Angola, Namibia and the Democratic Republic of Congo will face visa sanctions, blocking their tourists, VIPs and business people from travelling to Britain if they do not improve co-operation on removals.

Ms Mahmood said: "In Britain, we play by the rules. When I said there would be penalties for countries that do not take back criminals and illegal immigrants, I meant it.

"My message to foreign governments today is clear: accept the return of your citizens or lose the privilege of entering our country."

The move was reportedly inspired by President Trump's homeland security secretary, Kristi Noem, who has overseen the mass deportation policy in the US, according to The Times.

Ms Mahmood will address the House of Commons today to lay out "the most sweeping reforms to tackle illegal migration in modern times", effectively since the Second World War.

Modelled on the Danish system, the aim is to make the UK less attractive for illegal immigrants and make it easier to deport them.

Under the plans, the home secretary will bring forward a bill to change how article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), the right to family life, is applied in migration court cases.

The Home Office has said it's seen a rise in the use of rights-based appeals in recent years as a means of avoiding deportation.

The changes would see only those with immediate family in the UK, such as a parent or child, being able to use article 8 in future.

The home secretary, who has been in the job for 73 days, also plans to change the law so that multiple attempts to appeal against refusals for asylum will no longer be allowed.

Furthermore, refugees would face a 20-year wait before they can apply for permanent settlement.

The Home Office said the "golden ticket" deal has seen asylum claims surge in the UK, drawing people across Europe, through safe countries, on to dangerous small boats.

Under the proposals, refugee status would become temporary and subject to regular review, with refugees removed once their home countries are deemed safe.

Housing and weekly allowances would also no longer be guaranteed.

The shake-up also envisages the introduction of safe and legal routes to the UK in a bid to cut dangerous journeys across the Channel.

A new independent body - similar to one in Denmark - is planned to fast-track the removal of dangerous criminals, and last-minute appeals would be expedited.

Ms Mahmood has denied that her plans are "racist", instead describing them as a "moral mission".

She said illegal immigration was causing "huge divides" in the UK, adding: "I do believe we need to act if we are to retain public consent for having an asylum system at all."

Read more:
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Speaking on Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips, Ms Mahmood said she had observed how illegal migration had been "creating division across our country".

She added: "I can see that it is polarising communities across the country. I can see that it is dividing people and making them estranged from one another. I don't want to stand back and watch that happen in my country."

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said: "Britain has always been a fair, tolerant and compassionate country - and this government will always defend those values.

"But in a more volatile world, people need to know our borders are secure and rules are enforced. These reforms will block endless appeals, stop last-minute claims and scale up removals of those with no right to be here."

Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch welcomed Ms Mahmood "finally talking seriously about tackling illegal immigration", but called the plans "weak".

She said: "If the home secretary actually wants to cut illegal immigration, she should take up my offer to sit down with her and work on a plan that will actually stop the boats, rather than a few weak changes that will meet the approval of Labour MPs."

Speaking earlier on Sunday, Reform UK leader Nigel Farage said: "The home secretary sounds like a Reform supporter."

"Sadly with the Human Rights Act and ECHR membership, the changes won't survive the courts or probably even her own backbenchers," he added.

The Refugee Council warned that the government would accrue a cost of £872m over 10 years as a result of the need to review asylum seekers' status to remain in the UK.

Enver Solomon, the charity's chief executive, insisted the changes "will not deter people from making dangerous crossings, but they will unfairly prevent men, women and children from integrating into British life".

Latest Home Office figures show 39,075 people have arrived in the UK after crossing the English Channel in small boats so far this year.

The arrivals have already passed the number for the whole of 2024 (36,816) and 2023 (29,437), but the number is below the total for 2022 (45,774).

She's been in the job for 73 days - and is now announcing "the most sweeping reforms to tackle illegal migration in modern times" - effectively since the Second World War.

Politics latest: Mahmood dismisses 'tittle-tattle' over leadership rumours

Her language is not just tough - it's radical. Not what you'd have expected to hear from a Labour home secretary even just a few months ago.

"Illegal migration", she believes, "is tearing our country apart. The crisis at our borders is out of control".

Her team argues that those never-ending images of people crossing the Channel in small boats have led to a complete loss of faith in the government's ability to take any action at all - let alone deliver on its promises.

The political reality is that successive failures of Tory and Labour ministers have fuelled the inexorable rise of Reform.

But speaking to Sir Trevor Phillips on Sky News, Ms Mahmood firmly hit back at suggestions today's announcements are pandering to a racist narrative from the far right.

"It's not right-wing talking points or fake news or misinformation that is suggesting that we've got a problem," she said.

"I know, because I have now seen this system inside out. It is a broken system. We have a genuine problem to fix. People are angry about something that is real.

"It is my job, therefore, to think of a proper solution to this very real problem, to do so in line with my values as a Labour politician, but also as a British citizen, and to have solutions that work so that I can unite a divided country."

There are many striking elements to this.

While she's not been in the job for all that long, her government has been in power for 16 months. Her own press release highlights that over the past full calendar year asylum claims here have gone up by 18% - compared with a drop of 13% elsewhere in the EU.

The UK, she argues, has become a "golden ticket" for asylum seekers due to "far more generous terms" than other countries in Europe.

While she politely insists that her predecessor's policies - the one in one out deal with France, closer partnership with law enforcement across Europe - are beginning to take effect, the message is clear. No one in office before Shabana has had the stomach to grasp the nettle.

The Home Office is determined to present their boss as the new hard woman of British politics.

In a bleak warning to those in her party who will be deeply uncomfortable with this unflinching approach, we're told she believes this is "the last chance for decent, moderate politics".

"If these moderate forces fail, something darker will follow…. if you don't like this, you won't like what follows me."

That's a clear reference to the anti-asylum policies of Reform and the Conservatives, who are pledging to leave the European Convention on Human Rights and deport all illegal arrivals.

Both parties have responded by effectively claiming they don't trust Labour to deliver on this, given they believe the government has lost control of our borders and overseen a surge in asylum claims.

That much Ms Mahmood herself has already acknowledged.

It's unusual to hear a Conservative shadow minister like Chris Philp responding to a government announcement by claiming they will support the "sensible steps" the Home Office is making.

Unsurprisingly, he went on to belittle her ideas as "very small steps" combined with "gimmicks" - but the main thrust of his critique was that Labour lacks the authority to push these kinds of measures through parliament, given the likely opposition from their own left wingers.

It's a fair point - but the lack of fundamental disagreement highlights the threat these plans pose to her opponents.

If the government looks like it might actually succeed in bringing down the numbers - and of course that's a colossal if - Ms Mahmood will effectively have outflanked and neutralised much of the threat from both the Tories and Reform.

That's why she's so keen to mention her Danish inspiration - a centre-left government which managed to see off the threat from right-wing parties through its tough approach to migration, without having to leave the ECHR.

Read more:
Mahmood threatens Trump-style visa ban on three countries
Migrants shopping for life jackets: Inside the route to the Channel
Here's how the Danish migration model works

The Home Office is planning further announcements on new safe and legal routes.

But refugee charities have described the new measures as harsh, claiming they will scapegoat genuine refugees, fail to integrate them into society, and fail to function as a deterrent either.

There will surely be an almighty internal row among Labour MPs about the principle of ripping up the post-war settlement for refugees.

For a government floundering after the political chaos of the last few weeks and months, Ms Mahmood is a voice of certainty and confidence.

At a moment of such intense backroom debate over the party's future direction, it's hard to avoid seeing her performance this weekend as a starting pitch for the leadership.

The president said on Truth Social that politicians from his own party should back the move.

"We have nothing to hide, and it's time to move on from this Democrat Hoax perpetrated by Radical Left Lunatics in order to deflect from the Great Success of the Republican Party..." Mr Trump wrote.

Thousands of Epstein's documents were released by a committee last week - and a few mentioned Mr Trump.

One email described Mr Trump as "that dog that hasn't barked" and that "Virginia spent hours at my house with him".

The White House said the emails were selectively leaked to "create a fake narrative to smear President Trump".

The president has always denied any wrongdoing and said he fell out with the disgraced financier way before his crimes against underage girls came to light.

However, pressure to release all government documents about Epstein - who killed himself in 2019 - has increased amid persistent rumours of a cover-up.

A growing number of Republican lawmakers and loyal Trump supporters also want the documents made public.

Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, a staunch MAGA loyalist, backed the petition that proposed holding the vote and provoked a vicious backlash from the president - who labelled her a "traitor" and a "ranting lunatic".

The bill would force the Justice Department to release all files and communications on Epstein, as well as any information about his death in prison - another persistent topic among conspiracy theorists.

Information about victims or ongoing federal investigations would be redacted.

Read more:
What do Epstein files say about Trump, Andrew and Mandelson?
Who is MAGA ally Marjorie Taylor Greene?

Democratic representative Ro Khanna - an original sponsor of the petition - said on Sunday he expected 40 Republicans to support the move.

However, Republican Thomas Massie told US media "100 or more" of his colleagues could vote for the bill.

The Republicans currently have 219 seats in the House of Representatives against 214 for the Democrats, suggesting it will pass. However, its fate in the Senate is unclear.

The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mike Johnson, struck a similar tone to the president as he sought to play down the vote.

He told Fox News on Sunday: "We'll just get this done and move it on. There's nothing to hide."

The staggering levels of child poverty here also feel like they belong in a different time.

Six out of every seven children in Newport are classified as living in poverty.

The measure is defined by the Child Poverty Action Group as a household with an income less than 60% of the national average.

More than half of children across the whole of the constituency of Middlesbrough and Thornaby East are growing up in poverty.

As a long-awaited new strategy on child poverty is expected from the government, much of the focus on tackling the problem has been placed on lifting the two-child cap on benefits for families.

Researchers say there is direct link between areas with the highest rates of child poverty and those with the highest proportion of children affected by that two-child cap.

Mother-of-three Gemma Grafton said: "Maybe if families do have more than two children, give them that little bit of extra help because it would make a difference."

Three months ago, she and partner Lee welcomed baby Ivie into the world. With two daughters already, the cap means they receive no additional universal credit.

"You don't seem to have enough money some months to cover the basics," said Lee.

"Having to tell the kids to take it easy, that's not nice, when they're just wanting to help themselves to get what they want and we've got to say 'Try and calm down on what you're eating' because we haven't got the money to go and get shopping in," added Gemma.

The couple had to resort to paying half of the rent one month, something they say is stressful and puts their home at risk.

Those who work in the area of child poverty say they are engaged in a battle with child exploitation gangs who will happily step in and offer children a lucrative life of crime.

"Parents are crying that they're failing because they can't provide for their children," said Tracey Godfrey-Harrison, project manager at the Middlesbrough Food Bank.

"In today's society, it's disgraceful that anyone should have to cry because they don't have enough."

In the shadow of a former steelworks, Dormanstown Primary Academy serves pupils in a community hit hard by the economic collapse that followed.

The school works with charities and businesses to increase opportunities for pupils now and in the future.

Katrina Morley, the academy's chief executive, said: "A child who hasn't been able to sleep properly can't concentrate. They're tired. We know that the brain doesn't work in the same way. A child who is hungry can't access the whole of life.

"When you face hardship, it affects not just your physiology but your emotional sense, your brain development, your sense of worth. They don't get today back and their tomorrow is our tomorrow."

The school's year six pupils see the value of things like the on-site farm shop for families in need.

They are open about their own worries, too.

Bonnie, 10, said: "I think that's very important because it ensures all the people in our community have options if they're struggling.

"It can be life-changing for families in poverty or who have a disadvantage in life because they don't have enough money and they're really struggling to get their necessities."

Mark, also 10, said: "I worry about if we have nowhere to live and if we haven't got enough money to pay for our home. But at least we have our family."

They also see the homelessness in the area as the impact of poverty. "I think it actually happens more often than most people think," said Leo, "because near the town, there's people on the streets and they have nowhere to go."

The school is one of many calling for the lifting of the two-child cap.

The need for life's essentials has prompted more than 50 families to register for help at Barney's Baby Bank in the last 11 months. Nappies, wipes, clothing, shoes, toys, are a lifeline for those who call in.

Founder Debbie Smith said local people "are struggling with food. They're obviously struggling to clothe their babies as well. It's low wages, high unemployment, job insecurity and that two-child benefit cap".

"Middlesbrough does feel ignored," she added.

A government spokesperson said: "Every child, no matter their background, deserves the best start in life. That's why our Child Poverty Taskforce will publish an ambitious strategy to tackle the structural and root causes of child poverty.

"We are investing £500m in children's development through the rollout of Best Start Family Hubs, extending free school meals and ensuring the poorest don't go hungry in the holidays through a new £1bn crisis support package."

Read more on Sky News:
Progress 'being made' on poverty
Warning over 'great poverty distraction'

But what is the message to those making the decisions from the North East?

"Come and do my job for a week and see the need and the desperation the people are in," said Ms Godfrey-Harrison. "There needs to be more done for people in Middlesbrough."

There are three other similar locations in the country and run by the Jordanian authorities holding aid intended for Gaza.

There are also large amounts of aid being stored separately by the United Nations in Jordan.

Both the Jordanian authorities and the UN say the majority of aid collected has been sitting in Jordan since March, with only a negligible amount of aid being allowed into Gaza because of Israeli restrictions on aid going into the Strip.

The news comes as tens of thousands of families living in tents in Gaza have been affected by flooding following heavy rains across the region.

The stored aid is equivalent to thousands of trucks' worth of aid - in Jordan alone.

And the United Nations says there's even more aid being held back in Egypt too - in total, enough aid to provide food for the entire Gaza population for about three months, according to the deputy commissioner general for UNRWA, Natalie Boucly, who was interviewed by The Guardian.

Sky's special correspondent Alex Crawford, who is in Amman, said: "The aid in Jordan alone includes critical supplies such as tents and tarpaulins as well as blankets, mattresses, medicines like paracetamol as well as baby formula... all being stored here and held back, according to the UN here in Jordan and the Jordanian authorities, all being refused entry by the Israelis."

What has UNICEF said?

The UN aid agency for children has called on Israel to allow all of its supplies into Gaza.

Writing on X, UNICEF said it had already distributed more than 5,000 tents, 220,000 tarps and 29,000 winter clothes kits.

The Israeli defence body in charge of humanitarian aid in Gaza, COGAT, has said it is allowing in winter materials including blankets and tarps, which are water-resistant sheets made of canvas or plastic used for protection from the elements.

But aid organisations have warned the efforts are completely inadequate and vastly outnumbered by those in need - an estimated 1.4 million people are classified as vulnerable by aid agencies.

In contrast, on X, COGAT said it had "facilitated close to 140,000 tarpaulins directly to the residents of the Gaza Strip" and had spent the past few months coordinating with the international community.

It went on: "We call on international organisations to coordinate more tents and tarpaulins and other winter humanitarian responses."

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But the UN insists Israel is in breach of international humanitarian law and has the responsibility as the occupying force to ensure the safe distribution and coordination of life-saving aid.

What does the Israeli military say?

An Israeli military official told Sky News that aid was stopped from Jordan after the main border crossing with Israel was closed following an attack there in September, which saw a Jordanian truck driver kill two Israeli soldiers.

Although both Jordanian officials and UN figures in the country say hardly any aid - a "negligible" amount - was allowed into Gaza from Jordan many months before this, dating back to March.

The Israeli military official said the crossing will not be opened until an investigation is concluded into the incident. They pointed out that there are other routes for aid to enter Gaza along the Egypt border, and hundreds of trucks enter the strip every day under the Israel-Hamas ceasefire agreement.

However, the UN and multiple aid organisations say this is a fraction of what is required to meet the huge need inside Gaza and there are thousands of trucks' worth of aid also piled up and waiting to be allowed over from Egypt too.

Meanwhile, in the sprawling Muwasi tent camp in Gaza, winter's first strong rainfall sent water cascading through the flimsy tents, which are now homes to tens of thousands of displaced families.

Residents tried to dig trenches to keep the water from flooding their tents, as intermittent rains that began on Friday poured through tears in tarpaulins and makeshift shelters.

'Water puddles are inches high'

Assil Naggar said he "spent all (Friday) pushing water out of my tent", adding his neighbours' tents and belongings were wrecked.

"Water puddles are inches high, and there is no proper drainage," he continued.

The UN said Muwasi was sheltering up to 425,000 displaced Palestinians earlier this year, the vast majority in makeshift temporary tents, after Israel's war with Hamas displaced most of Gaza's population of more than two million people.

The bulk of Gaza's infrastructure is estimated to have been destroyed or badly damaged during the Israeli bombardment.

What's the latest with the ceasefire?

The first stage of the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, which took effect on 10 October, is now nearing its end with Israeli forces pulling back to a 'yellow line' and Hamas releasing all living Israeli captives who were held in Gaza.

Hamas has yet to return the remains of three more hostages, which Israel is demanding before progressing to the second stage, which includes an international stabilisation force to oversee security in Gaza.

On Monday, the UN Security Council is expected to vote on a US proposal for a UN mandate for such a force despite opposition from Russia, China and some Arab countries.

The Israeli bombardment of Gaza has gone on for more than two years, killing nearly 70,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, according to the Palestinian territory's ministry of health, which does not distinguish between civilians and combatants.

The Israeli military campaign came in response to attacks inside southern Israel by Hamas militants on October 7 2023, which saw 1,200 people killed and 251 taken hostage.