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Brexit will give UK freedom to set new laws on illegal migrants, Downing Street says

A man pours water out of a small boat as the crowded vessel heads towards Dover - PA
A man pours water out of a small boat as the crowded vessel heads towards Dover - PA

Brexit will give the UK the opportunity to draw up new laws for dealing with migrants crossing the Channel illegally, Downing Street has said.

More than 4,000 people are believed to have made the journey so far this year, some of them vulnerable individuals including young children, pregnant women and disabled people.

The Prime Minister's official spokesman said: "We are currently bound by the Dublin Regulations for returns and they are inflexible and rigid - for example, there is a time limit placed on returns, it's something which can be abused by both migrants and their lawyers to frustrate the returns of those who have no right to be here.

"At the end of this year we will no longer be bound by the EU's laws so can negotiate our own returns agreement.

"The Home Office continue to look at all available options to tackle this issue."

Earlier today, Boris Johnson said the Government was "looking at the legal framework that we have", saying current laws meant "that when people do get here, it is very, very difficult to then send them away again even though blatantly they've come here illegally."

Immigration minister Chris Philp is due to hold talks with French counterparts tomorrow, amid reports that the UK is planning to deploy the Navy.

Read below for the latest updates.


03:04 PM

And that's it for another day

It's been another hot day in Westminster - but much of the focus has been on the coast, where more migrants have been making the journey from France, despite efforts to intercept them. 

Boris Johnson and his spokesman made it clear that plans are afoot to tackle the problem, which may involve a change in law after Brexit to make it easier to return migrants if they make it as far as UK waters, with critics pouring scorn on the plan to deploy the Navy. 

Tomorrow immigration minister Chris Philp will travel to Paris to have crunch talks with his counterpart on the growing issue. It seems likely that the UK will offer the French financial support to try and prevent people from leaving in the first place - but it seems likely this is a whack-a-mole game Boris Johnson will never win. 

Today the readers spoke with one voice on the matter, with 87 per cent of you saying the UK should adopt an Australia-style approach and "pushback" migrants to wherever they came from. It may well be this is the kind of law being drawn up on Whitehall. 

But despite the undeniable challenge facing Mr Philp, there is another looming issue - whether he will make it out of France before the seemingly inevitable quarantine is imposed. 

I'll be back from 8am tomorrow to bring you more from Westminster and beyond. 


02:53 PM

Boris Johnson attacked over 'inflammatory' language on migrants

Campaigners have accused Boris Johnson of using "inflammatory" soundbites as he described the migrants' Channel crossings as a "very bad and stupid and dangerous and criminal thing to do".

Lisa Doyle, the Refugee Council's director of advocacy, said: "It's incredibly disappointing to hear the Prime Minister using such inaccurate and inflammatory language to describe men, women and children who are desperate enough to make perilous journeys across the busiest shipping channel in the world.

"Seeking asylum is not a crime, and it is legitimate that people have to cross borders to do so."

While Stephen Hale, chief executive of Refugee Action, said the Government should "move on from soundbites" and focus "constructively on serious and long-term solutions".

He added: "Britain is better than this. We have a proud history of welcoming people fleeing some of the most violent and oppressive regimes in the world and we can't stop now."

Meanwhile former foreign secretary David Miliband, the president and chief executive of the International Rescue Committee, told Times Radio "cooler heads need to prevail if the UK is to sustain an effective response as well as a humane response".


02:35 PM

Boris Johnson must follow Scotland's coronavirus advice during summer break, says Nicola Sturgeon

Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has said Boris Johnson should follow the nation's coronavirus advice, when the Prime Minister visits for his summer holiday. 

Mr Johnson is said to be visiting with his fiancee Carrie Symonds and young son Wilfred when he takes a break next week.

The First Minister said she would give him the same advice anyone else travelling north of the border would get - "to take great care".

Ms Sturgeon said: "Whether it's the Prime Minister or anybody else, when you're in Scotland - and you should hopefully be doing this wherever you live - abide by all the advice."

She added: "If we all do that where we are then we've got the best chance of keeping it under control."

Ms Sturgeon also joked: "I hope the weather stays reasonably good for him, although I cannot promise that and refuse to take any responsibility for it."

Later in the briefing, the First Minister said she will not be able to take a holiday herself this year due to the return of the Scottish Parliament this week.

She said: "I'm fully occupied with what we're doing at the moment."


02:24 PM

Analysis: Is better testing fuelling the rise in UK Covid-19 cases?

Fears of a fresh Covid-19 surge mounted this week as the UK saw its largest rise in new cases since the end of June - but data suggests the rise is being driven by more infections in younger people and increased testing. 

A total of 1,062 people tested positive for Covid in the 24 hours before 9am on Sunday - nearly a fortnight after Prime Minister Boris Johnson warned of the possibility of a 'second wave' of infections.

But the rise appearing in the UK's daily case numbers may in part be due to more testing - as infection rates climb among younger people while community testing is ramped up . 

The Telegraph's data journalism team crunch the numbers for you here.


02:17 PM

Tom Harris: Labour is in no position to give moral lectures after trying to foist Corbyn on the nation

Labour is full of Bright Young Things, weaned on The West Wing and who know how to deliver a political message that hits every necessary demographic.

So how, in the name of God eternal, was the bright idea of “weaponizing” Claire Fox’s peerage allowed to leave the birthing chamber without having a pillow quietly placed over its face?

Now, to be fair, giving the former communist and IRA apologist a seat in the upper house was a big mistake, a prime example of the misjudgement Boris Johnson’s critics regularly accuse him of.  

Tom Harris tries to get his head around the thinking that has led the party that tried to make Jeremy Corbyn prime minister is on the attack for putting an IRA supporter in the Lords. 


02:01 PM

Just two English regions record Covid-related deaths

A further six people who tested positive for coronavirus have died, with all but two regions reporting no fatalities in the last 24 hours. 

Just the North East & Yorkshire and the South East have registered Covid-related deaths - two and four respectively. 

Patients were aged between 65 and 93 years old. All had known underlying health conditions and their families have been informed.

The total number of confirmed reported deaths in hospitals in England is 29,419.


01:59 PM

Unite accuses Government of 'abandoning' workers

Ministers are being accused of "abandoning" workers, as they forge ahead with plans to wind up the furlough scheme despite warnings that one in three companies will make redundancies by the end of September. 

Some 33 per cent of firms are planning to make redundancies in the current quarter, up from spring's estimate of 22 per cent, according to  the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) and recruiter the Adecco Group.

Unite general secretary Len McCluskey said: "We warned that the tapering of the jobs retention scheme would see redundancy notices fly around like confetti and sadly this is coming to pass.  

"But this crisis is being made infinitely worse by the very different approach the Westminster government is taking to that of our competitor countries where targeted support is helping vital sectors weather this storm, saving jobs in the process.    

"There are simple effective measures, such as short-time working, that will keep people in jobs and retain skills. But this government lacks the capacity to understand, or the political will to grasp, that this is the moment it must use its vast power of intervention for the collective good of the country," he added. 


01:39 PM

MPs urge Ofcom to conduct urgent review of BBC's cuts to local journalism

MPs have urged Ofcom to look at BBC plans to cut its regional news services, asking the TV watchdog to act before any "irreparable steps are taken".

The broadcaster is planning a shake-up of regional TV news and local radio in England, axing 450 jobs.

But Damian Collins, former chair of the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee and other MPs have warned that "local and regional news would appear to be taking a disproportionate share of the cuts being made by the BBC management."

The letter asks the regulator to consider if "the BBC is acting in accordance with its mission and purpose".

Under the proposals designed to save the broadcaster £25m by April 2022 Inside Out, the regional current affairs magazine show made in 11 different regions, will be axed and replaced with a new investigative journalism programme from six hubs.

A "simplified schedule" introduced on local radio during the pandemic, with single instead of double presenters and a reduction in the number of shows, will become permanent.


01:33 PM

Government to strengthen regional contact tracing with local teams

People who have been in contact with confirmed coronavirus cases may get a knock on their door if tracers are unable to reach them over the phone​

The Government has announced a pilot to "strengthen regional contact tracing" in England through local teams, in a desperate bid to improve the hit rate.

Last week a study published in the Lancet estimated that just half of contacts were being reached, falling well below the 68 per cent estimated for effectiveness. Official figures published later that week showed that local teams were having a far greater success rate than the national call centres. 

Local authorities will be given "dedicated ring-fenced teams" to help with contact tracing.

Officials said that if the national team cannot make contact with a resident within a set period of time, the local public health officials can use the data provided by NHS Test and Trace to follow up.

In some pilot areas this has involved local authority teams visiting people at home, it added.


01:22 PM

Have your say on: the migrant crossing crisis

Boris Johnson and ministers including Priti Patel are mulling what to do about the rising number of migrants illegally crossing the Channel, with more than 4,000 people making the dangerous journey from France to the UK this year so far. 

The Prime Minister says that after Brexit it can change the "legal framework". But there is considerable disagreement about what that action should be.

There is some suggestion the Navy could be deployed to return migrants from where they came - but this has been attacked by the MP for Calais and a former high-ranking civil servant, who say it would be technically challenging and little more than a gesture. 

It is also thought the UK will give France a further £30m to try and stop migrants before they leave.

But would that money be better spent in helping asylum seekers settle and going after people smugglers? 

Have your say in the poll below   


01:12 PM

ITV 'seeking clarification' after Hong Kong-based freelancer arrested

ITV has said it is seeking answers from authorities in Hong Kong after one of its freelancers was arrested under the city's new national security law.

The broadcaster said ITV News freelancer Wilson Li was one of nine people arrested by the Hong Kong Police Force on Monday on suspicion of breaching the law.

An ITV News spokeswoman said: "We can confirm that Wilson Li works for ITV News in a freelance capacity.

"We are concerned to hear of his arrest and are urgently seeking clarification on the circumstances."


12:59 PM

Lobby latest: No 10 'deeply concerned' about Hong Kong journalist arrests

Downing Street is "deeply concerned" about arrest of one of Hong Kong's most strident pro-democracy figures.

Jimmy Lai, who founded the newspaper Apple Daily, which is frequently critical of Hong Kong and mainland Chinese leadership, was arrested and the offices of the newspaper he owns searched by police in an escalation by authorities enforcing new national security laws brought in by Beijing.

The 71-year-old media tycoon was arrested alongside six others including his son on Monday morning on suspicion of “collusion with foreign forces” and conspiracy to commit fraud. He was later released on bal. 

The Prime Minister's official spokesman said: "We are deeply concerned by the arrest of Jimmy Lai and other individuals in Hong Kong.

"Freedom of the press is explicitly guaranteed in the Sino-British Joint Declaration.

"This is further evidence that the national security law is being used as a pretext to silence opposition. The Hong Kong authorities must uphold the rights and freedoms of its people." 


12:55 PM

Lobby latest: Downing Street will act 'rapidly' on quarantine

Downing Street will "act rapidly" to remove countries from the travel corridor exemption if needed, the Prime Minister's official spokesman has said. 

Asked if France could be added to the quarantine list, with rates in the country rising above the level that has triggered a quarantine for other countries, he said: "We keep the data for all countries and territories under constant review.

"Any decisions to update the exemptions list will be informed by the latest health data and we can and will act rapidly. We have been updating the exemptions list on a weekly basis in order to make sure that it reflects the changes in the international health picture."

"We look a range of criteria... It's not only the infection rate per 100,000 people we also look at the testing rate", he added: "If there is a need to act very rapidly in order to protect public health, then we wouldn't hesitate to do so."

He went on: "Unfortunately, during this pandemic there isn't a risk-free way of travelling overseas. The population's made a huge effort to get the disease down to the levels that we're seeing in the UK and if we feel that we need to act in relation to the travel exemptions list then we'll do so."

Asked if quarantine measures will be lifted on Portugal, the spokesman said: "We can remove countries from the exception list but we can also reinstate them."


12:48 PM

Lobby latest: EU laws over migrant crossings 'inflexible and rigid'

Current laws governing what can be done to prevent migrants crossing the Channel are "inflexible and rigid", Downing Street has said. 

The matter is covered by a long-standing European Union deal, called "Dublin III", which the Prime Minister's official spokesman said were open to abuse "by both migrants and their lawyers to frustrate return" on points such as the time limit on returning individuals.  

After the Brexit transition period the UK "will no longer be bound" by the EU laws "so we can negotiate our own returns agreement", he said.

The Home Office "continue to look at all available options to tackle the situation", the spokesman added.

The UK will "continue to work with the French on stronger enforcement measures", with the primary objective "to prevent migrants from leaving France in the first place" .

The Prime Minister and Emmanuel Macron discussed the issue of "illegal migration and the crossings" in June.


12:44 PM

Lobby latest: Government is looking to review daily statistics, Downing Street confirms

The Prime Minister's official spokesman has confirmed the Telegraph's story that the Government has been "reviewing the publication of the death statistics".

However he declined to comment on whether the review will lead to them being scrapped in favour of weekly data. This recommendation comes because the data is more accurate - however it has been criticised by Labour as giving the wrong impression that coronavirus has gone.

"It's certainly possible that you will see something this week but I don't have a specific time-frame to give you but the work has been taking place," the spokesman said.


12:41 PM

Lobby latest: PM on holiday for one week

The Prime Minister will be on holiday for "one week", remaining in the UK, the Prime Minister's spokesman has confirmed.

Asked about speculation that Boris Johnson and his partner Carrie will be campaigning in Scotland, the spokesman said: "We'll set out details closer to the time."

He is expected to take his holiday next week.


12:40 PM

Lobby latest: Government will 'set out decision' on reopening remaining sectors of economy soon

During recess, we get one lobby briefing a week - so it's a bumper session today. 

The Prime Minister's official spokesman has said we will hear more about whether the remaining parts of the economy will be reopening this week "at the earliest". 

Plans were delayed by Boris Johnson amid fears that it was causing a rise in the number of cases. 

On Saturday the UK’s daily number of new coronavirus cases has topped 1,000 for the first time in more than a month.

The Government is "closely monitoring infections, and other data on the prevalence of the virus across the country" in response to the figure, the spokesman said.

The Government will "set out a decision on whether or not we're able to go ahead " with reopening the remaining sectors of the economy later this week at the earliest. "I don't have anything for you today and I wouldn't want to preempt the review that will take place," he said.


12:33 PM

Labour calls on Nicola Sturgeon to apologise to teachers over exam results tow

Labour has called on Nicola Sturgeon to apologise to the nation's teachers following the exam results row.

The First Minister this afternoon told students whose exam results had been downgraded that: "Despite our best intentions, I acknowledge we did not get this right and I'm sorry."

In an acknowledgment that the approach had seen good students in more deprived students take the brunt of the coronavirus-imposed approach, she said: "That burden has not fallen equally across our society. "

But Ian Murray, shadow secretary of state for Scotland, said this did not go far enough.

He tweeted: "What about an apology to the hard-working teachers that the FM blamed last week? Or to those young people who have lost conditional uni places. Without the no confidence motion placed this would never have changed. Let's see the detail tomorrow in Parliament rather [than during a] press event."


12:11 PM

Shutting schools again risks 'very bad consequences for future economy', Ken Clarke warns

Ken Clarke, the former chancellor, has warned that shutting schools again risks "very bad consequences for the future economy". 

The ex-MP, who has been recently nominated for a peerage by Boris Johnson, said the Prime Minister was right to prioritise schools over hospitality, telling Sky News that "bars, restaurants and so on are far more dangerous places for the spread of the disease than schools are".

He said: "The consequences of closing both are very bad for some people, but the idea that with schools, where the risks are much lower, that you're just going to stop educating a whole generation of children in school for months on end, would have catastrophic consequences for children and their prospects, but also very bad consequences for the future economy in due course."

Mr Clarke added: "A crowded bar is much more likely to see transmission of the disease than a suitably spaced out classroom."


12:03 PM

Damian Green: A retirement home boom can help millennials finally get a foot on the ladder

Throughout the coronavirus pandemic, there has been suffering and hardship on both sides of the generational divide.

Older people are at higher risk of becoming seriously ill and dying from Covid-19, with charities also reporting increased cases of confusion and loneliness. At the same time, young adults - dubbed the “coronavirus generation” - have been the most likely group to lose work or see their incomes drop because of lockdown.

In previous years, it has been too easy to pit baby boomers and millennials against each other, writes Damian Green. Now, more than ever, we need policies that work across the intergenerational divide.


11:44 AM

Nicola Sturgeon apologises for Scottish exam results debacle

Nicola Sturgeon has apologised to Scottish students who had their recent exam results downgraded, saying too much focus had been given to the system rather than individuals.

The First Minister said: "We will be taking steps to ensure that every young person gets a grade that recognises the work they have done.

"Our concern - which was to make sure that the grades young people got were as valid as those they would have got in any other year - perhaps led us to think too much about the overall system and not enough about the individual pupil."

Ms Sturgeon added: "That burden has not fallen equally across our society. Despite our best intentions, I acknowledge we did not get this right and I'm sorry."


11:39 AM

Quarter of a million over-50s ‘will never work again’ after coronavirus

A quarter of a million over-50s could fall permanently out of work after being made redundant during the coronavirus pandemic because job schemes and recruitment are skewed in favour of younger workers, a study has found.

One in four (2.5 million) workers aged 50 and above has been furloughed and 377,000 of them could lose their jobs, according to a report seen exclusively by this newspaper.  

You can read the full details here.


11:28 AM

Labour issues jobs warning after new survey finds rise in planned redundancies

One in three companies expect to make redundancies by the end of September in a blow to Britain's hopes of economic recovery from the coronavirus crisis, a new survey has found.

The report, by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) and recruiter the Adecco Group, suggests the jobs market will continue to shrink through the current quarter until September - a month before furlough is due to wind up.

The 33 per cent figure is an increase on the spring's estimate of 22 per cent, and the lowest it has been since the survey's current methodology was adopted in 2013. 

Jonathan Reynolds, Labour’s shadow work and pensions secretary, said: “This research confirms what many businesses have been saying for months -  the removal of government support while some businesses have yet to even open their doors again has created a jobs crisis...

“The Government’s one size fits all approach is clearly not working and they must now adopt a tailored approach, getting support to where it is needed to prevent even more redundancies.”


11:21 AM

How would a wealth tax work and what would it look like?

British homes could be the new source of billions of pounds in much needed revenue for the Government in the form of a wealth tax, following the economic devastation of the coronavirus pandemic.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his Chancellor Rishi Sunak have attempted to stamp out any notion of a so-called wealth tax, saying they want “job, jobs, jobs, not tax, tax, tax.”

But the alternatives they have put forward so far are short-term measures. Experts say tax rises in some form or another, whether they are labelled as a tax on wealth or not, are inevitable.


10:53 AM

Boris Johnson praised by WHO over local lockdowns

The head of the World Health Organisation has praised Boris Johnson's decision to introduce local lockdowns in part of the UK, saying this is key to stopping a second wave of coronavirus. 

Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director general of the WHO, told a virtual press briefing that the number of cases of Covid-19 around the world will reach 20 million cases this week and the global death toll will reach 750,000.

"Over the last few days, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson put areas of northern England under stay at home notifications as clusters of cases were identified," he said.

"In France, President Emmanuel Macron introduced compulsory masking in busy outdoor spaces of Paris in response to an increase in cases.

"Strong and precise measures like these, in combination with utilising every tool at our disposal, are key to preventing any resurgence in Covid-19 and allowing societies to be reopened safely."


10:45 AM

'Vital' that daily Covid-death tally is published, says Labour

Labour has said it is "vital" that the Government continue publishing daily figures of Covid-19 deaths to avoid sending the wrong message. 

A review, ordered by Matt Hancock after it emerged officials were "over-exaggerating” deaths from the virus, is expected to recommend that ministers stop daily reporting altogether and move to a weekly official death toll instead, The Telegraph revealed today

But Justin Madders, Labour’s shadow health minister, said: “The Government must be as transparent as possible with all aspects of coronavirus, including daily death figures. While there may be issues with how the figures are collated, ministers must find solutions rather than end the publication of these statistics.”

“Throughout the pandemic there has been a failure to publish accurate statistics on a whole range of matters -  from the number of people tested each day to the constant revision of the number of Covid-related deaths. 

“It is vital that ministers commit to continuing to publish daily death figures. Failing to do so risks sending the message out that the virus has been beaten when we know full well it is still circulating”.


10:33 AM

Prime Minister calls on police to act with 'fairness' after MP claims she was racially profiled

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the police should treat people with "fairness and equality" after black Labour MP Dawn Butler claimed that racial profiling was behind a decision to stop a car she was travelling in.

Scotland Yard said the stop was a result of an officer having "incorrectly entered" the car's registration plate into a computer to wrongly identify it as a vehicle registered to Yorkshire, but did not explain why the search was carried out in the first place.

Speaking during a visit to a school in east London, Mr Johnson said: "The police have made a statement saying that they made a mistake.

"They have spoken to the occupants of the car but it's obviously very, very important that the Met continue to do everything that they can - as indeed they do - to show that they are serving every part of our country, every part of our community, with fairness and equality."


10:25 AM

Minister attacks 'unacceptable' rise in migrant crossing

A minister has attacked the "unacceptable situation" of growing numbers of migrants crossing the Channel, insisting the Government will be "taking action to ensure this isn’t a viable route". 

Health minister Helen Whately told Sky News: "We do have an unacceptable situation of many migrants coming across the Channel at the moment.  It's also a dangerous route, there's real risk to life for those coming across, it's obviously a form of illegal immigration, it's not the right way to come to the United Kingdom."

She rejected suggestions that the French were turning a blind eye to the problem, instead emphasising plans to work collaboratively with the French, stressing there had been a "particular shift" towards using boats, noting that just a couple of years ago it was the Eurotunnel. 


10:19 AM

Ministers will not hesitate to impose quarantine if needed, says Boris Johnson

Boris Johnson has said ministers will "not hesitate" to impose a quarantine system for travellers from other countries to the UK if needed.

It is widely thought that France will soon be removed from the list of travel corridor countries, joining Spain and Belgium among others, from which travellers must self-isolate for 14 days on entering the UK. 

The Prime Minister said: "I don't want to advise people about their individual holidays, individual decisions, they should look at the travel advice from the Foreign Office clearly.

"But what I will say, and I hope people would expect us to do this, in the context of a global pandemic, we've got to keep looking at the data in all the countries to which British people want to travel.

"Where it is necessary to impose restrictions or to impose a quarantine system, we will not hesitate to do so.

"It's been a huge effort for the entire population of this country to get the disease down to the levels that we are currently seeing, but we do not want reinfection and that's why we've got to keep a very, very close eye on the data in destinations around the world."

Boris Johnson takes part in archery during a visit to the Premier Education Summer Camp at Sacred Heart of Mary Girl's School, Upminster  - PA

10:07 AM

UK must 'look at legal framework' over migrants, says Boris Johnson

Boris Johnson has said the UK must "look at the legal framework" for migrants who have arrived in the UK illegally as part of efforts to reduce the number of people crossing the Channel.

Speaking during a trip to St Joseph's school in Upminster, the Prime Minister said: "We've got a problem which is that there are people who want to come from around the world to this country because obviously it's a great place to be.

"There's no doubt that it would be helpful if we could work with our French friends to stop them getting over the Channel.

"Be in no doubt what's going on is the activity of cruel and criminal gangs who are risking the lives of these people taking them across the Channel, a pretty dangerous stretch of water in potentially unseaworthy vessels.

"We want to stop that working with the French, make sure that they understand that this isn't a good idea, this is a very bad and stupid and dangerous and criminal thing to do.

"But then there's a second thing we've got to do and that is to look at the legal framework that we have that means that when people do get here, it is very, very difficult to then send them away again even though blatantly they've come here illegally."


10:02 AM

Boris Johnson says he 'hopes' schools will not be shut during local lockdowns

Boris Johnson has said he hoped schools would not be forced to close as a result of local action - but has not ruled it out. 

The Prime Minister, who was visiting a school in east London, said: "I very much hope that doesn't happen for any pupils but clearly what we are doing - the way we are trying to manage the Covid pandemic - is to have local measures in place and local test and trace to introduce restrictions where that's necessary.

"But, as we have all said, the last thing we want to do is to close schools.

"We think that education is the priority for the country and that is simple social justice."

Prime Minister Boris Johnson visits St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, London, - Evening Standard Pool

09:50 AM

France 'days away from being added to quarantine list'

France is days away from being added to the UK’s quarantine list, according to senior sources within the Government. 

The Foreign Office is due to update its ‘safe’ list this week, with Portugal hoping to gain its first travel corridor of the pandemic, meaning returning holidaymakers will not be required to self-isolate for 14 days. France, however, is one of several countries in Europe to have seen a rise in its number of coronavirus infections in recent days. 

Paul Charles, spokesperson for campaign group Quash Quarantine, said he understood France, along with Switzerland, Poland and the Netherlands, has said France "has just two days" to gets its numbers below the trigger point. 

Read our travel blog for live updates.


09:36 AM

Nick Timothy: Britain has no way to protect itself from this new wave of immigration

Even more than Brexit, no issue demonstrates the division between the country and its governing elites better than immigration. During election campaigns, and referendums too, politicians promise control and tell the voters they will get the numbers down. But between those campaigns, they hide behind the complexity of statistics and emphasise the apparently vital economic need for every kind of immigration: high-skilled, low-skilled, students, workers.

But now the politicians have to contend with a new problem. In place of complicated statistics, we have the simplicity of an image: photographs showing the steady flow of human traffic, crossing the Channel from France to enter Britain illegally.

Nick Timothy considers the shocking story of an almost total absence of immigration control


09:17 AM

Have your say on: the migrant crossing crisis

With more than 4,000 migrants crossing the Channel so far this year, it is widely agreed that something has to happen about the numbers of people making the dangerous journey from France to the UK.

But there is considerable disagreement about what that action should be.

This morning Helen Whately, the care minister, did not push back against suggestions the Royal Navy could be sent in - but this has been attacked by the MP for Calais and a former high-ranking civil servant, who say it would be little more than a gesture. 

It is also thought the UK will give France a further £30m to try and stop migrants before they leave. But would that money be better spent in helping asylum seekers settle and going after people smugglers? 

Have your say in the poll below   


08:59 AM

France must 'intensify efforts' to stop migrants leaving, former civil servant says

The French must be persuaded to "intensify efforts" to stop migrants from leaving in the first place, if the UK Government is to grapple with the problem, a former civil servant has said.  

Sir David Normington, former permanent secretary at the Home Office, said he was "sceptical" about deploying the Navy because it would have to go into French waters, and "you can only do that with the permission of the French government."

He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "The best solution is if we can persuade the French to intensify efforts to stop illegal migrants leaving the French coast or patrolling the coastline within French territorial waters, because once they get into British territorial waters they are likely to end up being landed in Britain and then claiming asylum, so the only solution to this is to work with the French to persuade them to intensify their efforts to stop illegal migrants."

Asked about the proposed £30m to help the French fund patrols, he said: "Well, if it takes money to help the French increase their resources and their manpower then that will have to be done. There's a long history of Britain putting money into resources for the French on the French coast."


08:45 AM

RAF plane flying over Channel in bid to tackle migrant crisis

A Royal Air Force plane is carrying out surveillance over the English Channel as part of the effort to tackle migrants attempting the crossing from France.

The flight by the Atlas aircraft was authorised by Defence Secretary Ben Wallace to support Border Force operations in the Channel.

The Ministry of Defence said the aircraft, which flew from RAF Brize Norton, is an "initial offer of assistance" to the Home Office.

RAF Airbus A400M Atlas  - RAF

08:31 AM

Reopening schools 'one of least risky things we can do', says Sage scientist

Reopening schools is "one of the least risky things we can do", a member of the Government's Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) has said. 

Professor Russell Viner, president of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health and a member of Sage told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "We cannot be in a risk-free society and this is about the risk balance. What is the risk balance equation and I think that's separate for children and young people themselves.

"It's very clear for them the benefits and risks, the balance is for them to be back at school. For broader society, look, I think it's also clear that reopening schools is one of the least risky things we can do.

"Anything we do that reopens society will add a small or a larger amount to the overall population reproductive number and for schools we believe that it's a relatively minor player, it would add little to the overall population R."

On one week on, one week off, he added: "It actually appears to make very little difference to the overall risk, the overall population R in fact, if you get the mitigations right ... then actually the rota systems appear to make very little difference and make little difference to the risk to teachers."


08:25 AM

Children 'minor players' in Covid transmission

Children are "very minor players" in the transmission of coronavirus and opening schools would "add little" to the reproduction rate of infection, a leading expert has said.

Professor Russell Viner, president of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health and a member of the Government's Sage scientific advisory group, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme on Monday that "reopening schools is one of the least risky things we can do".

His comments were echoed by Education Secretary Gavin Williamson, who said there was little evidence of transmission in schools.

However, teachers, scientists, opposition politicians and the children's commissioner for England Anne Longfield have all called for improvements to testing before pupils return.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said it is "a national priority" to get children back in class in England next month, but he has been warned by scientific advisers that "trade-offs" may be necessary to keep transmission down.


08:09 AM

Andy Burnham presses the case for jury service-style support during self-isolation

Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham has repeated his request to support people through self-isolation in the same way as they are through jury service.

Last week the former Labour frontbencher said the contact tracing system should be viewed as something "that's akin to jury duty" with people being able to self-isolate on full pay.

He told BBC BReakfast: "Our poorest communities are going to be very, very exposed in the second half of this year if we have people who can't self-isolate when we have the virus circulating in those areas and schools going back adding to the risk.

"It's a simple request we are making, a bit like when you are called up to serve on a jury, when you get a request from the Government to go and be a juror.

"This also is a request from the Government when you're being asked to self-isolate, so let's give everybody the ability to follow that request.

"Test and trace will start working much better if we do that."


08:00 AM

Welsh schools may have to shut in local lockdowns, warns First Minister

Wales First Minister Mark Drakeford has said some schools could close in the event of a local coronavirus outbreak.

He told BBC Breakfast: "Every local flare-up is different; in some places not reopening schools would be part of a plan, in other sorts of outbreaks that may not be necessary.

"It's down to the local circumstances, down to the team on the ground. and they will then advise Welsh ministers."

Mr Drakeford added: "There are a series of options that we could draw on if we needed to. Our top plan is to get every child back in school in September so that they are learning - these children have been deprived of their learning for months."


07:51 AM

Pandemic making international recruitment for NHS 'challenging', says minister

The pandemic could affect the Government's ability to hire overseas staff for the NHS and social care, a minister has warned. 

Helen Whately, the care minister, told the Today programme that the new health and care visa would ensure it was still possible to fill roles in the sector when the UK's new immigration system comes into place, saying the Government "recognises the importance of overseas staff to our NHS". 

"We absolutely want to and we are welcoming international recruits," she added. 

However Ms Whately noted it was "a more challenging and uncertain environment at the moment," saying: "Clearly, with the pandemic, it may affect international recruitment flow."

She said: "But absolutely we are supporting those who come to work in the NHS from overseas as well as building up our homegrown workforce."


07:44 AM

Clapping for carers 'not enough', says health minister

Clapping for carers "is not enough", a minister has said,  as the Government announces £172m to enable healthcare employers to take on up to 2,000 nursing degree apprentices every year over the next four years.

The NHS and other healthcare employers will receive £8,300 per placement per year for both new and existing apprenticeships.

But this weekend saw renewed calls for a pay rise for the profession, with protests across the country after nurses missed out in the above-inflation pay rise for doctors, police officers and teachers. 

Helen Whately said the Government "absolutely recognises the importance of pay" but said there were also "questions of looking after workforce.. to make the NHS a better place to work". 

Nurses' starting salary had been increased to almost £25,000, she said, but that was "only part of it" -  ensuring there were enough people to do the work and that "employers are really looking out for their staff, caring for those who care for us" was also important. 

"We can't say thank you enough to our health and care workers... for all they have done at the frontline during this pandemic," she told the Today programme. 


07:34 AM

UK Government not considering Australian approach to tackling migrant issue, says minister

A minister has said the Government is not considering an Australian-style "pushback" approach to stopping migrants arriving in the UK, in which they would be intercepted and returned to whichever country they had just left. 

Care minister Helen Whately told BBC Breakfast the Home Secretary was working to "bring this to an end", and that immigration minister Chris Philp would be talking "directly with the French Government about working together to stop this transit."

She added: "Options are being looked at to how we make sure that we stop this passage of boats across the Channel and the Home Secretary has appointed Dan O'Mahoney, a former Royal Marine, to lead the efforts on this front and will look at all the best ways to do so."

Asked about the "pushback" model used in Australia and if it was being looked at, she said: "Not as far as I know. I think we shouldn't suggest that there are any simple or easy answers to this ... This is a really dangerous journey, we need to put a stop to it, we also need to put a stop to the payment to people smugglers who are enabling this to take place, this is not the right way to come to the UK."


07:28 AM

Calais MP raises questions over Royal Navy plan

The MP for Calais has questioned the value of deploying the Royal Navy to tackle rising numbers of migrants crossing the Channel, saying it is a "political" move which will do little to help. 

Immigration minister Chris Philp is travelling to Paris tomorrow to discuss the issue with French authorities, including possibly giving an additional £30m to help prevent migrants from starting the journey. It is also thought the Navy could be deployed to intercept boats before they arrive.

But Pierre-Henri Dumont told the Today programme: "I see the political point of the British government having the Royal Navy, and seeing the Royal Navy cross into the Channel to fight against illegal immigrants, but I don't see how they could do it technically speaking.

"What are they going to do if there is a small boat trying to enter British waters... Are they going to shoot?  Is the Royal Navy going to enter French waters before the migrants try to cross and arrive into British waters? That won't change anything. This is a political measure to show some kind of muscles to fight against it, but technically speaking it won't change anything." 


07:14 AM

Minister rejects calls for regular testing of children ahead of autumn return

A minister has rejected calls from unions and the Children’s Commissioner Anne Longfield for routine testing of pupils and teachers to catch and contain any resurgence of the virus when schools return.

Care minister Helen Whately told Sky News getting children back into schools this autumn was "absolutely a national priority, we're determined to see children back to school".

She said home-schooling was "not the same as children being in school and sadly we have seen children from disadvantaged backgrounds more likely to fall behind during this time, so it's essential that we have children back at school this autumn."

But while children with symptoms would have access to "a rapid test", Ms Whately said there was no "scientific evidence" to back calls for regular testing. 


07:11 AM

Dinghy with 20 Syrian migrants intercepted off coast of Dover this morning

An inflatable dinghy carrying around 20 Syrian migrants has been met by Border Force off the coast of Dover this morning.

Good weather has seen more than 677 people travel across the Channel to the UK in a surge of crossings between Thursday and Sunday. At least 65 migrants made it to the UK aboard four boats yesterday.

Home Secretary Priti Patel last year vowed that the crossings would have become an "infrequent phenomenon" by now.

The Home Office is facing criticism in recent weeks and the Government has been accused of being "increasingly chaotic" in its handling of the crisis.

An official request has been made to the Royal Navy for help and a former Royal Marine has been appointed "clandestine Channel threat commander".

The people made the crossing early this morning - PA

07:05 AM

Daily covid death count could be scrapped

The official Covid-19 daily death toll may never be brought back following an investigation into Public Health England's method of counting it, the Telegraph understands.

The conclusions of the review, which was ordered by Matt Hancock after it emerged officials were "over-exaggerating” deaths from the virus, are expected this week.

One expected recommendation would be to stop daily reporting altogether and move to a weekly official death toll instead, a government source said on Sunday night.

The review has been “looking at all options,” the source said.

On July 17, the Health Secretary asked PHE to urgently investigate the way daily death statistics had been reported, leading PHE to say it was “pausing” the daily release.

It came after Oxford University experts revealed a significant proportion of the daily out-of-hospital death toll relates to patients who recovered from the virus weeks or months earlier.