Sometimes a tiny act of protest can make ripples that become big waves. In 1955 in Montgomery, Alabama, an African-American woman named Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on a bus to a white man. This was in defiance of racist segregation laws. The result was a boycott of the buses organised by a young Christian minister called Martin Luther King Jr. One act of civil disobedience by one woman captured the imagination of millions, and helped end racial segregation in the US.
In Scotland another apparently tiny act of civil disobedience may – possibly – have profound consequences for the UK. In the southside of Glasgow a few local people objected when British Home Office enforcement officers arrived at a house in Kenmure Street to arrest two asylum seekers for deportation. It was just another day's work in an immigration crackdown by the hardline British Home Secretary, Priti Patel. Arrests and deportations usually proceed without fuss. But not in Glasgow. Not this week.
At first five or six people gathered around the enforcement officers’ detention van and stopped it leaving. A man crawled under the van and lay there for eight hours. He was wearing a light T-shirt and the weather was cold, so neighbours brought out blankets and hot water bottles. Then the chanting started: “Leave our neighbours. Let them go.”
A protester obstructs an immigration van in Kenmure Street in Glasgow on Thursday. AP Photo
The Scottish government does not control immigration policy and has been welcoming to migrants and refugees. But the Westminster government, which does control immigration, promised – in their words – a “hostile environment” to those considered illegal migrants. In Glasgow that resulted in a clash of political cultures.
The arrests took place on Eid Al Fitr in an ethnically mixed area. The two arrested men are Sikhs, but Muslims, Christians and those of no particular faith took part in the protest in an area that happens to be in the parliamentary constituency of Nicola Sturgeon, Scotland's First Minister. Her Scottish National Party (SNP) has just won a very toughly contested election on a programme that demands Scottish independence from precisely the kind of Westminster authorities behind the immigration raid.
Now, I should also declare an interest. I was born in Glasgow. I love Glasgow. Glaswegians call each other “Weegees", and part of this strong local pride meant that when the English politician Nigel Farage tried to stir up anti-migrant feeling in Glasgow a couple of years ago, he was very rudely rebuffed. Signs appeared ridiculing Mr Farage and welcoming refugees, many of them from Syria, Afghanistan and other majority Muslim countries. One popular sign said that Glasgow welcomes “Refu-Weegees", with a tagline in the Scottish dialect saying “We’re All Fae Somewhere” (“We are all from somewhere.”)
In Kenmure Street journalists appeared and were told that the immigration officials had “messed with the wrong city” and that the two arrested men were “part of the community". The Scottish police arrived too, but officers were quick to say that they were there only to keep things calm and peaceful. Their statement read: “Police Scotland does not assist in the removal of asylum seekers. Officers are at the scene to police the protest and to ensure public safety.”
Meanwhile, Scottish government ministers in Edinburgh tried to intervene but reported that they were ignored by Mrs Patel and other politicians in London. All this comes as relations between the Scottish government and Boris Johnson’s government are – to put it mildly – as chilly as lying in a Glasgow street in a T-shirt. Mr Johnson repeatedly disparages the SNP. They feel the same about him.
Back in Kenmure Street crowd members produced home-made banners that read "No One Is Illegal". And then, suddenly, the Scottish police decided to release the two detained men, with a senior police officer saying the decision was taken "to protect the safety, public health and well-being of those involved in the detention and subsequent protest".
In a world of horrors elsewhere, why should anyone care about a small, peaceful act of protest? Well, why did anyone care when an African-American woman refused to leave her bus seat back in 1955? We care because sometimes a tiny symbolic act reminds us that obeying the rules, obeying the law may be the mark of a civilised society – but not if the law itself is cruel or racist or imposed without consent and without common sense.
Ms Sturgeon tweeted her pride in leading “a country that welcomes and shows support to asylum seekers and refugees". Of course, we may find out that there is some important reason why the two men in the van should be deported from Britain. Alternatively, the events in Kenmure Street may have been a badly judged powerplay by a geographically remote government in London – a government remote from empathy too.
Yes, people should respect the law. But laws should respect people’s rights. I am cheered that in the place of my birth there are priorities beyond politics, beyond race, beyond religion – the common humanity of people standing up for their neighbours.
Gavin Esler is a broadcaster and UK columnist for The National
Where can I submit a sample?
Volunteers can now submit DNA samples at a number of centres across Abu Dhabi. The programme is open to all ages.
Backers: Berlin-based venture capital company Target Global, Kingsway, CE Ventures, Entrée Capital, Zamil Investment Group, Global Ventures, Almoayed Technologies and Mad’a Investment.
THE BIO
Occupation: Specialised chief medical laboratory technologist
Age: 78
Favourite destination: Always Al Ain “Dar Al Zain”
Hobbies: his work - “ the thing which I am most passionate for and which occupied all my time in the morning and evening from 1963 to 2019”
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
Company Profile
Name: Thndr Started: 2019 Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr Sector: FinTech Headquarters: Egypt UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi Current number of staff: More than 150 Funds raised: $22 million
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Qyubic Started: October 2023 Founder: Namrata Raina Based: Dubai Sector: E-commerce Current number of staff: 10 Investment stage: Pre-seed Initial investment: Undisclosed
The National Archives, Abu Dhabi
Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.
Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive - https://www.agda.ae/en
Our legal consultants
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
Roll of honour
Who has won what so far in the West Asia Premiership season?
Western Clubs Champions League - Winners: Abu Dhabi Harlequins; Runners up: Bahrain
West Asia Premiership - Winners: Jebel Ali Dragons; Runners up: Abu Dhabi Harlequins
UAE Premiership Cup - Winners: Abu Dhabi Harlequins; Runners up: Dubai Exiles
West Asia Cup - Winners: Bahrain; Runners up: Dubai Exiles
West Asia Trophy - Winners: Dubai Hurricanes; Runners up: DSC Eagles
Final West Asia Premiership standings - 1. Jebel Ali Dragons; 2. Abu Dhabi Harlequins; 3. Bahrain; 4. Dubai Exiles; 5. Dubai Hurricanes; 6. DSC Eagles; 7. Abu Dhabi Saracens
Fixture (UAE Premiership final) - Friday, April 13, Al Ain – Dubai Exiles v Abu Dhabi Harlequins
Frankenstein in Baghdad
Ahmed Saadawi
Penguin Press
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
SANCTIONED
Kirill Shamalov, Russia's youngest billionaire and previously married to Putin's daughter Katarina
Petr Fradkov, head of recently sanctioned Promsvyazbank and son of former head of Russian Foreign Intelligence, the FSB.
Denis Bortnikov, Deputy President of Russia's largest bank VTB. He is the son of Alexander Bortnikov, head of the FSB which was responsible for the poisoning of political activist Alexey Navalny in August 2020 with banned chemical agent novichok.
Yury Slyusar, director of United Aircraft Corporation, a major aircraft manufacturer for the Russian military.
Elena Aleksandrovna Georgieva, chair of the board of Novikombank, a state-owned defence conglomerate.
MATCH INFO
Day 1 at Mount Maunganui
England 241-4
Denly 74, Stokes 67 not out, De Grandhomme 2-28
New Zealand
Yet to bat
What is blockchain?
Blockchain is a form of distributed ledger technology, a digital system in which data is recorded across multiple places at the same time. Unlike traditional databases, DLTs have no central administrator or centralised data storage. They are transparent because the data is visible and, because they are automatically replicated and impossible to be tampered with, they are secure.
The main difference between blockchain and other forms of DLT is the way data is stored as ‘blocks’ – new transactions are added to the existing ‘chain’ of past transactions, hence the name ‘blockchain’. It is impossible to delete or modify information on the chain due to the replication of blocks across various locations.
Blockchain is mostly associated with cryptocurrency Bitcoin. Due to the inability to tamper with transactions, advocates say this makes the currency more secure and safer than traditional systems. It is maintained by a network of people referred to as ‘miners’, who receive rewards for solving complex mathematical equations that enable transactions to go through.
However, one of the major problems that has come to light has been the presence of illicit material buried in the Bitcoin blockchain, linking it to the dark web.
Other blockchain platforms can offer things like smart contracts, which are automatically implemented when specific conditions from all interested parties are reached, cutting the time involved and the risk of mistakes. Another use could be storing medical records, as patients can be confident their information cannot be changed. The technology can also be used in supply chains, voting and has the potential to used for storing property records.
if you go
The flightsFly Dubai, Air Arabia, Emirates, Etihad, and Royal Jordanian all offer direct, three-and-a-half-hour flights from the UAE to the Jordanian capital Amman. Alternatively, from June Fly Dubai will offer a new direct service from Dubai to Aqaba in the south of the country. See the airlines’ respective sites for varying prices or search on reliable price-comparison site Skyscanner.
The trip
Jamie Lafferty was a guest of the Jordan Tourist Board. For more information on adventure tourism in Jordan see Visit Jordan. A number of new and established tour companies offer the chance to go caving, rock-climbing, canyoning, and mountaineering in Jordan. Prices vary depending on how many activities you want to do and how many days you plan to stay in the country. Among the leaders are Terhaal, who offer a two-day canyoning trip from Dh845 per person. If you really want to push your limits, contact the Stronger Team. For a more trek-focused trip, KE Adventure offers an eight-day trip from Dh5,300 per person.
