Is Britain too soft on immigration? Migration is one of the major issues driving voters towards Reform UK. Labour hopes to lure them back — but critics warn their plans may backfire.
New asylum rules among ‘strictest in Europe’
Rush: French politicians claim that the UK's illegal economy is encouraging more people to travel to Calais beaches in the hope of reaching the UK. Glossary
Refugees - Anyone fleeing conflict or persecution is defined as a refugee by the UN as a refugee, regardless of where they are from.
Civil War - A war between citizens of the same country.
Labour party - The main left-wing political party in the UK.
Populist - The term comes from the People's Party, which operated in the USA in the 1890s. Now, it is often used to refer to any movement that makes a distinction between the "people" and the corrupt "establishment".
Reform UK - Officially Reform UK, a political party set up in 2018 as the Brexit Party. Its most prominent figure is Nigel Farage.
Home secretary - In Britain, they are responsible for national security, immigration and policing.
Irregular migration - The movement of people to a country outside the legal norms — for example, by overstaying a visa or entering without permission.
parliament - An assembly of representatives, usually of an entire nation, that makes laws.
Asylum - When a state agrees to shelter somebody who is fleeing dangerous circumstances. The right to asylum is protected in international law by the 1951 Refugee Convention.
EU - European Union. An economic and political union of 27 countries.
Greece - A country in southeastern Europe with a population of more than 10 million.
Spain - A country in southwestern Europe with about 48 million people. It is located on the Iberian Peninsula and bordered by Portugal, France, and the Mediterranean Sea.
North Africa - The northern portion of the African continent
Middle East - The lands around the east of the Mediterranean Sea and Arabia.
Asylum seekers - People who have left their countries due to danger and are seeking refuge elsewhere.