UK news
fromBBC News
2 days agoPair jailed for advertising small boat crossings on Facebook
Hoang and Hop facilitated illegal migrant crossings to the UK using social media and were arrested after a five-month surveillance operation.
Some long-time supporters said they no longer wish to fund the organisation, arguing that the service is "encouraging illegal activity" and is "shocking and unacceptable." One critic told The Sun: "It's shocking to see a charity effectively acting as a taxi service for people breaking the law." A donor told The Sun, "It's shocking. They're saving lives, yes - but they're also sending the wrong message. "Stop funding them until they rethink this."
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More than 41,000 migrants crossed the Channel in small boats in 2025 - almost 5,000 more than the previous year. Home Office figures, with just the number for New Year's Eve to be added later, showed the total number of migrants crossing the Channel in the past year was 41,472, marking a 13% rise on the 36,566 for the previous 12 months. The annual total was the highest since 2022, when nearly 46,000 crossed.
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.