Amnesty International UK has labelled the government’s immigration reforms as “cruel”, “inefficient” and “costly”.

The UK government published “A Fairer Pathway to Settlement: A statement on earned settlement” in November 2025. It sets out proposals to change how our current immigration system works.

Effectively, it would change how migrants who are permitted to become permanent residents are able to do so.

The proposals include:

• Making permanent residency less available to people.
• Increasing the amount of time most people spend in the immigration system before they may apply for permanent residence.
• Reducing that if they have: a higher level of English proficiency, if they are high earners, if they hold senior positions in a public service, or if they have undertaken ‘extensive’ volunteering.
• Increasing that time for people who: arrive on a visitor visa, breach immigration rules, or have ever received public funds.
• Completely remove the option of permanent residency for anyone who has: ever received a criminal conviction, has outstanding litigation, or has NHS, tax, or other government debts.

Children born without citizenship

Amnesty is warning that the proposals will cause many more children to be born in the UK without British citizenship. This is because their parents, although long-time UK residents, will not be British citizens or permanent residents.

Amnesty states:

While the children who grow up here will become entitled to that citizenship under the British Nationality Act 1981, that right is not well understood and has over the last few decades become subject to several unjust barriers meaning many children who grow up here are at risk of losing their citizenship rights altogether.

Additionally, the proposals will “undermine integration”. Immigration reforms will make the lives of many migrants far more uncertain, for far longer. This will have substantial financial implications, from having to pay more times for permission to stay, to having to pay the very high migrant health charge more often.

Amnesty adds:

At best, people will be made less welcome and more marginalised. At worst, people will be made more at risk of destitution, homelessness, ill-health, and exploitation.

Amnesty also states:

The proposals are likely to increase pressure on the European Convention on Human Rights by not satisfying those who are antagonistic to both that Convention and migrant rights, while increasing reliance on human rights laws by migrant people seeking to protect themselves against the proposals’ worst consequences. If so, the impact – particularly given the Government is encouraging hostility to migrant people and their rights – is likely to further threaten commitment to the Convention.

The proposals are highly likely to reward and fuel xenophobia and racism, which are a direct response to the government’s hostility towards migrant people.

Of course, this is the exact opposite of what any responsible government should be doing. It risks encouraging even more demand for awful policies, which ultimately, only penalise and demonise migrants even further.

The government needs to take a long, hard look at itself—and ask if it wants to head towards a US-style system, full of fear and hatred, or one where migrants are recognised as being the backbone of any functioning society.

Feature image via UK Government

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The ‘Earthshot Prize’ eco-charity set up by royal Prince William and David Attenborough has been reported to the Charity Commission for donations linked to serial child-rapist Jeffrey Epstein. The charity awards five prizes of £1m each to environmental projects each year.

Emirati billionaire Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem’s logistics company DP World is an Earthshot ‘founding partner’. Sulayem appears in the latest release of the Epstein records in the US, having apparently sent a ‘torture video’ to Epstein. The child rapist replied in 2009 and he had “loved the torture video”. At the time, he was serving his first prison sentence at the time.

Sulayem’s email address is illegally redacted in the publicly available files. However, US congresspeople who viewed the unredacted files subsequently named him as Epstein’s correspondent. Sulayem also appears in the files emailing Epstein about the sex he had with another young woman.

Anti-monarchy group Republic lodged the complaint with the Charity Commission. The group’s CEO Graham Smith told the commission that the situation involving Epstein had undermined public trust.

the seriousness of this matter requires a full and comprehensive investigation.

Smith said: Discussions regarding the links to Epstein should not be ignored.

William has lots of questions to answer about what he knew about Andrew and Epstein and now he must explain his relationship with Sulayem. It is not credible to believe the Foreign Office, security services or other advisors were not aware of Sulayem’s character and would have been able to advise accordingly.

Earthshot has a duty to do due diligence, to ask questions about donors and where money is coming from. Did they do that here? If so, did William over rule their better judgement? In the context of this widening scandal we need answers.

William was also allowed to promote his project on a Government-funded visit to the UAE. Smith added: Due to the Epstein connection, there are serious concerns that must be addressed.

Earthshot is not a UK Government project, so why was he using visits to the Middle East to promote the charity?

The Windsors have faced repeated heckling in recent weeks for their inaction over the king’s disgraced brother Andrew. William was also questioned yesterday, 11 February 2026, about the issue during a visit to Saudi Arabia. None of the royals have ever apologised to Epstein’s victims for Andrew’s part in the serial trafficking and exploitation.

For further details on the Epstein Files, please read the Canary’s article on how the media circus around Epstein is erasing the experiences of victims and survivors.

Featured image via the Canary

3 min read21 min

The email purported to be from the ‘Mainstream’ campaign group set up last year, which is associated with Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham and other figures from the Labour left and soft left.

It was sent from [email protected], which appears to deliberately approximate the real email address of the group that ends in mainstreamlabour.org.

The message noted that Labour’s ruling national executive committee (NEC) officers had, at the encouragement of Starmer, blocked Burnham from standing as the Labour candidate in the ongoing Gorton and Denton by-election.

It described this move as “not only a profound political mistake but a serious breach of the democratic principles Labour was founded to uphold”.

The email went on to accuse the government of having “lost its moral authority” and Labour of “approaching a point of no return”.

“For that reason, on 20 November, the Mainstream Coalition will be organising a coordinated parliamentary walkout in protest of Starmer’s direction. Participating MPs will resign their seats and stand again in the ensuing by-elections,” it claimed.

“The 11 sitting Mainstream MPs have already confirmed their participation. We are now extending a confidential invitation to all Labour MPs to join us.”

The communication to Labour MPs has been reported to the police by Mainstream, which suggested in a statement that it believes it was faked by people from a different wing of the Labour Party, described as “bad faith actors driven by factionalism”.

Commenting on the incident, the Mainstream group said: “This morning, a fake email was sent to Labour MPs purporting to be from Mainstream, calling for a parliamentary walkout in November.

“This has been reported to the police. The email was not sent by Mainstream, or anyone associated with Mainstream. The address it was sent from is not one owned by us.

“Clearly, bad faith actors driven by factionalism are seeking to undermine the work that Mainstream is doing with MPs and others from all across the Labour Party to build the ideas, strategy and culture to make our time in government as transformative as possible – and put us on a firm footing in 2029.”

Burnham made clear last month that he was unhappy with the decision to block his candidacy, but the mayor has since been highly visible in the by-election campaign and this week backed Starmer staying as Prime Minister while urging the government to be more ambitious on policy.

Students, staff and trade unionists will rally at King’s College London (KCL), Strand Campus, on Thursday 12 February at 2pm. It’s part of the national workplace day of action for Palestine.

Organisers say the rally comes amid Israel’s genocide in Gaza, the de facto annexation of the occupied West Bank, and the:

escalating repression of Palestine solidarity activism in the UK.

Repression at KCL

The protest will demand the immediate reinstatement of Usama Ghanem. He’s an Egyptian KCL student who has been indefinitely suspended and had his student visa revoked. He now faces the threat of imminent deportation to Egypt, where his life is at risk.

Organisers say Usama’s case is part of a broader crackdown targeting pro-Palestine staff and students, including disciplinary action and intimidation. At KCL, more than twenty students – primarily students of colour – have faced disciplinary procedures linked to Palestine activism. However, far-right and Zionist groups have repeatedly targeted demonstrators on campus.

The rally is organised by KCL student societies, KCL UCU, and University and College Workers for Palestine, and endorsed by the Stop the War Coalition.

A spokesperson for University and College Workers for Palestine said:

Repression in the UK is not separate from what is happening in Palestine. It is part of the same system of dispossession, apartheid and genocide. Universities are disciplining and deporting activists while Israel destroys Gaza’s education system and annexes the West Bank.

A KCL staff member talked about the broader context of Usama’s suspension. They noted that the college:

escalated disciplinary action against pro-Palestine students, closed down hard-won fora on divestment and the reconstruction of Gaza’s education system, rejected all divestment demands, and unilaterally introduced new protest restrictions.

At the same time, it has failed to challenge Zionist and fascist groups like Stop the Hate and Betar, allowing them to intimidate and assault staff and students with impunity.

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Thursday’s rally will demand of KCL:

• Reinstate Usama Ghanem.
• Stop the repression and deportations of pro-Palestine activists.
• Fascists off campus.
• Divestment now.

London trade union branches with banners and delegations are due to attend at KCL. A major pledge campaign launched by supporters has already raised over £17,000 in under two weeks. It will support legal action connected to Usama’s case.

Featured image via the Canary

As we’ve reported, the recently released Epstein Files have shone an unflattering light on many powerful people. President Donald Trump is among those exposed, which is why it was unsurprising to see so many unnecessary (and illegal) redactions in the released documents.

Providing some additional transparency, members of congress have been given permission to view un-redacted files at a Department of Justice (DoJ) facility. Alarmingly, however, we’ve now discovered the following:

It is totally inappropriate and against the separations of powers for the DOJ to surveil us as we search the Epstein files. Bondi showed up today with a burn book that held a printed search history of exactly what emails I searched. That is outrageous and I intend to pursue this… https://t.co/nyZjmHoGUq

— Rep. Pramila Jayapal (@RepJayapal) February 11, 2026

‘Burn book’

As we reported, the Epstein Files Transparency Act put it into law that the DoJ must publish all the documents related to the dead paedophile. The law allows for redactions to protect victims, but no one else. Despite this, the DoJ redacted the names of Epstein’s associates and potential co-conspirators.

As a result of members of congress having access to the un-redacted Epstein Files, we’ve learned information such as the following:

BREAKING: Congressman Jamie Raskin says Trump’s name shows up in the unredacted Epstein files 1 MILLION TIMES (it was 38,000 in the redacted files) – Axios

— Secular Talk ([email protected]) (@KyleKulinski) February 10, 2026

The above would mean we only have access to 3.8% of the times that the files mention Donald Trump. Trump was not a victim of Epstein, and so his name should not have been redacted.

More has come out too, including the names of “powerful men” linked to Epstein:

BREAKING: RO KHANNA JUST UNVEILED THE NAMES OF 6 POWERFUL MEN WHO WERE REDACTED IN THE EPSTEIN FILES

Here they are:

• Salvatore Nuara
• Zurab Mikeladze
• Leonic Leonov
• Nicola Caputo
• Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem
• Leslie Wexner

Why did the Trump DOJ cover for them? pic.twitter.com/qIh6Xtn0dC

— Sulaiman Ahmed (@ShaykhSulaiman) February 10, 2026

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Others highlighted the improper redactions:

Hey ⁦@DAGToddBlanche⁩, I saw the unredacted version of this email, and there is no reason it should be redacted from the public.

Unless, of course, you are trying to protect your master @realdonaldtrump. pic.twitter.com/unEuN0GGRj

— Daniel Goldman (@danielsgoldman) February 11, 2026

Yesterday @RepRoKhanna and I found a list of names and photos in the Epstein files that DOJ had improperly redacted.

DOJ promptly unredacted the men’s names as well as several women in the list that we didn’t flag. The two redacted names are victims. https://t.co/fLLzGW9rR7 pic.twitter.com/DTfK30Kppk

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— Thomas Massie (@RepThomasMassie) February 10, 2026

We also learned the identity of a the man who sent an email referencing a “torture video”:

🚨US Rep. Thomas Massie just dropped the hammer.

After viewing the unredacted DOJ files himself, he confirms the redacted sender in that sick “torture video” email chain was none other than Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, the big-shot UAE billionaire and chairman of DP World. pic.twitter.com/6Ny85jqL9y

— Red Pill USA (@Red_Pill_US) February 10, 2026

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The revelation that the DoJ is spying on members of congress who view the Epstein Files came from Pam Bondi. Bondi was testifying on the Epstein Files before the Justice Department Oversight committee, which led to the following scenes:

Bondi: “There is no evidence that Donald Trump has committed a crime”

Lieu: “I believe you just lied under oath.”

Bondi: “Don’t you ever accuse me of a crime”

Lieu: “I’m showing you evidence.”

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I think Pam Bondi’s “career” has just come to an end today. pic.twitter.com/tkIiu3mQVB

— Daractenus (@Daractenus) February 11, 2026

Lieu: Pam Bondi lied under oath. She said there was no evidence of wrongdoing in the Epstein files of Donald Trump. That’s just a lie. There are multiple documents that show wrongdoing of Donald Trump. I showed one. A witness had called into the FBI National Threat Operations… pic.twitter.com/hMSllfYjBD

— MeidasTouch (@MeidasTouch) February 11, 2026

In one startling moment, Bondi pointedly ignored the Epstein survivors who courageously attended. The reason they’re raising their hands is because they were asked to indicate which of them have been ignored by Bondi’s DoJ:

An image we won’t soon forget. Attorney General Pam Bondi refused to look at Epstein survivors pictured behind her on the Hill today. pic.twitter.com/KYCBQCXz3Y

— The Lincoln Project (@ProjectLincoln) February 11, 2026

Several congresspeople have commented on the DoJ monitoring their activities:

As I said yesterday, the DOJ was keeping a history of all the files we were viewing.

Now we know why. https://t.co/qi5zVbZ9BO

— Rep. Suhas Subramanyam (VA-10) (@RepSuhas) February 11, 2026

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Nancy Mace began as a Trump loyalist, but has diverged from the president as a result of his handling of the Epstein case:

Yes. I will confirm. DOJ is tracking the Epstein documents Members of Congress search for, open, and review.

I was able to navigate the system today and I won’t disclose how or the nature of how; but confirmed the DOJ is tagging ALL DOCUMENTS Members of Congress search, open and…

— Rep. Nancy Mace (@RepNancyMace) February 12, 2026

For more on the Epstein Files, please read:

Featured image via MS Now

3 min read4 min

Currently in the Lords, the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill will determine the funding, responsibilities, and relationships between all tiers of local government.

My county of Surrey has benefited from a successful tapestry of governance, with one county equalling eleven districts and boroughs currently reorganising into two unitary authorities. As an MP, I love working with all forms of government – each brings a different perspective to community engagement.

The Devolution Bill presents huge opportunities to reshape how public services are delivered and how local places and people are supported. However, caution is needed as there are huge potential risks from devolution if implemented poorly.

For me, the most apparent issue is the lack of clarity demonstrated so far around parish and town councils, and their place in this new system. Thankfully, a recent report has outlined how Surrey is leading the way, and how the rest of the country can follow suit.

The Surrey Association of Local Councils (SALC) has outlined how the 80+ town and parish councils in the county play a central role in governance – delivering better services, creating more vibrant places, and building stronger, more resilient communities.

The report also sets out the staggering contribution that parish and town councils make to communities. In Surrey alone, these councils have invested more than £11 million a year, directly into their communities. This has funded a variety of community-based projects. The results of these have been incredible – reducing anti-social behaviour, managing community spaces, reducing pressure on public services by supporting volunteers, befriending schemes, and community networks, as well as cutting pollution.

Taking the example of Surrey nationally, it’s clear that when it comes to English devolution, early planning and genuine collaboration with parish and town councils will be essential to sustain the community services that residents rely on every day. This is clear in the report.  

SALC noted just how beneficial parish and town councils can be for other forms of government. For example, in just one year, improving access to parks and open spaces can generate around £115,000 in health and social care savings, while investing £300,000 in youth services can return an estimated £960,000 through better health outcomes and reduced crime.

These figures show local councils are not a cost to be cut, but one of the smartest investments taxpayers can make.

With elections taking place in 2026, ahead of the unitary councils going live in 2027, SALC is calling for early, proactive partnership working between the new authorities and town and parish councils.

The report outlines practical next steps, including local “deals” to support the transfer of services to town and parish councils where appropriate, and support for communities that wish to create new town and parish councils.

By working together from the outset, SALC believes Surrey can avoid essential community services and assets being lost, and residents feeling remote from the new, much larger authorities – and instead ensure communities continue to feel heard, supported, and proud of where they live. This is also the case for the rest of the country.

As England’s governance is on the cusp of being reshaped, the report is clear: strong, vibrant communities are built from the ground up – and collaboration with town and parish councils is key to making local government reform a success.

In recent days, Israeli media outlets revealed plans by prison authorities to inaugurate an execution facility—nicknamed the “Israeli Green Mile.” These facilities will resemble death chambers, reserved for Palestinians accused of terrorism.

Their death sentences will reportedly be carried out within 90 days of the final judicial decision.

This step represents a new escalation of violence against Palestinian detainees. Israeli outlets are concerned—as they say—with the psychological burden on executioners, with no regard for the innocence of those wrongfully detained. Israeli agents of death, who participation will reportedly be ‘voluntary,’ will reportedly undergo psychological and operational training—murder dressed up as due process.

Legalised killing grounds

The Palestinian Prisoners’ Club has warned of the danger of transforming prisons into “legalised killing grounds”. They contend that Israeli prisons are no longer detention sites, but have been transformed into spaces for torture, starvation and slow execution, as part of a retaliatory policy that legalises murder.

Prisons as tools for systematic killing

Since October 7, 2023, Palestinian detainees have endured horrific abuse at the hands of Israeli guards. Their treatment has reached new depths of depravity. Detainees are routinely denied medical care, deprived of sleep, shackled by their limbs, and subjected to sexual violence and a litany of sadistic torture methods. Collective humiliation is also part of the Israeli play book — forcing Palestinians to chant Zionist slogans, or kiss the Israeli flag.

Israeli Channel 13 quoted Israeli sources saying that the law will initially be applied to prisoners from elite battalions of the Islamic Resistance Movement—Hamas in other words—accused by Israel of carrying out the 7 October attack. It will later be rolled out in the occupied West Bank.

Execution without due process

This escalation is based on a bill submitted by the Jewish Power party, led by the fascist national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir. They proposed amending Article 301(a) of the Israeli Penal Code to allow the death penalty to be imposed on anyone accused of killing an Israeli for ‘hostile or nationalistic’ motives. This will be without the possibility of pardon.

The bill also grants military courts in the West Bank the authority to issue death sentences without unanimity and oversight.

Following the bill’s approval in its first reading, Ben-Gvir said that:

the only sentence awaiting those who kill Israelis is execution.

His remarks lay bare the retributive nature of the bill.

International warnings and Israeli disregard

UN experts are calling on Israel to withdraw the bill, stressing that the application of the death penalty in the occupied territories violates international humanitarian law and that the Israeli military legal system lacks legitimacy under the rules of occupation.

However, the right-wing Israeli government continues to push the bill as part of a broader package led by Ben-Gvir. Under the false banner of ‘strict deterrence’ they intend on reinforcing policies of repression and collective punishment.

Pundits also view the bill and state-backed push for execution wards as a response to Israel’s failure to achieve its military objectives in Gaza. As a direct consequence, Israel is desperately appealing to, and appeasing, the extreme right in Israel. Where will they draw the line?

Featured image via the Canary