Tag: 2025

Keir Starmer – 2025 Comments at the Organised Immigration Summit in Central London

The comments made by Keir Starmer, the Prime Minister, on 31 March 2025.

It’s great to welcome you all to Lancaster House. It was right here, earlier this month that the UK convened leaders from across Europe together with President Zelenskyy to support a just and lasting peace in Ukraine.

Because we know that Ukraine’s security is our security. And we can only deliver it by taking bold action at home, with the biggest increase in defence spending since the Cold War.

And also, by working together with our international partners.

Now – the same is clearly true for the security of our borders.

Illegal migration is a massive driver of global insecurity. It undermines our ability to control who comes here. And that makes people angry.

It makes me angry, frankly because it is unfair on ordinary working people who pay the price, from the cost of hotels to our public services struggling under the strain.

And it’s unfair on the illegal migrants themselves. Because these are vulnerable people being ruthlessly exploited by vile gangs.

So look, we must each take decisive action in our own countries to deal with this. Nobody can doubt that the people we serve want this issue sorted.

But the truth is – we can only smash these gangs, once and for all if we work together.

Because this evil trade, it exploits the cracks between our institutions. Pits nations against one another. Profits from our inability at the political level to come together.

And that’s why from the moment I took office we said the UK would convene this Summit.

And I’m delighted today to be joined by all of you. Representatives from more than 40 countries across the world, building a truly international effort to defeat organised immigration crime.

And let me tell you why. Let me take you back to a visit I made as a relatively new Member of Parliament in 2016 to the camp on the outskirts of Calais.

I can still picture it now. The muddy ground, sodden with rain and human waste.

Children as young as five and seven, the same age as my children were then huddling together in freezing temperatures with almost nothing to keep them warm.

Now, of course, that infamous camp has long since gone. But the evil of the people smuggling businesses that put people there, that remains.

The gangs remain. That exploitation of desperation, misery and false hope – that all remains.

There’s nothing progressive or compassionate about turning a blind eye to this. Nothing progressive or compassionate about continuing that false hope which attracts people to make those journeys.

No – we have got to get to grips with it once and for all. That’s why when I spoke at the INTERPOL meeting in Glasgow last year I said we need to treat people-smuggling as a global security threat similar if you like to terrorism.

We’ve got to bring to bear all the powers we have at our disposal in much the same way we do against terrorism.

Before I was a politician, I was the Director of Public Prosecutions in England and Wales. We worked across borders throughout Europe and beyond to foil numerous plots.

Saving thousands of lives in the process. We prevented planes from being blown up over the Atlantic. And we brought the perpetrators to justice.

So I believe we should treat organised immigration crime in the exactly same way. I simply don’t believe organised immigration crime cannot be tackled.

So – we’ve got to combine resources. Share intelligence and tactics. Tackle the problem upstream at every step of the people smuggling journey, from North Africa and the Middle East to the high streets of our biggest cities.

And look, to that end, we’ve already got to work. Begun to make progress since I came into office. The UK has re-set its entire approach to international collaboration.

I’ve put smashing the gangs on the agenda of international summits. Showing that the UK now means business. Working together with our allies. We’ve struck new agreements and plans with so many of the countries represented in the room here today.

Take our work with France as a good example. Now previously – their maritime doctrine prevented French law enforcement from responding to small boats in shallow waters.

But now we’re working with them to change that, to make sure we get new border patrols and specialist units on the French coast using state-of-the-art surveillance technology.

With Germany another example, if you can believe it, it wasn’t technically illegal to facilitate people-smuggling to a country outside the EU, like the United Kingdom. But now it will be.

And with our new bilateral agreement Germany will be able to prosecute the criminal networks facilitating this vile trade.

Just a few examples of the international collaboration that is so important to taking this challenge on. And it’s beginning to bear fruit.

At the end of last year, a major operation by French, German and British law enforcement smashed an Iraqi smuggling network with multiple arrests and the seizure seizing hundreds of boats and engines.

In Amsterdam, a man was arrested on suspicion of supplying hundreds of small boat parts to people smugglers.

That was a joint operation with our National Crime Agency together with Dutch and Belgian police.

We’re also working upstream to address factors that drive people towards small boats in the first place.

Working with the authorities in Albania and Vietnam on campaigns to deter those who are thinking about making that perilous journey.

Because there is also nothing progressive about allowing working age people to come here illegally instead of supporting them to build their own economies, secure a better future for their own countries, and build a safer, more prosperous world.

But look – as we work together more closely I think than ever before we’ve also got to take the tough measures at home in our own countries.

That doesn’t mean gimmicks. You may be familiar with the gimmicks of the last 14 years here in Britain. It means understanding the problem.

And coming up with pragmatic solutions that work. Actually, fixing what’s wrong.

Few things show this more clearly, than our approach to border security. We inherited this total fragmentation between our policing, our Border Force and our intelligence agencies.

A fragmentation that made it crystal clear, when I looked at it, that there were gaps in our defence. An open invitation at our borders for the people smugglers to crack on.

To be honest it should have been fixed years ago. But we’re doing it now with our new Border Security Command. Led by Martin Hewitt – who many of you I think will know.

We’re recruiting hundreds of specialist investigators from across our police, our Border Force and intelligence agencies. Creating an elite Border Force. Working with our international partners. Ending the fragmentation.

£150 million invested over the next two years and new powers and criminal offences to get the job done. So the police will be able to seize the phones and devices of migrants arriving on our shores and gather intelligence about the smugglers.

The police will be able to act when they have reason to believe preparations are being made for criminal activity instead of waiting for a crime to happen before they can act.

And it will be an offence to endanger lives at sea to prevent more tragic deaths in the Channel.

We are also redeploying resources away from the Tory’s wasteful Rwanda scheme. A scheme that spent over 700 million pounds of taxpayer money to remove just four volunteers.

You know, even if that scheme had gone well, they were claiming they might remove – 300 people a year.

Since coming to office – I can announce today we have returned more than 24,000 people who have no right to be here.

That would have taken the Rwanda scheme 80 years to achieve. This is what I mean about not giving in to gimmicks. Just focusing our efforts and resources on the nuts and bolts of removing people. Getting the asylum system working properly. That’s how we’ve delivered the highest returns rate for eight years and the four biggest return flights ever.

We’re also ramping up the deportation of Foreign National Offenders with a new team of specialist frontline staff going into our prisons, speeding up the removal of prisoners who have no right to be in this country.

Now, all of this is providing a real disincentive to people thinking about coming to Britain illegally. But if we’re talking about incentives – we need to talk about the people smugglers as well.

Because they don’t care about borders. They don’t care about the people they traffic. And they don’t care about our country and our people.

They only care about one thing: money. They make huge profits out of ruining people’s lives. I mean – a few months ago, I went to see some of the boats that had been seized at the NCA headquarters.

Now we call them small boats, but honestly they’re not worthy of the name boat. I don’t know what you would call them. To me they look like death traps.

Flimsy. Rubber. No firm structure. You would not let your children climb aboard, even for a second in shallow waters.

Seriously – if they were a car, they’d be off the road in minutes. The police would intervene.

And don’t tell me they’ve got any purpose other than people smuggling. So I see no reason why we can’t go after them. And so we are.

We have seized hundreds of boats and engines, driving up the costs for the smugglers.

We have taken down 18,000 social media accounts. That’s 10,000 more than last year, disrupting the way smugglers promote their services.

And more than that, we have announced a new sanctions regime. Treating people smugglers like terrorists. Freezing their assets, banning their travel.

Putting them behind bars – where they belong. But just as important – putting their entire model, out of business, securing our borders on behalf of working people.

Because as I said at the start – this is about fairness. And there is little that strikes working people as more unfair than watching illegal migration drive down their wages, their terms and their conditions through illegal work in their community.

We have to be honest here. For too long, the UK has been a soft touch on this. While the last government were busy with their Rwanda gimmick, they left the door wide open for illegal working.

Especially in short-term or zero-hours roles like in construction, beauty salons and courier services.

And while of course most companies do the responsible thing and carry out right to work checks.

Too many dodgy firms have been exploiting a loophole to skip this process: hiring illegal workers, undercutting honest businesses, driving down the wages of ordinary working people.

And all of this, of course fuelling that poisonous narrative of the gangs who promise the dream of a better life to vulnerable people yet deliver a nightmare of squalid conditions and appalling exploitation.

Well, today we are changing that because this government is introducing a tough new law to force all companies to carry out these checks on right to work.

They take just minutes to complete – so they are not burdensome for business. And they can be done free of charge – so there will be no excuses.

And no ability to claim they didn’t know they had illegal workers. And failure to comply will result in fines of up to £60,000. Prison terms of up to 5 years and the potential closure of their business.

Now, none of these strategies on their own are a silver bullet. I know that.

But each of them is another tool. An arsenal we are building up to smash the gangs once and for all.

We must pull every lever available. And that is what this Labour government is doing.

No short cuts, no gimmicks. Just the hard graft of sleeves-rolled-up, practical government.

Securing our borders. Getting a grip on illegal migration. Delivering our Plan for Change.

We want to work with you and with everyone who is as determined as we are to end the misery and evil of people-smuggling.

Because together we will save lives.

We will secure our borders.

We will smash the gangs that undermine our security…

And deliver fairness for the working people we serve.

Thank you.

March 31, 2025
PRESS RELEASE : New government fund to go after people smuggling gang bosses [March 2025]

The press release issued by the Home Office on 31 March 2025.

Nearly £1 million in government funding will support Iraq in its fight to take down the kingpins of organised immigration crime.

The evil linchpins at the top of people smuggling gangs who consider themselves untouchable will be hunted down and brought to justice thanks to nearly £1 million in government funding to support Iraq to combat organised immigration crime.

The Home Secretary’s groundbreaking partnership with Iraq is making significant headway to tackle organised immigration crime and fortify border security in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI). New funding, specialist technology and bolder investigation processes have been pursued since the landmark agreement was signed just 4 months ago.

The nearly £1 million in new government funding will support the passing of new anti-smuggling legislation in the KRI, which is a critical milestone in the region’s ability to prosecute organised crime groups involved in people smuggling. It will also be used to provide targeted training, specialist technological support, and community engagement to address key security challenges in the region.

Successful implementation of the new law will also bolster wider National Crime Agency (NCA) operations, supporting them to disrupt high-profile criminal networks operating in the region. The NCA already has more than 70 investigations into top tier immigration crime networks, including those from or within the KRI.

Earlier this year, the NCA worked with KRI law enforcement partners on a joint operation for the first time ever, which resulted in the arrest of 3 high profile members of a people smuggling network impacting the UK.

The UK-Iraq partnership has also led to a major crackdown on the use of fraudulent documents by people smuggling gangs to move migrants through the Iraqi border. Over 100 Iraqi border and airline officials are being trained to detect false papers, and the UK has distributed specialist forgery detection devices across forensic labs in Erbil, Sulaymaniyah and Dohuk.

The UK is a world leader in false document detection and has shared expertise, specialist equipment and intelligence with the KRG to help them take down a key route used by people smugglers, who are risking the lives of those they transport and compromising border security.

Joint action between the Home Office, NCA and international partners is also targeting the abhorrent business model of these criminal networks, including their use of social media platforms, financial flows, and maritime equipment such as boats and engines. This multi-faceted approach is having a significant impact, with over 8,000 social media accounts taken down in 2024, and more than 600 boats and engines seized by European partners working with the NCA, before they could be used in life-threatening crossings.

The news comes ahead of the Home Secretary and the Prime Minister hosting the first Organised Immigration Crime Summit on 31 March and 1 April, where the Government of Iraq and the Kurdistan Regional Government will co-chair a collaborative session tightening supply chain controls.

Iraq is a key partner in tackling organised crime groups, to ensure the prosperity and security of UK and Iraqi citizens, delivering on the government’s Plan for Change.

The Home Office remains committed to supporting the Government of Iraq and the KRG in tackling the root causes of organised crime, strengthening the rule of law, and safeguarding vulnerable individuals from the dangers posed by criminal networks.

Minister for Security, Dan Jarvis, said:

The ‘Mr Bigs’ of people-smuggling gangs are cowards who hide in other countries and use their stooges to do their dirty work, while they count the grubby blood money they receive. They do not care about the people they are endangering who are being recklessly crammed into increasingly crowded, flimsy boats.

We are using every power in our disposal to hunt them down, bring them to justice and dismantle their evil people smuggling networks. The UK’s partnership with Iraq is a cornerstone in this fight, with both of our countries making significant progress in just a matter of months. Criminal ‘lords’ in Iraq who had previously thought themselves untouchable are now being sent a clear message that their abhorrent business model will fail.

March 31, 2025
PRESS RELEASE : Prime Minister announces massive surge in immigration enforcement as returns reach 24,000 since the election [March 2025]
The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 31 March 2025.

The Prime Minister today (Monday 31 March) announced the government has returned more than 24,000 individuals with no right to be in the UK since the General Election – the highest returns rate for eight years.
- More than 24,000 people with no right to be here returned since July
- Highest rate of returns in eight years
- 21% increase enforced returns as government begins to restore order to immigration system under the Plan for Change
The Prime Minister today (Monday 31 March) announced the government has returned more than 24,000 individuals with no right to be in the UK since the General Election – the highest returns rate for eight years.

Speaking at the Organised Immigration Crime Summit, where over 40 countries and organisations have come together to agree new action to smash people-smuggling gangs, the Prime Minister outlined how the government is finally restoring order to the immigration system after years of failure.

The continued rise in removals includes a 21% increase in enforced returns and a 16% increase in foreign national offenders being removed from the UK since July 5th, including the 4 biggest returns charter flights in the UK’s history, with a total of more than 850 people on board.

The massive surge in removals followed the government’s immediate action to redeploy staff across the Home Office to work on policies that deliver results.

At the Summit the Prime Minister set out the approach this government is taking to finally take on organised immigration crime – one that moves beyond gimmicks and instead delivers hard graft, international leadership, and delivers on working people’s priorities for secure borders.

He set out how this is based on giving law enforcement tougher powers than ever to smash the smuggling gangs, ramping up removals to record levels, surging illegal working raids to end the false promise of jobs used by gangs to sell spaces on boats and leading a renewed international law enforcement effort.

Since taking office the government has reset its approach to global cooperation, striking new bilateral agreements with key international partners including France, Germany, Italy, and Balkan states to disrupt smuggling networks and accelerate removals.

This is backed by the work of Border Security Commander Martin Hewitt who has been negotiating new agreements to bring together international policing, intelligence, and border enforcement to dismantle organised immigration crime networks at home and abroad.

This work has already seen arrests of major people smuggling kingpins through joint investigations with the National Crime Agency.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said:

Immigration crime funds the vile people-smuggling gangs that trade in human misery, breach our borders and threaten Britain’s economic security. This government is taking back control, doing the hard graft needed to deliver results, working with our international allies to smash these gangs and secure our borders.

We’ve already removed more than 24,000 people with no right to be here and we’re finally shutting down exploitative illegal working, dismantling criminal networks, while forcing people-smuggling gangs out of business.

For too long, the UK was a soft touch. That ends now. No more gimmicks, no empty promises, just serious action for British security.

With over 40 international partners joining the UK’s call to treat people-smuggling like terrorism, today’s summit marks the beginning of a new global coalition to take the fight to the criminal gangs at every stage of the smuggling chain.

This is backed by landmark legislation through the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill, giving new powers to seize migrants’ phones to identify smugglers, criminalise those who endanger lives at sea, and ensure every business carries out right-to-work checks – ending the exploitation of illegal labour for good.

Additional information:

Between 5 July and 22 March 2025 there were 24,103 returns, the highest 9 month period compared to any 9-month period since 2017. Prior to this from Jan – Sept 2017, returns were 25,225.

Of total returns since 5 July 2024:
- there were 6,339 enforced returns of people with no legal right to remain in the UK
- 3,594 were of foreign national offenders (FNOs)
- 6,781 were asylum related returns
From 5 July 2024 to 22 March 2025 there have been 46 charter flights for returns to countries in Africa, Asia, Europe and South America

The full stats can be seen here.
March 31, 2025
PRESS RELEASE : Zalo campaign to rebut people smugglers’ lies in Vietnam [March 2025]

The press release issued by the Home Office on 31 March 2025.

The government is launching adverts for the first time on Zalo, as it expands its campaign warning people about the dangers of trusting people smuggling gangs.

Zalo, the Vietnamese instant messaging and social platform, has over 77 million monthly users.

The ads will run on Zalo and Vietnamese news aggregator Báo Mới in the coming weeks, the first time the UK government has ever advertised on these platforms, helping to secure our borders as part of the Plan for Change.

The campaign forms part of the government’s response to a deluge of false claims spread on social media platforms encouraging people to come to the UK illegally. Posts frequently use coded messages to evade content moderation, such as referring to small boat crossings as a ‘game’. People smugglers have also offered discounts to those who film their journey so the footage can be used as promotional material.

The campaign launch comes as the UK hosts the landmark Organised Immigration Crime Summit at Lancaster House on 31 March to 1 April.

The summit will bring together delegates from over 40 countries and marks a step change in the international community’s approach to tackling OIC. It is a critical opportunity to strengthen global co-operation, disrupt criminal networks, and prevent further loss of life.

Representatives from Meta, X and TikTok are attending the summit to discuss how to jointly tackle the online promotion of irregular migration, such as illegal people smuggling networks. The National Crime Agency announced in January that it had triggered the removal of more than 8,000 accounts linked to people smuggling last year, working closely with social media companies.

The government is currently running ads on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube to counter this content in Vietnam, which has already reached over 53 million people since the campaign launched in December.

Vietnamese nationals remain among the top nationality groups crossing the Channel illegally. They accounted for 17% of small boat arrivals in the first half of 2024, reducing to 6% in the second half. Further campaigns have recently been launched in Albania and Kurdistan Region of Iraq.

Minister for Border Security and Asylum, Dame Angela Eagle, said:

People smugglers are always looking for new ways to peddle their vile trade and we are exposing their lies at every opportunity.

This government is securing our borders and delivering on our Plan for Change, dismantling the criminal gangs who abuse our borders and warning migrants about the risks and realities of coming to the UK illegally.

Founder and CEO of the Vietnamese Family Partnership, Quynh Nguyen, said:

As representatives of the Vietnamese community in the UK, we support the expansion of the social media campaign on Zalo to prevent irregular migration.

Zalo is widely used in Vietnam and introducing adverts on the channel will help to reach many more vulnerable people to warn them of migrant smugglers’ lies.

Our community understands the importance of legal routes, and we are committed to sharing this message with families in Vietnam. We aim to inform and support our community by highlighting the dangers of illegal migration and the importance of seeking legal and safe pathways.

March 31, 2025
PRESS RELEASE : Government to build over 1,000 flood schemes across the country [March 2025]
The press release issued by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 31 March 2025.

Schemes supported as part of record £2.65 billion two-year investment to protect communities from flooding.

Over 1,000 flood schemes will be built or repaired to protect thousands of homes and businesses from the dangers of flooding, the Government and Environment Agency have announced.

Investing a record £2.65 billion over two years towards the construction of new flood schemes and the repair and maintenance of existing ones, the government has published today the full list of projects supported over the next year.

During the two-year investment, 1,000 flood schemes have been or will continue to be supported. This year around £430 million is going towards their construction, while a further £220 million will be used to reinstate flood defences to their full standard of service and original design life to help protect communities. Further funding has been earmarked for repairing existing flood assets utilised in flood events, such as pumps, as well as important activity to warn and inform the public of flooding risks.

As the frequency of extreme weather events continues to increase due to climate change, there are more and more devastating impacts for communities across the country, costing the UK economy billions each year.

This investment is part of the Government’s Plan for Change, delivering security for working people and renewal for our country. It will boost economic growth in local communities, by protecting businesses, delivering new jobs, and supporting a stable economy in the face of the increasing risk of flooding as a result of climate change.

Floods Minister Emma Hardy said:

The role of Government is to protect its citizens. However, we inherited flood defences in their worst condition on record.

Through our Plan for Change, this government will deliver a decade of national renewal and economic growth. As part of that we are investing a record £2.65 billion to build and repair over 1,000 flood defences across the country.

Flagship schemes to receive funding this year include:
- Derby Flood Risk Management Scheme in Derbyshire, which will receive £34.6 million and protect 673 homes.
- North Portsea Island Coastal Flood and Erosion Risk Management Scheme in Hampshire, which will receive £13.8 million and protect 1,081 homes.
- Preston and South Ribble Flood Risk Management Scheme in Lancashire, which will receive £10.4 million and protect 1,537 homes.
- Poole Bridge to Hunger Hill Flood Defences in Dorset, which will receive £12.2 million and protect 135 homes.
- Benacre and Kessingland Flood Risk Management Scheme in Suffolk, which will receive £10.1 million and protect 86 homes.
- Brighouse Flood Alleviation Scheme in Yorkshire, which will receive £5 million and protect 414 homes.
Caroline Douglass, Executive Director for Flood and Coastal Risk Management for the Environment Agency, said:

Protecting communities in England from the devastating impact of flooding is our priority and this is more important than ever as climate change brings more extreme weather to the nation.

The delivery of these schemes will be welcome news for homeowners and businesses, who have experienced flooding in the past and may face more extreme weather as our climate continues to change.

Our focus is now on working with local councils and Regional Flood and Coastal Committees to deliver these schemes on time, ensuring as many properties as possible are protected.

The Government has prioritised £140 million to ensure that 29 schemes, which are in progress but struggling with cost pressures, can be delivered without further delays, protecting nearby communities as soon as possible. The list of supported schemes has also been confirmed by the Environment Agency and includes flood defences in Great Yarmouth and the Alverstoke Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management Scheme on the south coast.

Notes to editors:
- Schemes proceeding in 2026/7 and beyond will be subject to the routine RFCC consenting process and decisions at SR25.
March 31, 2025
PRESS RELEASE : New proposals to ban heather burning on peatland to protect air, water and wildlife [March 2025]
The press release issued by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 31 March 2025.

Extension to ban of burning on deep peat proposed by Government, so that an extra 146,000 hectares are protected.
- Peatlands store carbon, improve water quality, provide valuable habitat for wildlife, and help protect communities from flooding
- Action will improve air quality in villages, towns and cities, help deliver manifesto commitments to reach Net Zero by 2050 and expand wildlife-rich habitat, as part of our Plan for Change
Nature-rich peatland habitats are to be better protected under plans set out by the Government today (Monday 31 March), which would ban burning on peat in the uplands, improving health and wellbeing of people in nearby communities.

Sometimes described as the country’s lungs, peatlands are a vital resource which can store carbon, reduce flood risk, improve water quality, and support rare wildlife such as the golden plover and curlews. They are also some of our richest habitats for dragonflies with 25 of the UK’s 38 species found on upland peatbogs.

However, 80% of England’s peatlands are currently degraded. Burning on peatland increases heather growth, which dries out the peatland, causing it to actually emit rather than store carbon.

Burning of vegetation including heather on this scale causes the release of harmful smoke into the air, impacting air quality across communities. This includes harmful air pollutants for human health, including ones strongly associated with strokes, cardiovascular disease, asthma and some lung cancers.

Nature Minister Mary Creagh said:

Our peatlands are this country’s Amazon Rainforest – home to our most precious wildlife, storing carbon and reducing flooding risk.

The UK has 13% of the world’s blanket bog. A rare global habitat, it is a precious part of our national heritage, and that is why we‘re announcing a consultation on these measures to ensure deep peat is better protected.

These changes will benefit communities by improving air and water quality, and protect homes and businesses from flood damage, which supports economic stability and security under our Plan for Change.

If implemented, these changes will increase the area currently protected from 222,000 to more than 368,000 hectares of England’s total 677,250 hectares of deep peat, meaning an area equivalent to the size of Greater London, Greater Manchester and West Midlands put together will now be better protected.

The definition of deep peat will be revised, so that deep peat is counted as anything over 30cms rather than 40cms. The entire area of upland deep peat that is potentially subject to burning will be protected.

This approach is being supported by evidence provided by Natural England. Any prescribed burning would need to be done under strict licence, issued where there is a clear need, for example to reduce wildfire risk.

The move comes as part of wider government plans to support nature recovery and clean up the air for our health, wellbeing and the environment. It is an important step in tackling the underlying drivers of ill-health as outlined in the Government’s mission to improve health and follows announcements on the wild release and management of beavers in England, a new approach to neonicotinoid pesticides on crops grown in England and new measures to strengthen our protected areas and meet 30×30. The Government has also pledged up to £400 million for tree planting and peatland restoration, as part of its Nature for Climate Fund.

The consultation will run for eight weeks from today and the public and land managers are urged to have their say. The Government is proposing to refine the existing licencing system whereby applicants need to successfully explain why alternative methods have not or would not work and show how they intend to move the land away from the need to burn in future in order to receive a licence. One of the grounds to apply for a licence to burn will be to reduce the risk of wildfire, so we can balance environmental protection with practical land management.

The supporting evidence has also been published today. Natural England published a comprehensive updated Evidence Review on ‘The effects of managed burning on upland peatland biodiversity, carbon and water’, along with a Definition of Favourable Conservation Status for Blanket bog, which sets out its view on favourable conservation status for Blanket bog in England.
The England Peat Map, a detailed, open-access map of England’s peatlands, covering extent, depth, and condition, is being developed by Natural England and will be published later in the spring.

Notes to editors:
- The consultation on proposed changes to the Heather and Grass etc. Burning (England) Regulations 2021 will allow stakeholders time to comment and for responses to be analysed and fed into subsequent policy development.
- The consultation is available on gov.uk and will run until 25 May.
- It is proposed that the increase in total area protected would be achieved by changing the designated area from Sites of Special Scientific Interest that are also Special Areas of Conservation and/or Special Protection Areas to Less Favoured Areas.
- In addition, the proposed changes would extend the regulations to protect shallower peat, over 30cm.
- The amended licencing regime proposed by the consultation would enable land managers and owners to apply for a licence to burn in limited circumstances. For their application to be successful they must explain why alternative methods have not or would not work and demonstrate how they intend to move the land away from the need to burn in future.
March 31, 2025
PRESS RELEASE : £16 million boost to improve flood protection for farmers and rural communities [March 2025]

The press release issued by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 31 March 2025.

Additional funding for internal drainage boards (IDBs) to boost farm and rural flood resilience, bringing total IDB Fund to £91 million.

More than 400,000 hectares of agricultural land across England will receive a significant, further boost to its flood protection thanks to £16 million in additional funding for internal drainage boards (IDBs), Floods Minister Emma Hardy announced today (Monday 31 March).

Some 91,000 homes and businesses are also expected to benefit from the IDB Fund, which has been bolstered to a total of £91 million on top of the previously allocated £75 million as part of the Government’s Plan for Change.

IDBs are the vital local public bodies who manage water levels for agricultural and environmental needs across the country. They serve 1.2 million hectares of land covering 9.7% of the country’s total land area, operate around 500 pumping stations, and maintain more than 22,000 kilometres (13,700 miles) of watercourses.

The funding will go towards helping IDBs with operational expenses following the devastating winter storms of 2023/4, including bankrolling the repair of pumping stations.

It will also enable investment in modernising and upgrading IDB assets and waterways to ensure they are fit for the future.

As part of the Government’s Plan for Change, the investment will improve resilience for farmland, flood infrastructure and rural communities, delivering growth and supporting agricultural production.

Floods Minister Emma Hardy said:

Flooding can take a devastating toll on farmers and rural communities. This additional funding will ensure rural flood assets are more resilient or fully replaced, putting IDBs on a firm footing to deliver their vital work on flood and water management for years to come.

Thousands of properties and tens of thousands of hectares of farmland are already seeing their flood resilience improved as part of the Government’s Plan for Change and today’s further investment will help support our farmers further.

The Environment Agency manages the Fund and will distribute grants to IDBs by the end of April 2025 .

Ian Hodge, Environment Agency Chief Engineer and Director of Asset Management & Engineering, said:

By increasing the IDB Fund with an additional £16 million, we are equipping these essential public bodies to address the mounting challenges posed by climate change, including more frequent and severe weather events.

This funding ensures IDBs can repair flood risk management assets, manage rising costs, and continue their crucial work in reducing flood risks.

Beyond safeguarding communities, this investment will enable internal drainage boards to manage water levels more effectively for agricultural productivity and environmental priorities, bolstering resilience and adaptability for years to come.

So far, the IDB Fund has provided £53 million for more than 200 projects between July 2024 and March 2025. It will have supported 91 of the nation’s 112 IDBs upon completion.

Bill Symons, clerk to the York Consortium of Drainage Boards who benefitted from the Fund, said:

The IDB Fund has allowed us to deliver more sustainable, higher quality works on flood infrastructure badly damaged by storms and flooding. This was proving to be an expensive, unfunded legacy.

The funding has reduced financial pressure locally at a critical time after a period of flooding and loss of productivity in agriculture, along with shortages of funds in local authorities.

We have used local workforces and contractors to deliver some of our more expensive and problematic bank slips and delivered more than we could do normally thanks to the fund.

Further projects already delivered through the IDB Fund include the replacement of pumps and pumping station infrastructure, much of which was built in the 1960s and damaged during recent storm and flood events.

A £1.3 million project to install four new pumps at Marshfield and Lapperditch pumping stations in the Lower Severn catchment near Gloucester has just been completed, meaning the stations will be able to operate for at least another 25 years. The new pumps also support River Severn flood defences, 12 kilometres of roads, and fish and eels, as well as reducing the amount of time farmland in the area spends under water.

Elsewhere, funding has also been used to repair flood embankments, desilt drainage ditches, install telemetry and water control structures for remote operation, and improve fish and eel passages.

More than 64% of England’s agricultural land graded excellent and suitable for a wide range of crops with consistently high yields – known as Grade 1 Agricultural Land – is within regions managed by IDBs. Approximately 20% of arable production is from land in or close to IDBs.

In February, the Government committed a record £2.65 billion investment over two years towards the construction of new flood schemes alongside the repair and maintenance of existing assets as part of its Plan for Change.

The Environment Agency has today published a list of the schemes across the nation to benefit from funding for the next year.

March 31, 2025
PRESS RELEASE : UK hosts first major international summit to tackle illegal migration [March 2025]
The press release issued by the Home Office on 31 March 2025.

The UK has mobilised over 40 countries and organisations to launch an unprecedented global fight against ruthless people smuggling gangs.

The UK is spearheading the toughest ever international crackdown on organised immigration crime as the Prime Minister and Home Secretary host a landmark summit today (31 March).

The Organised Immigration Crime (OIC) Summit brings together over 40 countries, including the United States, Vietnam, Iraq, and France, to unite behind a new approach to dismantle people smuggling gangs and deliver on working people’s priorities for secure borders.

This is the first time the full range of factors driving illegal migration, from the supply chain in small boats to anti-trafficking measures, illicit finance and social media advertising, have been explored at a global summit of this scale.

The summit will also see representatives from Meta, X and TikTok discuss how to jointly tackle the online promotion of irregular migration.

Through the summit, the government will use all available levers at its disposal to push forward progress in bringing gangs to justice, tackle the global threat of organised immigration crime and protect vulnerable people from exploitation.

To back this drive, the Home Secretary has today announced £30 million of funding going directly to high impact operations from the Border Security Command to tackle supply chains, illicit finances and trafficking routes across Europe, the Western Balkans, Asia, and Africa.

An additional £3 million will enable the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) to increase its capacity to prosecute organised international smugglers and expand its international footprint to support the Border Security Command to pursue, disrupt and arrest those responsible for dangerous people smuggling operations.

This reflects the Prime Minister’s long-held view, informed by his work as Chief Prosecutor, that cross border cooperation is the foundation of tackling international gangs and securing Britain’s borders.

In remarks delivered later today, the Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer, is expected to say:

This vile trade exploits the cracks between our institutions, pits nations against one another and profits from our inability at the political level to come together.

When I was the Director of Public Prosecutions, we worked across borders throughout Europe and beyond to foil numerous plots, saving thousands of lives in the process. We prevented planes from being blown up over the Atlantic and brought the perpetrators to justice.

I believe we should treat organised immigration crime in the same way.

I simply do not believe organised immigration crime cannot be tackled. We’ve got to combine our resources, share intelligence and tactics, and tackle the problem upstream at every step of the people smuggling routes.

The summit will deliver concrete outcomes across Europe, Asia, Middle East, Africa, and North America by strengthening international partnerships, enhancing intelligence sharing, and implementing targeted disruptions to Organised Immigration Crime networks.

As a direct result, we will be able to strengthen UK borders and security and create a more efficient and manageable asylum system, taking the burden away from housing, the NHS and schools, and giving hotels back to the local economy.

Speaking ahead of the summit, Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said:

Smuggler and trafficking gangs make their money crossing borders so law enforcement needs to work together across borders to bring them down. Only a coordinated international response, across the whole irregular migration route, can effectively dismantle these networks.

The Organised Immigration Crime Summit is the first of its kind and will reinforce the UK’s position as a leader by securing international commitments to disrupt Organised Immigration Crime at every stage of the business model.

The summit demonstrates mine and the Prime Minister’s absolute dedication to disrupting the callous Organised Criminal Gangs, strengthening our borders and ultimately save countless lives.

The UK’s global leadership on this is issue is already delivering results. France has agreed to launch a unit of specialist officers who are mobile, highly trained and equipped to respond dynamically to prevent small boat launches.

Germany has committed to strengthen their laws against those who facilitate smuggling to the UK and a new UK-Italy taskforce is hitting people smugglers’ financial flows. After boosting the resources for the National Crime Agency to work with international law enforcement partners, they have seized 600 boats and engines since July.

Along with this, work continues at home through giving law enforcement tougher powers than ever to smash the smuggling gangs, ramping up removals to record levels and surging illegal working raids to end the false promise of jobs used by gangs to sell spaces on boats.

This comprehensive approach is a vital aspect of the government’s Plan for Change, with the threat from organised immigration crime increasing in scale and complexity.

Organised immigration crime spans multiple countries, nationalities, and criminal methodologies, with recent estimate of the total global income from migrant smuggling reaching $10 billion last year.

Criminal gangs headed by hundreds of kingpins are using sophisticated online tactics, the abuse of legitimate goods and services, and illicit financial networks to facilitate dangerous and illegal journeys which undermine border security and put thousands of lives at risk each year.

The summit will also examine the work of the government’s Joint Maritime Security Centre (JMSC) in supporting the US, by providing innovative space-based maritime surveillance capability to monitor and dismantle any vessels along Haiti’s north coast suspected to be involved in illegal immigration, illegal fishing activities and drug smuggling.

The JMSC is harnessing cutting edge technology and capabilities to provide 24 hour monitoring of UK waters and ensure our borders are secure, by using satellite to provide a better overall understanding of incoming threats to the Turks and Caicos Islands. The UK government is working with our partners in Turks and Caicos to support and protect the Island from irregular migration.

This collaboration demonstrates the UK government’s commitment to deploying advanced capabilities against illegal migration while protecting overseas territories.

There has also been a series of major arrests of smuggling kingpins, including:
- arrests linked to a major Syrian organised crime group responsible for smuggling at least 750 migrants into the UK and Europe
- the arrest of a Turkish national suspected of being a huge supplier of small boats
- the conviction of 2 men in Wales who ran a smuggling ring moving thousands of migrants across Europe
- the arrests in February of 6 men wanted in Belgium over their suspected involvement in a major people smuggling ring
These arrests come alongside the NCA working with the authorities in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq for the first time, to facilitate the arrests of 3 men linked to a Kurdish people smuggling organised crime group, as well as an increase in the takedown of social media accounts linked to people smugglers.
March 31, 2025
PRESS RELEASE : New rules simplifying recycling for workplaces in England come into force [March 2025]
The press release issued by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 31 March 2025.

New rules on how workplaces in England sort their recycling and waste have now come into force, ending confusion over what goes where and enabling consistent, more streamlined collections.

The measures as part of the Government’s Simpler Recycling plans will boost flatlining recycling rates, reduce the amount of waste sent to landfill or for incineration, and deliver cost savings for some businesses, while replacing previous legislation which could have required them to have up to six bins.

From today (Monday 31 March), workplaces with 10 or more employees will need to arrange for the collection of the following:
- dry recyclable materials – including plastic, metal, glass, and paper and card
- food waste
- residual (non-recyclable) waste
Workplaces will need to separate paper and card from the other dry recyclables unless their waste collector collects them together. They will also have the freedom to decide on the size of containers and frequency of collections based on the volume of waste they produce.

This is a sensible, pragmatic approach to the collection of materials for the businesses and other premises in scope, which include residential homes, universities and schools, and hospitals or nursing homes.

Simplifying the approach will mean more high-quality recycled material can be sourced domestically, which can then be used by manufacturers to make new products as part of the transition to a more circular economy.

This will reduce carbon emissions, cut environmental and societal impacts from waste disposal, and support growth of the UK reprocessing industry.

Circular Economy Minister Mary Creagh said:

We are committed to ending the throwaway society, boosting recycling rates which have stalled for too long, and driving growth through the Government’s Plan for Change.

Simplifying the rules for workplaces will make recycling easier, maximising environmental benefits, delivering cost savings and stimulating growth.

We’ll continue to work hand-in-hand with businesses to deliver our reforms to drive up recycling rates and ensure there’s more recycled content in the products we buy.

As of 31 March, the Environment Agency has assumed responsibilities as the regulator for Simpler Recycling, meaning it is committed to supporting businesses – both waste producers and collectors – with their new duties.

This includes helping businesses to understand the actions they need to take to ensure compliance with the regulations.

Steve Molyneux, deputy director of waste and resources regulation at the Environment Agency, said:

The implementation of Simpler Recycling for workplaces is a pivotal moment and a huge step forward, driving change in the waste market, optimising the use of our precious resources, and contributing to a circular economy.

We are committed to supporting businesses with their new duties. We will take a pragmatic approach to implementation and will work with stakeholders to support them in overcoming any difficulties they might face in relation to compliance.

Simpler Recycling in England is integral to the Government’s commitment to move to a circular economy in which resources are kept in use for longer and waste is reduced; the path to net zero is accelerated; and the economy prospers thanks to investment in critical infrastructure and green jobs.

Further measures under Simpler Recycling to come mean the public will be able to recycle the same materials across England, whether at home, work or school.

By 31 March 2026, local authorities will be required to collect the core recyclable waste streams from all households in England. This includes introducing weekly food waste collections for most homes, unless their councils have a transitional arrangement in place, giving them a later start date in legislation.

Kerbside plastic film collections from workplaces and households will also be introduced by 31 March 2027.

Workplaces with fewer than 10 employees have until 31 March 2027 to arrange for the recycling of the core recyclable waste streams.

Alongside extended producer responsibility for packaging and the deposit return scheme for drinks containers, Simpler Recycling in England is estimated to deliver greenhouse gas emissions savings equivalent to £11.8 billion and make a significant contribution towards meeting the ambition to recycle 65% of municipal waste by 2035.

The reforms will also drive up recycling rates – household recycling rates in England have flatlined at around 44-45% since 2015.

The implementation of Simpler Recycling for workplaces follows Environment Secretary Steve Reed setting out a new plan to transform the nation’s economy on 27 March, ensuring resources and products are used more sustainably and delivering cleaner streets and a healthy countryside.

The Environment Secretary confirmed the first five priority sectors that the independent Circular Economy Taskforce will focus on to make the greatest difference, which are textiles, transport, construction, agri-food, and chemicals and plastics.
March 31, 2025
PRESS RELEASE : Prime Minister call with President Trump of the United States [March 2025]

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 30 March 2025.

The Prime Minister spoke to President Trump this evening.

The President opened by wishing His Majesty the King best wishes and good health.

They discussed the productive negotiations between their respective teams on a UK-US economic prosperity deal, agreeing that these will continue at pace this week.

Discussing Ukraine, the Prime Minister updated the President on the productive discussions at the meeting of the Coalition of Willing in Paris this week. The leaders agreed on the need to keep up the collective pressure on Putin.

They agreed to stay in touch in the coming days.

March 31, 2025