Tag: Home Office

The press release issued by the Home Office on 30 March 2025.

In the latest move to restore order to the asylum and immigration system, the government will introduce tough new laws to clamp down on illegal working.

Companies hiring people in the gig economy will now be legally required to carry out checks confirming that anyone working in their name is eligible to work in the UK, bringing them in line with other employers. These vital checks, which take just minutes to complete, confirm someone’s immigration status and allow them to legally work in the UK.

This means that for the very first time, employment checks will be extended to cover businesses hiring gig economy and zero-hours workers in sectors like construction, food delivery, beauty salons and courier services.

Currently, thousands of companies using these flexible arrangements are not legally required to check the status of these workers. This changes now.

Where businesses fail to carry out these checks, they will face hefty penalties already in place for those hiring illegal workers in traditional roles, including fines of up to £60,000 per worker, business closures, director disqualifications and potential prison sentences of up to 5 years.

Expanding illegal working checks will help level the playing field for the majority of honest companies who do the right thing. For example, Deliveroo, Just Eat and Uber Eats already voluntarily carry out checks to ensure their delivery riders are eligible to work.

Clamping down on illegal working forms a critical part of the government’s plan to strengthen the entire immigration system, restoring tough enforcement of the rules and undermine people smugglers using the false promise of jobs for migrants.

The announcement comes a day before the UK holds the first ever Organised Immigration Crime Summit, bringing together over 40 countries to agree unprecedented new international action to take down every aspect of criminal smuggling gangs’ tactics.

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said:

Under our Plan for Change, we are restoring order to the asylum and immigration system by introducing tougher laws and bolstering enforcement action to tackle illegal working and stopping rogue employers in their tracks.

Turning a blind eye to illegal working plays into the hands of callous people smugglers trying to sell spaces on flimsy, overcrowded boats with the promise of work and a life in the UK.

These exploitative practices are often an attempt to undercut competitors who are doing the right thing. But we are clear that the rules need to be respected and enforced.

These new laws build on significant efforts to stop organised immigration crime and protect the integrity of our borders, including increasing raids and arrests  for illegal working and getting returns of people who have no right to be here to their highest rate in half a decade.

Claire Pointon, Managing Director, Just Eat UK and Ireland said:

Just Eat is committed to supporting high streets and communities by ensuring a fair and well-regulated rapid delivery sector. Preventing unauthorised work is key to this, which is why we’re strengthening our measures by introducing biometric checks to swiftly remove those without the correct authorisation to work in the UK. We welcome this decision from the Home Office to expand these requirements to other sectors.

A Deliveroo spokesperson said:

Deliveroo has led the industry in taking action to secure our platform against illegal working, developing our approach in close collaboration with the Home Office. We were the first to roll out direct right to work checks, a registration process, daily identity verification and now additional device checks for riders, including substitutes. We take our responsibilities extremely seriously and will continue to strengthen our controls to prevent misuse of our platform. We welcome the government taking action to ensure all businesses and sectors adopt the same standards.

An Uber Eats spokesperson said:

Uber Eats is fully committed to fighting illegal work and the criminal networks who are often behind it, including by introducing state of the art identity and document video verification technology and mandatory substitute registration. We welcome efforts to enable and enforce further controls, and create a level playing field across the sector.

The checks take minutes to complete, and the Home Office provide this free of charge, with businesses able to utilise digital ID verification technology to support the process. There is also support in place for employers with enquiries about the process.

The new laws further build on measures announced in November to equip Immigration Enforcement teams with new technology. From May, body worn cameras will be rolled out to officers on the front line tackling illegal working and organised immigration crime. Backed by £5 milllion, this will help officers collect evidence to support prosecutions and make sure exploitative businesses undermining our immigration system are held to account.

The new measures go alongside a ramp-up of operational action by Immigration Enforcement teams, who since July have carried out 6,784 illegal working visits to premises and made 4,779 arrests – an increase of 40% and 42% compared to the same period 12 months ago. In that time, 1,508 civil penalty notices have been issued.

This also follows wider measures within the legislation announced earlier this month to impose tougher restrictions on foreign criminals whose removal we are pursuing but we are presently unable to deport. This includes the use of electronic tags, night time curfews and exclusion zones. Breaching these conditions would be grounds for arrest and the individual could face imprisonment.

The measures will help ensure the Home Office maintains close contact with individuals and makes it very clear that they should not become established in the UK, as the intention remains to remove them when possible.

Tomorrow (31 March 2025), the Home Secretary will convene key government and law enforcement leads at the UK’s 2 day landmark international Organised Immigration Crime Summit.

This will include Immigration Enforcement, the Department for Business and Trade, the Gangmasters Labour Abuse Authority and the National Crime Agency, holding a roundtable to discuss the importance of shutting down illegal working and government’s ongoing surge in operational activity.

The summit will bring together leaders from across the globe, with the aim of securing international commitments to intensify efforts against organised immigration crime gangs.

The press release issued by the Home Office on 27 March 2025.

New police powers to protect worshippers from intimidating protests and the new National Holocaust Memorial to be added to list of protected sites.

Places of worship will be better protected from intimidatory protests under new powers being given to police.

The new measures, which will be included as an amendment in the government’s landmark Crime and Policing Bill, will protect synagogues, mosques, churches and other religious sites from intimidating levels of disruption caused by protest activity.

These changes will build on existing laws under the Public Order Act, providing a new threshold for officers to be able to impose conditions – including on the route and timing of a march – where the effect of the protest is to intimidate those attending a place of worship. This will give the police total clarity on how and when they can protect religious sites from the types of protest designed to disrupt them.

Concerns have been raised repeatedly in recent months after protests near synagogues have caused the cancellation of events on the Sabbath and have forced congregants to stay at home due to fears about travelling to their places of worship during large-scale demonstrations, especially in central London. Similarly, during last summer’s violent disorder, thugs targeted mosques in Southport, Hull, Sunderland and other areas, causing significant distress to members of the local community.

The move comes as religious hate crime has continued to rise at an alarming rate, with police-recorded antisemitic hate crimes having soared by 113% in the year ending March 2024, and anti-Muslim hate crimes having risen by 13%.

The Home Secretary has also announced new protections for the Holocaust Memorial planned to be built next to Parliament, with protesters or vandals who climb on the memorial facing imprisonment.

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said:

The right to protest is a cornerstone of our democracy which must always be protected, but that does not include the right to intimidate or infringe on the fundamental freedoms of others.

That’s why we are giving the police stronger powers to prevent intimidating protests outside places of worship to ensure that people can pray in peace.

The Home Secretary has announced that the new offence for climbing on a war memorial – already announced when the Crime and Policing Bill was introduced – will be extended to cover the new National Holocaust Memorial scheduled to be built next to Parliament in Victoria Tower Gardens.

The preventative measure will ensure that the memorial to the 6 million Jews murdered in the Holocaust and all other victims of Nazi persecution will get the protection it deserves, with those breaking the law facing imprisonment.

The move to protect the memorial comes after a rise in disruptive and dangerous tactics used during protests that have caused distress to so many who cherish these sites of cultural and historical significance. The bill measure bans climbing on the most significant memorials built in Britain to commemorate the fallen of World War 1 and World War 2, and the Holocaust Memorial will be added to this protected list.

The new measure to better protect places of worship will not ban protests and recognises the public’s right to take part in peaceful demonstrations. As they currently do, the police will have to make a proportionality assessment before imposing conditions on specific protests – balancing the right to freedom of expression with the right for others to go about their daily lives free from intimidation and serious disruption.

Alongside the new legislation, the government is also providing up to £50 million to protect faith communities next year. This includes £18 million through the Jewish Community Protective Security Grant, £29.4 million through the Protective Security for Mosques scheme and for security at Muslim faith schools, and £3.5 million for the places of worship and associated faith community centres of all other faiths.

Lord Khan, Lords Minister for Faith, Communities and Resettlement, said:

Everyone should be protected to practice their faith freely and safely, and no one should fear attending their place of worship.

The freedom to protest is a key part of a democracy which must be protected. These new powers will add to the significant security funding we are providing places of worship, enabling worshippers – and the many others who rely on these important community assets – to go about their daily lives free from intimidation and fear.

Mark Gardner, Chief Executive of the Community Security Trust, said:

The cumulative impact on central London synagogues of repeated large, noisy protests, often featuring antisemitism and support for terrorism and extremism, has been intolerable.

We welcome these new measures to protect the rights of the Jewish community to pray in peace and we thank the Home Secretary for her ongoing support. Everyone has the right to protest, but there must be a balance so that all communities can attend their places of worship free from hate and without fear of being intimidated.

We also welcome the protection of the forthcoming Holocaust memorial which is set to be built next year – a tribute that will have cultural and historical significance for the entire country.

Phil Rosenberg, President of the Board of Deputies of British Jews, said:

We welcome the Home Secretary’s announcement about measures to protect places of worship under the new Crime and Policing Bill. This is something we have been calling for over recent months.

We also welcome the inclusion of the new Holocaust Memorial and Learning Centre in the protected list of war memorials. Protests near synagogues have led to serious and unacceptable disruption to our communal life over the last 18 months. The intimidatory protests outside mosques during the violent disorder last summer were similarly intolerable.

The new provisions will ensure the right to free speech does not conflict with freedom of worship or religious practice, and will build towards the more cohesive Britain we all want to see.

The Bishop of Manchester, Rt Revd David Walker, said:

People and families should always expect to be able to worship freely, confident in their own safety. Freedom of speech, including the right to protest, is also important in a free and democratic society. I welcome the government’s commitment to making sure our places of worship are safe and secure, and I look forward to exploring these proposals in more detail.

Further information

The new protest powers for police, being introduced into the bill at committee stage, will create a new threshold for sections 12 and 14 of the Public Order Act 1986, which enable police to impose conditions on public processions and assemblies.

The press release issued by the Home Office on 27 March 2025.

Fraud Minister announces new, expanded fraud strategy will be published later this year, as part of the government’s Plan for Change.

The public and businesses will receive fresh protections from the UK’s most commonly experienced crime, the Fraud Minister Lord Hanson will announce today as he sets out plans to publish a new, expanded fraud strategy as part of the government’s Plan for Change.

The minister will detail the work underway on the new strategy, which includes proposals on working with private industry and further international co-operation, in his keynote address to the Global Anti-Scams Alliance (GASA) summit. The summit takes place today and tomorrow (Wednesday 26 and Thursday 27 March) at the Queen Elizabeth II Centre in London.

The minister will say that, with the latest ONS figures finding that fraud reports increased last year by 19%, a ‘robust response’ is required to every aspect of the fraud threat. And with estimates finding that 70% of fraud now includes an international element, global co-operation will be key to tackling this growing issue.

A key focus of the strategy will be combatting tech-enabled fraud, including emerging tech such as AI. The minister will state that getting a grip on these threats will be central to the new strategy.

But Lord Hanson will also re-emphasise the government’s commitment to harnessing the power of developing technologies, including AI, to help tackle crime and reduce the amount of time that the police and prosecutors need to spend completing paperwork rather than delivering justice. This is a key objective of the recently published Independent Review of Disclosure and Fraud Offences.

As part of his keynote address, Lord Hanson will also announce plans for a Global Fraud Summit supported by the UK. The summit will be hosted by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and INTERPOL in Vienna in early 2026 and will bring together dozens of governments from across the world to transform the global response to fraud.

With fraud and cyber crime making up 50% of all online crime in the UK, the Fraud Minister will reveal that he has instructed officials to accelerate the development of data-sharing measures to protect the public and businesses. This work, Lord Hanson will say, will take place in collaboration with law enforcement and industry to “stop, block and disrupt” online harms both domestically and internationally.

The announcements also follow the second meeting of the Joint Fraud Taskforce since the new government took office and the first since the Chancellor of the Exchequer’s Mansion House speech. Together with the Home Secretary and the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, the chancellor urged tech and telco companies to go further and faster to tackle fraud.

Fraud Minister Lord Hanson said:

Fraud is an increasingly international enterprise run by some of the most appalling criminal gangs operating in the world today.

That’s why we are determined to work with global partners to build a united front to tackle these criminal networks head-on, wherever they are based.

It’s also why I’m pleased to announce a new Global Fraud Summit to be held in early 2026 and that work is ongoing to develop a new, expanded fraud strategy with international co-operation at its heart, as part of this government’s Plan for Change.

Fraud has changed and so too must our response.

UNODC Executive Director Ghada Waly said:

Organised fraud is growing increasingly sophisticated and transnational, requiring stronger collaboration across borders and agencies.

I welcome the UK’s leadership in driving efforts to combat organised fraud and I’m proud that the UN’s Office on Drugs and Crime is partnering with INTERPOL to co-organise the Global Fraud Summit 2026 in Vienna.

This is an important opportunity to sharpen our collective response and develop innovative solutions to protect communities from this pervasive crime.

INTERPOL Secretary General Valdecy Urquiza said:

Advances in technology, such as AI, have seen online fraud and scams grow in complexity and scale, posing a threat to individuals and organisations alike.

A unified response is essential, and these summits are an opportunity to bring the various sectors together.

We look forward to working with the UK, the UNODC and other partners to build a more effective global response.

The press release issued by the Home Office on 27 March 2025.

Final part of Ronan’s Law introduced in Parliament thanks to campaigning of Kanda family.

In a further move to break the cycle of young people carrying knives and to better protect the public from knife-related crime, from 1 August, ninja swords will be banned. This will make it illegal to possess, manufacture, import or sell these deadly weapons.

The majority of ninja swords have a blade between 14 inches and 24 inches with one straight cutting edge with a tanto style point. From 1 August, anyone caught in possession of a ninja sword in private could face 6 months in prison, and this will later increase to 2 years under new measures in the Crime and Policing Bill. There is already a penalty of up to 4 years in prison for carrying any weapon in public.

Ahead of the ban coming into place, the government, in partnership with law enforcement and members of the Coalition to Tackle Knife Crime, will run its most ambitious surrender scheme yet. The scheme will run across the country, targeting young people most vulnerable to knife crime.

The surrender scheme will run from 1 to 31 July to allow any member of the public to hand in these weapons safely.

There will also be new safeguards to prevent exploitation of the scheme. For the first time, there will be a cut-off date and no weapons bought after today (27 March) will be eligible for compensation and we will have stronger value checks. There will also be further guidance released advising where a sword can be surrendered if the owner does not wish to visit a local police station or claim compensation. This will offer the greater use of knife surrender bins and their locations.

The government is exploring every avenue to protect young people and break the behaviour of carrying knives as part of its Plan for Change. The mission to halve knife crime is a cross-Whitehall mission to:

• restrict the availability of knives online
• hold those responsible for selling knives irresponsibly to account
• better support young people at an early stage who are vulnerable to a life of crime

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said:

Knife crime is destroying young lives as too many teenagers are being drawn into violence and it is far too easy for them to get hold of dangerous weapons.

Ronan Kanda was just 16 when he was ruthlessly killed by 2 boys only a year older than him. Today we are introducing the final part of Ronan’s law in his memory – banning the ninja swords that his killers should never have been able to use.

We are acting with urgency to bring forward measures to prevent deadly weapons from getting into the wrong hands and will continue to do whatever is needed to prevent young people being killed on our streets as part of our mission to halve knife crime over the next decade.

Pooja Kanda said:

Today marks a very important day for us as a family and our campaign. Since losing our beautiful boy Ronan, we have relentlessly campaigned for a ban on ninja swords – the lethal weapon which took his life. We believe ninja swords have no place in our society other than to seriously harm and kill.

We are so grateful to our government for hearing us and for recognising how important and urgent it is to get these dangerous weapons off our streets. Each step towards tackling knife crime is a step towards getting justice for our boy Ronan.

Patrick Green, CEO, Ben Kinsella Trust said:

The Ben Kinsella Trust welcomes the government’s decision to ban ninja swords and implement Ronan’s Law. These weapons, with no practical purpose beyond violence, are simply instruments of war and have absolutely no place in our society or on our streets. The ease with which such dangerous items have been available has contributed to far too many tragedies.

The additional measures under Ronan’s Law, designed to hold those who sell these weapons to account, are critical in breaking the supply chain that fuels this violence. We commend the government for listening to victims’ families, and for taking decisive action.

Sandra Campbell, Chief Executive Officer, Word 4 Weapons said:

Word 4 Weapons stands firmly behind the introduction of Ronan’s Law. Ronan’s tragic death at the hands of a ninja sword highlights the urgent need to tighten legislation around dangerous weapons, online and otherwise. This law is a crucial step toward reducing violence and protecting lives in our communities.

The ninja ban forms part of Ronan’s Law, which aims to tackle the online sale of knives. Last month, the government announced a series of measures to tackle online sales, including a 2-step verification process for the sale of knives online and significant fines for executives who fail to remove knife crime content for their platform. It also announced tougher penalties for being caught with a knife in public and for selling a weapon to any person under 18.

Ronan’s Law will also require online retailers to report any bulk or suspicious-looking purchases of knives to the police. This will apply to all online sales of knives, including those who operate through online marketplaces. In the spring, the government will also consult on the introduction of a licensing scheme for retailers who wish to sell knives.

The press release issued by the Home Office on 12 March 2025.

Employers will be required to prioritise recruiting international care workers already in England before recruiting from overseas.

The new rules were laid in Parliament today (12 March).

From 9 April, care providers who want to recruit a new worker from overseas will have to first prove that they have attempted to recruit a worker from within England who needs new sponsorship. This ensures that those who came to the UK to pursue a career in adult social care can do so and will help end the reliance on overseas recruitment as we restore order to our immigration system through our Plan for Change.

Significant work has been ongoing across government, in collaboration with the care sector, to ensure high standards across the immigration system, and to support care workers into alternative jobs when their sponsor has had their licence removed. Under our Plan for Change, we will set out a comprehensive plan to restore order to our broken immigration system, linking immigration, skills and visa systems to grow our domestic skills, end reliance on overseas labour and boost economic growth.

As well as continuing to tackle exploitation, the government is also continuing its clampdown on abuse in the immigration system with changes to the Short-Term Student route.

The visa is designed for those studying an English language course in the UK for between 6 and 11 months, however, there are rising concerns that the route is being abused by those without a genuine intention to study or to leave the UK at the end of their course. In light of this troubling trend, tough new rules will give expanded powers for caseworkers to refuse visa applications which are suspected of being non-genuine.

Seema Malhotra, Minister for Migration and Citizenship, said:

Those who have come to the UK to support our adult care sector should have the opportunity to do so, free from abuse and exploitation.

We have already taken action to ensure employers are not able to flout the rules with little consequence or exploit international workers for costs they were always supposed to pay.

We are now going further, requiring employers in England to prioritise recruiting international care workers who are already here and seeking new sponsorship, before recruiting from overseas.

The new requirements continue government action announced in November to crack down on employers who abuse the visa system; barring those who repeatedly break immigration or employment laws from hiring overseas workers and will help support those workers into new jobs.

The changes announced last year also ban companies from charging workers for the cost of their sponsorship, which has never been intended and led to exploitation, unfair treatment of staff and unsustainable levels of debt in the care sector.

Between July 2022 and December 2024, the government has revoked more than 470 sponsor licences in the care sector to clamp down on abuse and exploitation. More than 39,000 workers have been associated with these sponsors since October 2020.

Changes announced today will also see the minimum salary thresholds updated to reflect the latest data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). This will ensure those working on the Skilled Worker visa, including care workers, are paid a minimum of £12.82 per hour.

Health and education occupations, including doctors, nurses, allied health professionals and teachers, will also see their minimum rates increased to reflect the latest national pay scales.

Stephen Kinnock, Minister of State for Care, said:

International care workers play a vital role in our social care workforce. We value their contribution and work supporting vulnerable people across the country every day.

As we crack down on shameful rogue operators exploiting overseas workers here in the UK, we must do all we can to get the victims back into rewarding careers in adult social care.

Prioritising care workers who are already in the UK will get people back to work reducing our reliance on international recruitment, and make sure our social care sector has the care professionals it needs.

The rules come as the government continues implementation of a series of measures to reduce the potential for abuse on the Student and Graduate visa routes.

Further details of the government’s plan to reduce the staggeringly high levels of legal migration seen in recent years will be set out in the government’s forthcoming Immigration White Paper.

The press release issued by the Home Office on 7 March 2025.

The UK and France sign a roadmap to deepen cooperation on people smuggling.

The UK and France have further deepened their small boats cooperation with the signing of the Upstream Working Group Roadmap yesterday (6 March) at the Ministry of Interior.

The UK’s Border Security Commander, Martin Hewitt, and France’s Special Representative on Immigration for the Minister of State, Patrick Stefanini, met in Paris to agree stronger measures, focussing on stemming irregular migration flows into both France and the UK.

The signing follows the Home Secretary’s visit to the Northern French coast last week where she met with French Minister of the Interior, Bruno Retailleau, to agree a series of new, stronger enforcement measures.

The Franco-British Upstream Working Group marks a significant step in ongoing efforts to combat organised immigration crime. The roadmap has 4 priority issues:

• disrupting the criminal gangs at the heart of organised immigration crime
• deterring illegal migrants from taking the dangerous journey to France and the UK
• ensuring the effective and prompt return of irregular migrants to source and transit countries
• tackling the root causes of irregular migration

The 2 co-chairs welcomed British and French joint efforts and set a date for the next Upstream Working Group plenary meeting, due to take place in May 2025.

Border Security Commander, Martin Hewitt, said:

When I first took on my role as Border Security Commander, one of my key priorities was to strengthen our work with partners across the world to tackle the criminal networks facilitating illegal migration to the UK.

In just a few short months, we have fundamentally enhanced our international cooperation, but it is our close cooperation with French partners that remains, as ever, the cornerstone to stopping the gangs and preventing loss of life.

Beyond France, the Border Security Command has deepened coordination with law enforcement to smash the criminal people smuggling gangs, securing vital agreements with other international partners including Germany, Western Balkan nations and Iraq.

The press release issued by the Home Office on 6 March 2025.

This International Women’s Day, the government has reiterated its commitment to halving violence against women and girls in a decade.

This International Women’s Day, as statistics show that a woman is killed on average every 3 days in the UK, the government has reiterated its commitment to halving violence against women and girls in a decade.

For the past 10 years, Jess Phillips has read the names of women suspected of being killed by men on International Women’s Day, provided by the Femicide Census. But today she read out the names for the first time from the front benches as a Home Office Minister, and reiterated that ensuring our streets and homes are safer for women is now a top government priority.

This comes as the data shows that 1 in 5 homicides are domestic homicides and that over the last decade there were:

• 898 female victims of domestic homicides
• of these, 698 victims (78%) were killed by a partner or ex-partner
• and over 9 in 10 female homicide victims were killed by a man (92%)

These are numbers that the government has committed to change.

Following the toxic influence we have seen on and offline from misogynistic figures, Minister Phillips also pledged that the government’s milestone violence against women and girls (VAWG) strategy, expected to be published in the summer, will include actions specifically addressing the root causes of abuse – including underlying behaviours held by some men and boys.

Under the Prime Minister’s Plan for Change, the government has already set out a number of initiatives to tackle these appalling numbers and the scourge of abuse suffered by women and girls in this country.

Work is already under way to improve the policing and criminal justice system response, relentlessly pursue dangerous perpetrators and provide enhanced support for victims, and includes:

• a cross-government approach to tackling VAWG: to deliver transformational change and ensure efforts remain coordinated and effective, we are spearheading a cross-government approach to tackling VAWG through the Safer Streets Mission Board
• Raneem’s Law: last month, domestic abuse specialists were embedded in 999 control rooms in the first five police forces under ‘Raneem’s Law’, to help improve the police response to domestic abuse – these specialists are advising on risk assessments, working with officers on the ground and ensuring that victims are referred to appropriate support services swiftly
• measures to tackle spiking: in November, the Prime Minister announced a raft of measures to tackle spiking including a new criminal offence for spiking and new spiking training for up to 10,000 staff in the night-time economy to ensure they have the skills to support victims and prevent incidents
• new Domestic Abuse Protection Orders: in November, we launched these orders in select police forces and courts and in the short time since they have launched, we have seen them being used to protect victims, including those experiencing coercive and controlling behaviour – we are going even further and onboarding an additional two sites over the next two months
• measures to protect stalking victims: in December, we announced a package of new measures to protect victims of stalking, including helping ensure victims have the right to know the identity of online stalkers and widening the use of Stalking Protection Orders which can ban stalkers from going within a certain distance of victims or force them to attend behaviour programmes

Today, the Home Office lit up in the colours of green, purple and white to mark International Women’s Day across four estates in the UK in a symbol of how crucial this priority is for Keir Starmer’s government.

For the first time, each of the 95 women’s names provided by the Femicide Census were displayed in the Home Office’s headquarters in London for staff to view.

Minister for Safeguarding and Violence Against Women and Girls, Jess Phillips said:

Today, for the first time from the front benches as a Home Office minister, I have performed the heavy task of reading out the names of women suspected of being killed by a man over the last year, provided by the Femicide Census. The statistics show that a woman is killed in the UK on average every 3 days – a number that is unacceptably high.

Each had more of their life to live and was unfairly torn away from their loved ones, and each deserves to be recognised.

The government’s commitment to halving violence against women and girls in a decade is not an abstract goal – it is a top priority. From embedding domestic abuse specialists in 999 control rooms to launching new domestic abuse protection orders, we are taking action. But the names on today’s list remind us we must do more, and we must do it faster.

Julie Devey, Killed Women Trustee, said:

Each and every year too many women are murdered by violent men. That has to stop and we welcome the government’s mission to halve violence against women and girls in the next decade and the action it is taking to stem this devastating tide.

The reading out of the names of killed women has become a sombre but important tradition – and we are pleased to see that duty move to the government front benches where it belongs. We know ministers are focussed on protecting the women we are here to fight for, and delivering justice for those whose loved ones have been cruelly snatched away.

But this must be just the beginning – we hope government will deliver urgent action to address hidden homicides so that the lives of all women are recognised in the future. We look forward to working with ministers as they work to deliver justice.

The press release issued by the Home Office on 5 March 2025.

Europeans can now apply for an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) to travel to the UK and will need one from 2 April 2025.

The UK government is taking the last major step in the rollout of Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) for the millions of visitors who pass through the UK border every year. From today, eligible Europeans can apply for an ETA and will need one to travel to the UK from Wednesday 2 April 2025.

This expansion follows the successful rollout of ETAs to all eligible non-European nationals last year, which includes visitors from the USA, Canada and Australia who now need an ETA to travel. Almost 1.1 million visitors have been issued with ETAs and will benefit from smoother, easier travel to the UK for short trips in the future.

ETAs will strengthen the immigration system’s security and keep our country safe by screening people before they set foot in the UK.

Minister for Migration and Citizenship, Seema Malhotra, said:

Securing our borders is a foundation of the UK government’s Plan for Change and by digitising the immigration system we are paving the way for a contactless UK border, ensuring visitors enjoy a seamless travel experience in the future.

Expanding ETA worldwide cements our commitment to enhance security through technology and innovation.

Applying for an ETA is quick and simple through the UK ETA app and, with the vast majority of applicants currently receiving a decision automatically in minutes, spontaneous trips to the UK should still be possible. Prospective visitors can also apply on GOV.UK if they do not have access to a smartphone.

Applicants provide their biographic and biometric details and answer questions on suitability and criminality. Once an applicant has successfully applied, their ETA is digitally linked to their passport.

While most applications are approved quickly, it is still recommended to allow up to 3 working days to account for the small number of cases that require additional review.

An ETA currently costs £10 and allows multiple visits to the UK of up to 6 months over a 2-year period, or until the holder’s passport expires – whichever is sooner. An ETA is not a visa, it is a digital permission to travel.

The UK government continues to work closely with the travel industry, including major airline, maritime and rail carriers, to ensure the smooth implementation of our new digital requirements.

The press release issued by the Home Office on 4 March 2025.

Today, the UK and Vietnam have signed a joint communiqué to build on joint work to tackle irregular migration.

The UK has today (4 March) signed a joint communiqué with the Government of Vietnam at the third annual UK-Vietnam Migration Dialogue, hosted in Hanoi, agreeing to build on our joint work to prevent the exploitation of irregular migrants, disrupt criminal gang operations, strengthen intelligence sharing and return those with no right to be in the UK.

The joint communiqué includes a series of commitments to further co-operation.

Preventing and responding to Vietnamese nationals migrating to the UK irregularly through:

a) targeted deterrence communications

b) raising awareness of legal routes

c) working together to tackle human trafficking

Strengthening co-operation in law enforcement, especially immigration crimes, through:

a) increasing operational law enforcement co-operation

b) co-operating with transit countries

c) sharing information on human trafficking

d) disrupting criminal gangs

Returning Vietnamese nationals with no legal right to be in the UK to Vietnam through:

a) expediting issuance of travel documents

b) exploring further ways to improve returns co-operation

c) holding regular returns working groups

The UK and Government of Vietnam reaffirmed the strong bilateral partnership and agreed to ensure progress on the aforementioned areas at the next migration dialogue, to be hosted by the UK in 2026.

The press release issued by the Home Office on 4 March 2025.

Digital advertising launched today in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI) as part of the government’s international campaign to warn prospective migrants about people smugglers’ lies, expanding on the campaigns in Vietnam and Albania.

Quotes from real migrants who have attempted the journey are featured, to counter the myths and misinformation peddled by criminals to dupe people online, as the UK government secures its borders as part of the Plan for Change.

The campaign forms part of this government’s work to expand the UK’s international partnerships and boost cooperation, to dismantle the people smuggling gangs operating across borders and protect vulnerable people, delivered through the Border Security Command.

It comes as the UK is set to sign a joint communiqué today (4 March 2025) with the Vietnamese government at the third annual UK-Vietnam Migration Dialogue, hosted in Hanoi, agreeing to build on our joint work to prevent the exploitation of irregular migrants, disrupt criminal gang operations, strengthen intelligence sharing and return those with no right to be in the UK.

The communiqué includes commitments to enable swifter and more effective returns, and for the UK government to continue its communications campaign in Vietnam to tackle migrant smugglers’ lies.

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

Ruthless criminal gangs spread dangerous lies on social media to exploit people for money, and we are exposing them using the real stories of their victims.

This campaign helps to break the business model of these criminals and protect people from falling victim, securing our borders as part of the government’s Plan for Change.

No one should be in any doubt that putting your life in the hands of a smuggler is not worth the risk. Too many people have died in the English Channel at the hands of these criminals, and we will stop at nothing to bring them to justice.

The UK’s Border Security Commander, Martin Hewitt, also visited Iraq and the KRI last week, to progress the world-first agreements reached between the Federal Government of Iraq and the UK Government in November and further progress our cooperation on strengthening mutual border security.

He met with senior officials in the Federal Government of Iraq and within the Kurdistan Regional Government and its agencies to discuss ongoing cooperation, including increased joint working to tackle organised immigration crime and strengthen our mutual border security co-operation.

Through the Border Security Command, the UK government is working on a whole system approach, preventing irregular migration through communications, increasing international collaboration to tackle this issue across borders, and arming law enforcement with the powers it needs.

Bold new counterterror-style powers in the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill, which is back in Parliament today for committee stage, will help bolster law enforcement to intercept and smash the people smuggling gangs earlier and faster.

This includes stronger powers to seize and search mobile phones to investigate organised immigration crime and new offences against gangs conspiring to plan crossings, selling or handling small boat parts for use in the Channel, or supplying forged identity documents for migrants attempting to come here illegally.

Border Security Commander Martin Hewitt, said:

International partnerships are an essential part of our work to stop criminal gangs operating across borders to exploit vulnerable people.

By strengthening these relationships and working closely with law enforcement partners across the world, we will bring down these gangs, break their business models, and put a stop to the misery and harm they inflict.

Communications are an important part of this work, and our international campaign is sending a clear message to prospective migrants that these criminals cannot be trusted.

The Home Office has today published a short film explaining the Border Security Command’s mission, its work to date, and its future plans.

The video features the Border Security Commander, Martin Hewitt, and key staff setting out the challenge the UK faces from criminal gangs determined to abuse our borders and exploit people for profit, and how the Border Security Command will defeat them and bring them to justice.

The UK’s international communications campaign will also ramp up this year to inform prospective migrants at every stage of the journey about the risks and realities of entering the UK illegally, including informing diaspora communities in the UK about the dangers their friends and families overseas face from people smugglers.