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Monday, February 23, 2026

Tag: asylum
February 17, 2026
1A
Bonkers Britain

Trump Looks Set to Grant Refuge to Man Prosecuted for Blasphemy Against Islam in UK.

PULSE POINTS

âť“WHAT HAPPENED: A refugee in Britain, Hamit Coskun, is facing a de facto blasphemy case after burning a Quran outside the Turkish embassy in London. The Trump administration is considering granting him refugee status in the U.S. if he loses his case.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Hamit Coskun, the Trump administration, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), and Moussa Kadri, a passerby involved in the incident.

đź“ŤWHEN & WHERE: The incident occurred outside the Turkish embassy in London. The CPS is challenging the overturned conviction in court on Tuesday.

đź’¬KEY QUOTE: “For me, as the victim of Islamic terrorism, I cannot remain silent. I may be forced to flee the UK and move to the USA, where President Trump has stood for free speech and against Islamic extremism.” – Hamit Coskun

🎯IMPACT: The case highlights the differences in free speech laws between the United States and the United Kingdom and may escalate tensions between the two nations.

IN FULL

The Trump administration is reportedly considering offering refugee status to Hamit Coskun, a Turkish refugee in Britain who burned a Quran outside the Turkish embassy in London, if he loses an ongoing legal battle. Coskun was initially convicted after setting fire to the Islamic holy book while shouting, “Islam is religion of terrorism” and “f*ck Islam.”

He was first charged with harassing the “religious institution of Islam,” with prosecutors amending to allegations after backlash to disorderly behavior in public but preserving the essential form of the case. Coskun’s conviction was overturned following support from advocacy groups including the National Secular Society and the Free Speech Union, which argued the prosecution amounted to enforcing a blasphemy law. The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) is now challenging that decision, reopening the case.

During the incident, a bystander, Moussa Kadri, attacked Coskun with a knife and later kicked him after he fell. Kadri only received a suspended sentence.

Coskun has expressed fears for his safety and concerns about freedom of speech in the United Kingdom. “For me, as the victim of Islamic terrorism, I cannot remain silent. I may be forced to flee the UK and move to the USA, where President Trump has stood for free speech and against Islamic extremism,” he said. He added, “If I have to do so, then, to me, the UK will have effectively fallen to Islamism and the speech codes that it wishes to impose on the non-Muslim world.”

According to reports, officials under President Donald J. Trump have cited Coskun’s case as part of broader concerns about free speech protections in Britain.

Notably, the Trump administration recently granted refugee status to dozens of white South Africans, citing anti-white racism and attacks. In a separate case, German right-wing activist Naomi Seibt sought asylum in the United States, receiving support from Representative Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL), who said she would advocate on Seibt’s behalf.

Image by Frankie Fouganthin.

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February 11, 2026
Crime
Immigration
UK

Afghan Convicted for Kidnap and Repeated Rape of 12-Year-Old.

PULSE POINTS

âť“WHAT HAPPENED: An Afghan asylum seeker was found guilty of abducting and raping a 12-year-old girl in a targeted attack in Nuneaton, England.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Afghan national Ahmad Mulakhil, 23, was convicted of multiple offences. His co-defendant, Mohammad Kabir, was acquitted of all charges.

đź“ŤWHEN & WHERE: The attack occurred last summer in Nuneaton. The trial took place at Warwick Crown Court.

đź’¬KEY QUOTE: “He will plainly receive a substantial custodial sentence which will automatically make him liable for deportation at its conclusion.” – Judge Kristina Montgomery KC

🎯IMPACT: The case sparked protests and calls for more transparency from public figures regarding the immigration status of offenders.

IN FULL

Ahmad Mulakhil, a 23-year-old Afghan asylum seeker, has been convicted of multiple serious offences following a targeted attack on a 12-year-old girl in Nuneaton, England, last summer. A jury at Warwick Crown Court found him guilty of rape, two counts of sexual assault, child abduction, and taking an indecent video of the child. He had also admitted to an additional rape charge before the trial began.

Mulakhil arrived in Britain around four months before the attack after submitting an immigration application that referred to unspecified “problems” in Afghanistan. Although the jury was not told how he entered the country, it later emerged that he had arrived illegally on a small boat.

His co-defendant, Mohammad Kabir, also an Afghan asylum seeker, was cleared of all charges, including intentional strangulation, attempted child abduction, and committing an offence with intent to commit a sexual offence. Kabir denied any wrongdoing, telling the court that he “never touched the victim and had no sexual intentions toward her.” He claimed to be 22, while court records listed his age as 24.

Remanding Mulakhil in custody ahead of sentencing, Judge Kristina Montgomery KC said, “He will plainly receive a substantial custodial sentence which will automatically make him liable for deportation at its conclusion.” This does not mean he definitely will be deported, however, with many foreign sex offenders in Britain able to use human rights laws to stay in the country.

The convictions drew sharp reactions from senior political figures. Reform Paarty leader Nigel Farage and Warwickshire County Council leader George Finch accused authorities of a “cover-up” over how details of the case were handled publicly. Farage renewed calls for police to routinely disclose the immigration status of criminal suspects, something that is not standard practice despite being permitted under current guidance “if deemed necessary for legitimate policing purposes.”

The case has added to wider debate following other recent reports involving Afghan nationals in the United Kingdom and the United States, including prosecutions for serious sexual offences, fatal stabbings, and alleged terror threats.

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December 10, 2025
Crime
UK

Afghan Charged With Rape of Underage Teens.

PULSE POINTS

âť“WHAT HAPPENED: An Afghan migrant has been charged with the rape of two teenage girls in England.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Sultani Bakatash, a 28-year-old Afghan national, and two girls aged 14.

đź“ŤWHEN & WHERE: The alleged incidents occurred in Bolton, Greater Manchester, with the arrest taking place on Sunday, December 7.

💬KEY QUOTE: “This is a deeply concerning report, and our priority is supporting the two young girls and their families at this traumatic time.” – Chief Superintendent Helen Critchley

🎯IMPACT: The case highlights ongoing concerns about safeguarding young girls and public safety amid ongoing mass migration.

IN FULL

An Afghan migrant, Sultani Bakatash, aged 28, has been charged with serious sexual offences against two 14-year-old girls in Bolton, Greater Manchester. He faces two counts of rape of a girl under 16, one count of sexual assault, and one count of assault by penetration. Greater Manchester Police arrested Bakatash in the early hours of Sunday, December 7, after receiving a report of a rape at an apartment in the Middle Hulton area.

Authorities allege he contacted the girls online before meeting them in person. Both victims are receiving support from specialist officers, and police say no one else is being sought in connection with the incident. Bakatash has been remanded in custody and appeared at Manchester and Salford Magistrates’ Court on December 9.

This case adds to ongoing concerns about crimes involving asylum seekers, many of whom come to Britain illegally by boat, with tens of thousands housed in taxpayer-funded hotels across the country, sometimes close to schools. Reports indicate hundreds of migrants in such accommodations have faced charges for serious offences, including rape and sexual assault.

Separate incidents have involved asylum seekers accused or convicted of sex attacks on children, with one case involving a migrant who stabbed a migrant hotel worker to death earlier this year.

Image by Metro Centric.

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December 2, 2025
Immigration
UK

Third of Students in Britain’s ‘Asylum Capital’ Don’t Speak English as Their First Language.

PULSE POINTS

âť“WHAT HAPPENED: Primary (elementary) schools in Britain’s “asylum capital” report that nearly one-third of pupils do not speak English as their first language, highlighting challenges linked to record migration levels.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Glasgow City Council, Councillor Christina Cannon, and Glasgow children, parents, and teachers.

đź“ŤWHEN & WHERE: The latest data was revealed in December 2025, focusing on primary schools in Glasgow, Scotland.

💬KEY QUOTE: “We have seen an explosion in the number of children who need English as an additional language support.” – Councillor Christina Cannon

🎯IMPACT: Schools are struggling with stretched resources, cultural divides, and concerns over integration and education standards.

IN FULL

New figures from Glasgow, Scotland‘s largest city and Britain’s “asylum capital,” show that 31 percent of primary (elementary) school pupils now require support for English as an additional language (EAL). That represents a 24 percent rise since 2020, with Arabic, Polish, Urdu, and Punjabi among the most commonly spoken.

Glasgow City Council education lead Christina Cannon said the increase reflects waves of migration, including refugees from Syria, Ukraine, and Afghanistan, with Glasgow having far more asylum seekers dumped on it per capita than any other city in the United Kingdom.

“We have seen an explosion in the number of children who need English as an additional language support,” Cannon said, warning of severe strain despite expensive efforts such as hiring EAL coordinators in over 100 schools, with some schools forced to rely on tools like Google Translate for parent-teacher meetings.

One parent described her child’s class as having “15 different languages—it’s wonderful in theory, but [my son is] struggling because the teacher spends half the day translating.” Others worry that children are forming cliques rather than mixing across backgrounds.

Murdo Fraser, a Conservative Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP)—roughly equivalent to a U.S. state legislature—warns “parallel societies” may begin forming, as in certain areas in London, where integration has failed and social tensions have grown.

England, which is more diverse than Scotland overall, also faces substantial issues in its schools, with White British students being in the minority at one in four schools. At least 72 schools have no White British students at all, and they comprise less than two percent of the student body in a further 474 schools.

Image by Ian Dick.

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November 25, 2025
Immigration
UK

Man Accused of Easter Bombings That Killed Hundreds Claims Asylum in Britain.

PULSE POINTS

âť“WHAT HAPPENED: A Sri Lankan national, suspected of involvement in the country’s Easter Sunday bombings in 2019, is in the United Kingdom seeking asylum.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: The asylum seeker, Sri Lankan authorities, and the British government.

đź“ŤWHEN & WHERE: The bombings occurred in April 2019 in Sri Lanka, while the asylum case is ongoing in Britain as of November 2025.

🎯IMPACT: The case will return to a first-tier tribunal for a full reassessment of the evidence, with no facts from the previous decision preserved.

IN FULL

A Sri Lankan man, granted anonymity for legal reasons, is seeking asylum in Britain after being accused of involvement in the Easter Sunday bombings in his country in 2019, which killed 269 people, including eight British citizens. The coordinated suicide attacks targeted three churches and three luxury hotels in Colombo, leaving hundreds dead and injured.

Sri Lankan authorities arrested him in January 2022 on suspicion of links to the attacks, but he was later released on bail. He then fled to the United Kingdom with his wife, arguing that he would face persecution if returned to Sri Lanka. The British Home Office rejected his asylum claim in April 2024, and an appeal was dismissed in March 2025.

Representing himself, he claimed the initial immigration tribunal judge was biased and had failed to properly assess important evidence, including inconsistencies between a Wikipedia entry and official police documents. Deputy Upper Tribunal Judge Claire Burns found that the earlier decision did contain legal mistakes, but rejected his accusation of bias, stating, “I find that there is no merit in this ground whatsoever.” Burns ordered the case to return to the first-tier tribunal for a complete rehearing, with none of the previous findings preserved.

The 2019 bombings have been attributed to Islamist extremist groups believed to have ties to the Islamic State, and the dead included Christians, tourists, and children.

The case comes as the United Kingdom faces unprecedented pressure on its asylum system. Government statistics show that asylum applications reached a record high of more than 111,000 in the year ending June 2025, a 14 percent rise compared with the previous year. A whistleblower from within the Home Office has claimed that some applicants accused of serious crimes, including sexual offences, have been granted asylum, alleging that staff were sometimes pressured to approve claims, including for a claimant who “posed a threat to children.”

Image by Simon Dawson / No 10 Downing Street.

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November 4, 2025
Immigration
UK

Asylum Claims Surge to Highest Number Ever in Britain.

PULSE POINTS

âť“WHAT HAPPENED: Britain recorded 108,000 asylum applications in 2024, marking the highest number ever, according to new Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) data.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s Labour government, Border Force personnel, and asylum seekers.

đź“ŤWHEN & WHERE: The data covers 2024, with the United Kingdom surpassing previous records and facing increased crossings of the English Channel by boat migrants.

🎯IMPACT: The figures add to the ongoing migration crisis in Britain, with rising crossings and public demand for stricter deportation measures.

IN FULL

Britain has recorded the highest number of asylum claims in Europe, as new figures reveal a record 108,000 applications were made in 2024. The data, released by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), shows a 28 percent increase from the previous year’s 84,000, marking the largest total ever documented in the United Kingdom. The previous peak was in 2002, when 103,000 people sought asylum.

While Britain’s numbers surged, several European neighbours experienced declines. Germany, traditionally one of the largest destinations for asylum seekers, saw applications fall by nearly 100,000 to around 230,000. France also reported a decrease, while Spain and Italy received 164,000 and 151,000 claims, respectively. Although both totals were higher than Britain’s in absolute terms, their growth rates were far lower.

The OECD also reported around 44,000 unauthorised attempts to enter the United Kingdom in 2024, mostly through small boat crossings of the English Channel. That figure was up from 37,000 in 2023. Pakistani nationals accounted for the largest group of asylum seekers, submitting more than 10,000 applications, followed by Afghans and Iranians, who each filed over 8,000 claims.

The surge in migration has intensified pressure on Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s leftist Labour government, which faces growing criticism over its handling of border control. The situation has worsened over 2025, with more than 35,000 migrants crossing the Channel, a 25 percent rise compared to the same period last year.

Broader migration trends continue to stir public concern. Former Immigration Minister Robert Jenrick warned in 2024 that “mass immigration is crushing national prosperity, not raising it,” stressing that the pace of arrivals is placing a serious strain on housing and public services. Official data indicate that Britain’s population grew by more than 750,000 in the year to mid-2024, with net migration accounting for almost all of that increase.

The recent appointment of far-left Muslim Shabana Mahmood as Home Secretary, roughly equivalent to U.S. Homeland Security Secretary, in September 2025 has also drawn attention. Her promotion places her in charge of border security and migration policy, though some commentators have described her as a figure whose priorities may focus more on leftist ideas like “social justice” than immigration enforcement.

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October 31, 2025
News
World

South Africa Complains About Trump Prioritizing White, Afrikaner Refugees.

PULSE POINTS

âť“WHAT HAPPENED: The South African government criticised the Trump administration’s decision to prioritize refugee applications from white Afrikaners, denying that the country is at risk of a “white genocide.”

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: President Donald J. Trump, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, South Africa’s ambassador to Washington, Ebrahim Rasool, and Afrikaners.

đź“ŤWHEN & WHERE: The announcement was made on October 30, with earlier discussions in May during a meeting in the Oval Office.

🎯IMPACT: The U.S. refugee cap has been reduced to its lowest level on record, with most places expected to go to white South African Afrikaners.

IN FULL

The South African government has condemned the Trump administration’s decision to prioritize refugee applications from white Afrikaners, dismissing claims of a “white genocide.” Officials in Pretoria claim that South Africa’s crime statistics do not show white citizens being disproportionately targeted—although South African statistics intentionally obscure the racial background of criminals and their victims—and branded the U.S. policy politically motivated and racially divisive.

The criticism follows an announcement by the Trump administration setting America’s annual refugee cap at 7,500, the lowest on record, and indicating that most of those places will likely go to Afrikaners. President Donald J. Trump had previously offered refugee status to Afrikaners after South African President Cyril Ramaphosa signed a law permitting the expropriation of land without compensation, widely perceived as an attempt to dispossess Afrikaner farmers.

In a tense Oval Office meeting earlier this year, Trump confronted Ramaphosa, noting that white farmers were being killed and persecuted. Trump’s State Department has accused South African authorities of failing to prevent farm murders and alleged “extrajudicial killings” of white landowners, claims that South African officials claim are politically motivated.

South Africa’s ambassador to Washington, Ebrahim Rasool, was expelled after criticising Trump’s remarks. Rasool accused the U.S. president of “mobilising a supremacism” and “projecting white victimhood,” while the South African government insisted that violent crime affects all racial groups.

Despite U.S. claims of “systemic violence against white farmers,” Ramaphosa denounced Afrikaners who accepted U.S. asylum, calling them “cowards” for fleeing persecution.

Notably, Julius Malema, who leads the fourth-largest party in South Africa’s multi-party legislature, has led packed stadiums in chants of “Kill the Boer (Afrikaner), the farmer,” and warned he is “not calling for the slaughtering of white people, at least for now,” and stressing that he will not rule out doing so in the future.

The “Kill the Boer” slogan has been found at the scene of farm murders.

Image by GovernmentZA.

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October 30, 2025
Immigration
News

Trump Slashes Refugee Cap to Historic Low of 7,500, Most Places Going to Afrikaners.

PULSE POINTS

âť“WHAT HAPPENED: President Donald J. Trump set the refugee admissions ceiling at 7,500 for fiscal year 2026, the lowest cap on record.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: President Trump, Afrikaners in South Africa, and U.S. government officials.

đź“ŤWHEN & WHERE: Determination dated September 30, announced in Washington, D.C.

🎯IMPACT: This decision shifts U.S. refugee policy, focusing on Afrikaners and potentially others, while slashing the annual refugee cap.

IN FULL

President Donald J. Trump has set the refugee admissions ceiling for the 2026 fiscal year at 7,500, the lowest limit in U.S. history. The presidential determination, dated September 30, focuses on admitting South African Afrikaners, a white ethnic minority, citing persecution in their home country. The previous cap, set by former President Joe Biden, was 125,000.

When Trump returned to office in January, he immediately paused all refugee admissions, saying the program would resume only if it served “the best interest of the United States.” The administration soon began prioritizing Afrikaners for resettlement, though only 138 South Africans had been admitted by early September, according to official data. The new refugee plan also extends consideration to “other victims of illegal or unjust discrimination in their respective homelands.” A leaked internal memo from April suggested that Europeans facing discrimination for opposing mass migration or supporting populist parties could also qualify.

The new refugee limits come amid a broader tightening of immigration enforcement. Southern border crossings have dropped to their lowest level in 55 years, with around 237,000 apprehensions reported this fiscal year, a decline of more than 80 percent. At the U.S.-Canada border, illegal crossings have fallen by roughly 95 percent following a major security crackdown earlier in 2025.

Meanwhile, deportations have accelerated. Federal immigration authorities report that the United States is on track to reach roughly 600,000 removals by the end of the year. Since January 2025, more than half a million illegal immigrants have been deported, and officials say voluntary departures have also risen sharply.

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September 2, 2025
Immigration

SecDef Hegseth Drafting 600 Military Judges to Clear Backlog of Immigration Cases.

PULSE POINTS

âť“WHAT HAPPENED: The Trump administration is deploying military lawyers to assist with the backlog of immigration cases.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, the Department of Justice (DOJ), and the White House.

📍WHEN & WHERE: A memo dated August 27 outlined plans to begin deploying 150 military lawyers to the DOJ “as soon as practicable.”

đź’¬KEY QUOTE: Clearing the backlog “should be a priority that everyone—including those waiting for adjudication—can rally around,” said a White House official.

🎯IMPACT: The move aims to double the number of immigration judges and accelerate deportation processing.

IN FULL

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has reportedly approved the assignment of 600 military lawyers to serve temporarily as immigration judges within the Department of Justice (DOJ). The immigration case backlog currently totals about 3.5 million, and the Trump administration is keen to clear it—while removing previous immigration judges with an ideological bias against deportations.

A memo obtained by the Associated Press, dated August 27, states that the Pentagon will initially deploy 150 lawyers to the DOJ “as soon as practicable,” with the first group expected to be chosen by next week. This initiative follows the dismissal or deferred resignations of some immigration judges earlier this year, leaving roughly 600 judges to manage the caseload.

The addition of military lawyers will effectively double the number of judges handling immigration cases. Beyond this, the Trump administration has deployed 1,700 National Guard troops across 19 states to aid in processing immigration cases and supporting federal immigration and law enforcement efforts.

A White House official emphasized that addressing the backlog should be a “priority that everyone—including those waiting for adjudication—can rally around.” Under the former Biden-Harris regime, illegal immigrants arriving in the U.S. en masse were being released into the country almost immediately, with little oversight beyond a requirement to appear before an immigration judge at some point years in the future.

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July 18, 2025
Politics
World

Trump Ally Bolsonaro Detained in Brazil Amid Concerns He Will Seek Asylum in U.S.

PULSE POINTS

âť“WHAT HAPPENED: Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has reportedly been fitted with an electronic ankle tag by authorities amid concerns he might seek asylum in the U.S., where he has the support of President Donald J. Trump.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Jair Bolsonaro, Brazil’s Supreme Court, President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, and President Trump.

đź“ŤWHEN & WHERE: Brazil, as Bolsonaro faces trial before the country’s Supreme Court.

đź’¬KEY QUOTE: “Terrible treatment you are receiving at the hands of an unjust system turned against you.” – Donald Trump in a letter to Bolsonaro.

🎯IMPACT: Bolsonaro is accused of plotting a coup against President Lula and faces trial, with potential implications for Brazil’s democracy and political stability.

IN FULL

Jair Bolsonaro, Brazil’s former populist president, has reportedly been fitted with an electronic ankle tag by authorities over concerns he may attempt to flee to the United States and seek asylum. Brazilian prosecutors accuse Bolsonaro, sometimes known as the ‘Tropical Trump,’ of plotting a coup against the incumbent far-left President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, and he is now facing trial before the country’s Supreme Court. The allegations have heightened tensions in Brazil, with Bolsonaro still holding significant public support.

U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly expressed his support for Bolsonaro, writing in a recent letter, “Terrible treatment you are receiving at the hands of an unjust system turned against you.” Additionally, earlier this month, Trump announced he would increase U.S. tariffs on Brazilian goods to 50 percent on August 1, 2025—in part as punishment for the country’s political persecution of Bolsonaro.

In response to the tariff threat, President Lula declared that Brazilian political leaders who support Bolsonaro and Trump are “traitors to the homeland.” He added: “Brazil has only one owner: the Brazilian people.” However, judges have already denied the Brazilian people the opportunity to vote for Bolsonaro by banning him from standing for election.

Meanwhile, in a Thursday post on Truth Social, President Trump demanded that Lula “changes course” and “stop attacking” Bolsonaro. Unlike most of the other tariff measures imposed by Trump, the trade duties on Brazilian goods are being justified in almost entirely political terms, linked to the South American country’s treatment of Bolsonaro.

Responding to the 50 percent tariff imposition in a letter to the Trump administration, Brazil expressed “indignation” at the increased trade duties. Though Lula insists he is “betting on good commercial and diplomatic relations” to ensure the U.S. tariffs on his country are lowered in the near term.

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