Home Office set to move first asylum seekers to Crowborough barracks in January
Government plans 2025 immigration-fee hike: ETA to rise 60 %, CoS to more than double
Holiday-season airport strikes hit Heathrow and Luton, triggering delays and cancellations
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IT failure at French border checkpoints causes one-hour Dover queues and rail knock-on delays
A French border-control IT crash triggered hour-long vehicle queues at Dover on 22 December, jeopardising ferry schedules and compounding UK rail cancellations. Businesses are advised to factor in potential delays to shipments and employee travel over the peak holiday period.
Think-tank finds modern slavery claims by UK asylum seekers are largely genuine
Bright Blue’s study finds 90 % of modern-slavery referrals involving asylum seekers are credible, undermining ministerial claims of widespread abuse. The authors say tightening the system would not cut migration but would harm genuine victims, and they call for earlier screening at the border instead. Businesses should expect continued focus on labour-market compliance.
Christmas travel hit as DHL check-in and baggage staff launch strike at London Luton
Unite members employed by DHL at Luton Airport started a series of 24-hour strikes on 19 December, hitting easyJet check-in and baggage operations during the Christmas peak. Passengers face queues and potential baggage delays, while companies are advised to consider alternative London airports or rail links.
Record December day sees 803 people cross Channel in small boats
A one-day total of 803 small-boat arrivals on 20 December set a new December record and pushed 2025 crossings above 41,000. The spike intensifies political pressure on the government and signals possible enforcement crackdowns that could spill over into legal migration channels.
UK exporters face ‘Brexit-style’ paperwork as Brussels refuses pre-Christmas CBAM carve-out
The EU has confirmed that the UK will not receive a CBAM exemption in time for the 1 January paperwork deadline, forcing exporters of steel, aluminium and other carbon-intensive goods to produce detailed emissions documentation. The extra bureaucracy echoes early Brexit challenges and could disrupt supply-chain-linked business travel.