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LONDON: People smugglers who use social media to promote their services to migrants seeking to enter Britain illegally could face five years in prison under plans announced by the government.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s Labour government is under huge political and public pressure to cut the number of migrants arriving illegally in small boats from France. More than 25,000 people have made the crossing so far this year.
Analysis by the Interior Ministry showed around 80 percent of migrants arriving on small boats had used social media during their journey to find or communicate with people smugglers.
Under a new offense, which will be added to legislation already passing through parliament, individuals who post online to advertise services that facilitate a breach of immigration laws will face fines and prison sentences of up to five years.
It is already an offense to facilitate illegal immigration to Britain, but the government said its latest plan would give law enforcement agencies another option to disrupt the criminal gangs that profit from organizing the crossings.
Last month, the government launched a new sanctions regime allowing it to freeze assets, impose travel bans and block access to the country’s financial system for individuals and entities involved in enabling irregular migration.

ROME: Pope Leo XIV presided over a final mass in Rome for over one million young people on Sunday, the culmination of a youth pilgrimage that has drawn Catholics from across the world.

The week-long event ending Sunday, a highlight of the Jubilee holy year, was an enormous undertaking for the Vatican, with a half a million young pilgrims in Rome for most of the week.

On Saturday night, before a twilight vigil led by the pope, organizers had confirmed the attendance of 800,000 people in the vast, open-air space on Rome’s eastern outskirts, and on Sunday the Vatican said that number had grown to one million people.

Most of those attending slept on the ground in tents, in sleeping bags or or mats, awaiting Sunday’s mass under sunny skies.

To music from a choir, green-robed bishops began filling an enormous stage covered with a golden arch and a massive cross before Leo, who arrived by helicopter, began mass.

The Vatican said 450 bishops and around 700 priests participated in the final event for the youth, who have filled Rome’s streets since Monday.

The festive atmosphere reached its peak Saturday ahead of an evening vigil presided over by Leo, with Italian broadcaster Rai dubbing it a Catholic “Woodstock.”

Hundreds of thousands of youths camped out at the dusty venue, strumming guitars or singing, others snoozing, as music blasted from the stage where a series of religious bands entertained the crowds.

Leo was greeted with deafening screams and applause after his arrival by helicopter Saturday as he toured the grounds in his popemobile, with many people running to catch a better glimpse of the new American pope.

At over 500,000 square meters (125 acres), the grounds were the size of around 70 football fields.

British student Andy Hewellyn had parked himself in front of a huge video screen — a prime spot, as he could not even see the stage far away.

“I’m so happy to be here, even if I’m a bit far from the pope. I knew what to expect!” he told AFP.

“The main thing is that we’re all together.”

The youth pilgrimage came about three months after the start of Leo’s papacy and 25 years after former pope John Paul II organized the last such youth gathering in Rome.

The Church planned a series of events for the young pilgrims over the course of the week, including turning the Circus Maximus – where chariot races were held in ancient Rome – into an open-air confessional.