31st under Labour's emergency prisoner release scheme.
The standard determinate 40% scheme (SDS40) releases prisoners after serving just 40% of their sentence.
The standard determinate 40% scheme (SDS40) releases prisoners after serving just 40% of their sentence.
Excl: The Prevent programme is failing to tackle the link between terrorism and organised crime, says leading criminologist awarded funding to investigate the link:
www.thetimes.com/uk/crime/art...
www.thetimes.com/uk/crime/art...
Prevent scheme ‘fails to tackle terrorism funded by organised crime’
A leading criminologist hopes an investigate of the link will improve early intervention strategies
www.thetimes.com
April 21, 2025 at 9:51 PM
Excl: The Prevent programme is failing to tackle the link between terrorism and organised crime, says leading criminologist awarded funding to investigate the link:
www.thetimes.com/uk/crime/art...
www.thetimes.com/uk/crime/art...
Excl: Incels should be offered dating coaches, says world-leading expert on the misogynistic subculture:
www.thetimes.com/article/8dda...
www.thetimes.com/article/8dda...
Incels ‘need dating coaches to reintegrate into society’
Sessions could help men to disengage from misogynistic ideologies and teach them to build healthy relationships, Andrew Thomas believes
www.thetimes.com
April 20, 2025 at 8:59 PM
Excl: Incels should be offered dating coaches, says world-leading expert on the misogynistic subculture:
www.thetimes.com/article/8dda...
www.thetimes.com/article/8dda...
Excl: The UNHCR has endorsed Labour’s plan to deport failed asylum seekers to 'return hubs' in third countries.
This is a significant development because it was the UNHCR which ultimately collapsed the Rwanda scheme:
www.thetimes.com/article/ae4c...
This is a significant development because it was the UNHCR which ultimately collapsed the Rwanda scheme:
www.thetimes.com/article/ae4c...
April 18, 2025 at 10:04 PM
Excl: The UNHCR has endorsed Labour’s plan to deport failed asylum seekers to 'return hubs' in third countries.
This is a significant development because it was the UNHCR which ultimately collapsed the Rwanda scheme:
www.thetimes.com/article/ae4c...
This is a significant development because it was the UNHCR which ultimately collapsed the Rwanda scheme:
www.thetimes.com/article/ae4c...
Inside Frankland prison a week on from the brutal attack by Hashem Abedi on three prison guards: www.thetimes.com/uk/crime/art...
‘Prison officers need stab-proof vests before one of us is murdered’
The brutal attack on three officers in HMP Frankland has revealed how has exposed the violent and challenging conditions faced by staff in Britain’s highest security jails
www.thetimes.com
April 18, 2025 at 3:27 PM
Inside Frankland prison a week on from the brutal attack by Hashem Abedi on three prison guards: www.thetimes.com/uk/crime/art...
The Home Office has confirmed that yesterday saw a record daily number of migrants arrive in small boats.
705 in 12 dinghies.
It takes the total for this year to 8,888 in 159 boats (highest on record and 42% higher than this time last year).
705 in 12 dinghies.
It takes the total for this year to 8,888 in 159 boats (highest on record and 42% higher than this time last year).
April 16, 2025 at 1:36 PM
The Home Office has confirmed that yesterday saw a record daily number of migrants arrive in small boats.
705 in 12 dinghies.
It takes the total for this year to 8,888 in 159 boats (highest on record and 42% higher than this time last year).
705 in 12 dinghies.
It takes the total for this year to 8,888 in 159 boats (highest on record and 42% higher than this time last year).