Tag: Home Office

The press release issued by the Home Office on 3 March 2025.

New data shows 18 to 39 year olds account for almost 3 quarters of rental fraud reports as phase 2 of nationwide ‘Stop! Think Fraud’ campaign launches.

Young people aged between 18 and 39 account for almost three quarters of cases of rental fraud, according to exclusive National Fraud Intelligence Bureau (NFIB) data released by the Home Office today.

Rental fraudsters typically target their victims by offering access to properties that do not exist, or which are not theirs to rent, often using fake details and photos, and usually offering prices at well below market rate. To secure the property or even arrange a viewing, they will usually demand a deposit or the first month’s rent, and many individuals desperate to find a home will make the upfront payment to avoid missing out.

According to the NFIB data, the resulting fraud losses amounted to nearly £9 million across around 5,000 reported cases last year. The 18 to 29 age group accounted for 48% of all reported rental fraud cases in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland last year, with the 30 to 39 age group accounting for 25%.

With many students and young workers using the spring months to search for new rented accommodation, Home Office ministers are urging renters to avoid rushing into a quick decision or paying over any money for a property before they have viewed it in person.

And with rental fraud often taking place through properties advertised on social media websites, the government is also renewing its calls for tech companies to go further and faster to tackle fraud on their platforms ahead of convening the next Joint Fraud Taskforce meeting later this month.

Fraud Minister Lord Hanson said:

Rental fraud is an utterly shameful crime, and this new data should serve as a stark reminder that anyone can be a victim. It doesn’t matter how streetwise and tech-savvy you are, fraudsters will get to anyone who doesn’t stop and think before handing over their money.

That’s why I am determined to root out fraud from our society, crack down on the callous criminals behind it, and ensure that stronger protections are put in place by the tech companies on whose platforms much of this fraud takes place.

The Home Office will be making progress on all of those issues through the next phase of our Stop! Think Fraud campaign, and the new, expanded fraud strategy we are developing this year as part of this government’s Plan for Change.

Oliver Shaw, Commander for Fraud and Cybercrime, City of London Police, said:

Young people are disproportionally targeted by criminals whilst they look for new accommodation or housing opportunities. This can result not only in a devastating financial loss but can also lead to a negative impact on their mental health. The data from the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau highlights clearly how much of a critical issue this is in affecting 18 to 29 year olds.

That’s why we, as the national lead force for fraud, continue to support the Stop! Think Fraud campaign’s ongoing efforts to raise awareness of this vital issue. And we continue to work to highlight emerging cybercrime and fraud types that could be a threat, understanding the importance of reporting, and advocating ways the public can prevent themselves from becoming victims of fraud.

The new figures are published on the same day as the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) – part of GCHQ – launches the second phase of a nationwide campaign encouraging individuals and small businesses to set-up 2-step verification (2SV) on their most important accounts.

2SV adds an extra layer of security, making it much harder for attackers to access your accounts even if your password is compromised.

NCSC Chief Operating Officer Felicity Oswald said:

 Online fraudsters are constantly finding new ways to trick you into sharing personal information or money, but thankfully, there are ways to protect yourself.

Today, we’re launching a nationwide campaign urging everyone to strengthen their security by enabling 2SV, which adds an extra layer of protection to keep your accounts safe.

Toughen up your online security by enabling 2SV today – usually found in the security settings of your accounts – and keep the fraudsters out.

The press release issued by the Home Office on 28 February 2025.

UK and French Interior Minister launch new police and enforcement plans including state of the art surveillance technology to disrupt smuggling gangs in France.

New measures to tackle people-smuggling gangs have been agreed by the UK and France, with over £7 million of existing funds redirected towards a stronger law enforcement response on migrant channel crossings, as ⁠Yvette Cooper meets with French Minister of the Interior Bruno Retailleau, the first Home Secretary visit to Northern France in almost 5 years.

As part of the ongoing Sandhurst agreement and new joint working between the 2 governments, the ministers have agreed a series of new, stronger enforcement plans from spring, including:

• a new specialist intelligence and judicial police unit in Dunkirk to speed up the arrest and prosecution of people-smugglers
• a new Compagnie de Marche of specialist enforcement officers, similar to the arrangements that were put in place during the Paris Olympics which reduced crossings, supported by increased local policing
• training additional drone pilots to increase operations and intercept planned boats before they reach the sea

The Home Secretary and her French counterpart met in Calais on 27 February to agree new law enforcement action as part of their renewed partnership on tackling small boat crossings in the English Channel.

This builds on renewed efforts to tackle people smuggling from the two countries, which has seen the UK set up the new Border Security Command led by former Police Chief Martin Hewitt, and the French government appoint a new Special Representative on Migration, Patrick Stefanini.

More than €1.3 million in reallocated funds will provide 12 specialist intelligence officers as part of the judicial police unit, the Groupe d’Appui Operationnel, stationed in Dunkirk.

This highly specialised unit will focus on disrupting organised immigration crime activity and the flow of small boats equipment, with dual powers to investigate and prosecute people-smugglers, enabling more convictions at a faster rate and ensuring that those responsible face justice.

Another €2.67 million has been reallocated to mobilise a new policing unit, the Compagnie de Marche. Taking inspiration from the operational response during the Paris Olympics, the unit’s officers have elite public order powers to address increases in violence on French beaches. This will enable more dynamic patrols of the shoreline to apprehend smugglers, intercept crossings and prevent loss of life in the channel.

Additional French reservist officers have been deployed along the coastline since 1 January 2025, showing better co-operation and use of resource between UK and France under the Sandhurst Agreement, which was signed in 2018. In addition, the French Interior Minister has announced police and enforcement presence on transport routes towards the French coast, and €3,980,000 has been reallocated to further increase the number of deployed reservists.

As the Home Secretary has made clear, and as this new funding approach demonstrates, the UK government is determined to increase cooperation to go after the criminal gangs who are undermining border security and putting countless lives at risk.

While visiting Calais and Le Touquet, the first Home Secretary to do so since 2020, Yvette Cooper met with law enforcement officers and local officials to thank them for their work to prevent boat crossings and to deal with the growing disgraceful violence from criminal gangs against police officers along the coast.

As part of these enhanced measures, €326,500 funding will also be reallocated to supplying crucial safety of life at sea (SOLAS) equipment including surveillance cameras, drones and life jackets.

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said:

Criminal smuggler gangs are running an appalling and dangerous trade in people – undermining UK and French border security, causing huge damage and putting lives at risk. The gangs operate across borders, so law enforcement needs to operate across borders too. That is why our joint work with France is so important and we are strengthening our cooperation, with new specialist enforcement teams to go after these dangerous gangs.

These criminal networks operate right across Europe and beyond, and we are determined to increase our joint action working with other countries to stop the gangs and boats before they reach the French coast

I am grateful to my friend and colleague Minister Bruno Retailleau for the close cooperation between our teams and for his continued support and leadership in tackling organised immigration crime. The violence from criminal gangs against French police along the coast is a total disgrace, and I want to thank the French police and authorities for the work they are doing to respond to that violence, to prevent boat crossings and to save lives.

Between 5 July 2024 and 31 January 2025, both illegal working visits and arrests have soared by around 38% compared to the same 12 months prior. During the same period, the Home Office issued a total of 1,090 civil penalty notices to those employing illegal workers. Employers could face a fine of up to £60,000 per worker if found liable.

In addition, nearly 19,000 foreign criminals and people with no right to be in the UK have now been removed since the government took office.

This renewed co-operation comes amid the introduction of the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill under the government’s Plan for Change, which creates a framework of new, enhanced powers and offences to improve UK border security and to strengthen the asylum and immigration system.

It also comes ahead of the government’s Border Security Summit, due to take place in London on 31 March and 1 April, to which France and over 40 other countries are invited to discuss solutions to organised immigration crime.

The press release issued by the Home Office on 28 February 2025.

In one of the biggest legislative updates to policing for decades, a package of new laws will tackle antisocial behaviour, shop theft and street crime.

The Crime and Policing Bill, which is central to the government’s Plan for Change and Safer Streets mission, will be introduced in Parliament today and begins its journey to becoming law.

It will also include measures to address the highest-harm crimes impacting society, such as knife crime, violence against women and girls, cybercrime, child sexual abuse, and terrorism.

In new measures announced today, police will be given enhanced powers against theft of mobile phones – no longer needing a warrant to search properties where stolen items have been electronically geolocated.

Under the new warrantless powers of entry, officers will be able to enter premises identified by electronic mapping if stolen items are believed to be there and it is not practicable to obtain a warrant from a court. This can be done through a ‘find my phone’ app, wifi access points, Bluetooth, mobile network technology or tracking devices attached to any other possession or vehicle.

It will support the police to act swiftly in the ‘golden hour’ of investigations, which is particularly crucial for investigations into theft, helping to provide swifter seizures of stolen property and providing a better service to victims.

Sitting at the heart of the government’s Safer Streets mission and Plan for Change, the new bill will help tackle the crimes that matter most to communities but have been ignored for too long. The new laws will be backed up by the recruitment of 13,000 extra neighbourhood policing roles, with a named officer in every community.

On the introduction of the Crime and Policing Bill, Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said:

This flagship Crime and Policing Bill is at the heart of our mission for safer streets and this government’s Plan for Change.

For too long communities have had to put up with rising town centre and street crime, and persistent antisocial behaviour, while neighbourhood police have been cut. And for years too little has been done to tackle the most serious violence of all including knife crime and violence against women and children.

That is why the new Crime and Policing Bill is about taking back our streets and town centres, restoring respect for law and order, and giving the police and local communities the support and tools they need to tackle local crime.

On the new warrantless powers of entry, Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said:

For the last few years, our towns and cities have seen street theft shoot up, as organised gangs have been targeting mobile phones.

But it is extremely frustrating for victims when they can see exactly where their stolen phone has gone but nothing is done.

That is why we are determined to give the police the powers they need to move fast to crack down on these crimes that are blighting our communities.

It places significant focus on protecting high streets. The effective immunity for shop theft of goods below £200 will be scrapped and retail workers will be better protected from assault.

There will also be increased powers to crack down on repeat antisocial behaviour offenders, with new respect orders banning those prolific offenders from our town centres.

Police will be given the power to seize vehicles that cause havoc to communities, allowing them to deal with the scourge of off-road bikes in public parks and dangerous e-scooters on pavements.

The bill will treat violence against women and girls (VAWG) as the national emergency it truly is, ensuring tougher enforcement action against perpetrators and better protection for victims. It will strengthen stalking protection orders, introduce a new criminal offence covering spiking and bar registered sex offenders from changing their name where they continue to pose a threat.

Implementing a flagship recommendation of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse, the bill will create a new duty to report child sexual abuse, backed up by criminal sanctions for those who seek to cover up abuse.

To help rebuild confidence in police, chief constables will be enabled to remove officers who are unfit to serve by allowing them the right to appeal the result of misconduct boards to the Police Appeals Tribunal.

In the year ending September 2024, police recorded one million incidents of antisocial behaviour. In the same period, they recorded over 490,000 shop theft offences, an increase of 23 percent over the previous 12 month period. Instances of theft from a person increased by 22 percent, while there were also over 55,000 recorded offences involving a knife or sharp instrument.

Other measures that have already been announced by the government, such as the presumption of anonymity for firearms officers facing criminal proceedings relating to the use of lethal force in the line of duty, will be introduced later in the parliamentary process. This also includes Ronan’s Law clamping down on the online sales of knives, announced last week.

Clare Sumner, Chief Policy and Social Impact Officer at the Premier League said:

The Premier League welcomes the government’s commitment to making communities safer for all through the introduction of the Crime and Policing Bill. The Premier League and our clubs – together with our partners across the game – are committed to using the power of football to provide positive opportunities for young people.

Launched in 2006 with the Home Office and the Metropolitan Police, Premier League Kicks is one of our flagship programmes delivered by 93 professional football club charities across the country to support young people in high-need areas. The programme provides free, weekly football sessions in safe environments offering mentoring, personal development opportunities and positive pathways for young people.

Asda Chief Commercial Officer (Non-food and Retail), Liz Evans, said:

The Crime and Policing Bill is a major step forward, which builds on the measures that this government has already introduced to deliver the Safer Streets mission. Recent interventions, like the Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee, will help us to directly tackle 2 significant challenges that we are facing as a business – incidences of assault and shoplifting are daily challenges across our estate, which have a devastating impact on colleagues and customers.

More police working in our communities will have a positive impact as we continue to mitigate those challenges. That is why we warmly welcome this bill and recognise it as a key milestone in combatting retail crime and antisocial behaviour. As I have said before, Asda is ready to work in partnership with our new neighbourhood officers to help reduce crime and improve safety in the areas we serve.

Association of Convenience Stores chief executive James Lowman said:

We strongly welcome the introduction of the Crime and Policing Bill, which we hope will send a clear message that shop theft and assaults on retailers will be taken seriously by both the police and the justice system.

People running and working in shops deserve to be treated with respect, and we believe this bill takes important steps toward that goal.

CEO of Neighbourhood Watch, John Hayward-Cripps, said:

Neighbourhood Watch is delighted that the government is continuing to show its commitment to neighbourhood policing. The focus on addressing and reducing the epidemic of antisocial behaviour, theft, and shoplifting that we all witness in our town centres and communities will play an important role in increasing feelings of confidence in the police, and feeling safer in our local communities.

The reduction in police funding over the last 15 years has been particularly felt in neighbourhood policing, resulting in low public confidence and crimes going unreported, due to the perception that the police do not have the resources to investigate.

The Crime and Policing Bill combined with the additional resources being introduced will enable the police to do the job they want to do, rather than only focusing on their biggest priorities, and signals the government’s commitment to improving our communities and making us all feel safer and more connected.

Dawn Dines, the CEO of Stamp Out Spiking welcomes the introduction of the Crime and Policing Bill with its clear indications that government policy is addressing violent crime, antisocial behaviour, and spiking, as a matter of priority.

Increasing public confidence and the sense that people will be safer on our streets, without the fear of being attacked, together with enhanced police visibility, will go a long way to create community cohesion and confidence in Home Office strategies.

Dawn said:

The key to combatting predators of these spiking crimes, to enhance public protection and to reduce antisocial behaviour, is proactive education. A collaborative approach is essential to satisfy the needs of different communities, environments and changing trends. It is paramount for service providers to have the confidence of receiving current, concise information from key stakeholders, who deal with victims and security, in the day and nighttime economy.

Clearly the detection and prevention of crime is not only a matter for the police. It is the duty of us all, as caring, compassionate citizens, not tolerating a culture of violence where these acts can be committed.

This bill will create a positive impact on encouraging victims – especially of spiking – to come forward, to report, clearly indicating that offending is not acceptable and will have severe consequences.

The full scope of legislation at introduction includes:

Tackling antisocial behaviour by:

• giving the police and others stronger powers to tackle antisocial behaviour by introducing respect orders
• removing the need for police to issue a warning before seizing vehicles, such as off-road bikes being used antisocially
• strengthening the use of existing antisocial behaviour powers – the bill also gives ministers the power to issue statutory guidance to councils in England on the enforcement of fly-tipping

Tougher action on knife crime, including:

• creating a power to seize, retain and destroy bladed articles found on private property
• increasing the maximum penalty for sale of dangerous weapons to under-18s
• creating a new criminal offence of possessing a bladed article with the intent to cause harm

Protecting retail workers by:

• introducing a new offence of assaulting a retail worker, giving workers in shops up and down the country the protection they need
• removing the legislation which makes shop theft of and below £200 a summary-only offence, sending a clear message that any level of shop theft will be taken seriously

Protecting vulnerable children and adults by:

• introducing a new offence of child criminal exploitation, alongside a civil preventative order designed to stop the abhorrent exploitation of children by criminals
• making cuckooing a specific offence, protecting the most vulnerable people whose homes are used by others to commit criminal activity
• extending the current offence of exposure and creating a new child abduction offence

Tackling child sexual abuse, including implementing recommendations from the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse by:

• banning artificial intelligence (AI) models optimised to produce child sexual abuse material, and extend existing law criminalising ‘paedophile manuals’ to include material instructing how to use AI to generate child sexual abuse material
• criminalising moderators and administrators of websites that host child sexual abuse material
• granting Border Force officers the power to search the digital devices of individuals arriving in the UK for child sexual abuse material
• introducing a new duty in England for adults working in relevant activities to report instances of child sexual abuse
• introducing a new statutory aggravating factor covering grooming behaviour.

Tackling violence against women and girls by:

• creating new offences criminalising the taking or recording of intimate images or videos without consent or a reasonable belief in consent
• creating a new offence capturing spiking
• empowering the police to release the identity online stalkers to victims, alongside strengthening the use of stalking protection orders whilst issuing guidance to agencies on combatting stalking

New powers to tackle serious crime, including:

• banning the possession or distribution of electronic devices used in vehicle theft
• strengthening the ability to apply corporate criminal liability to the make-up of modern corporations

Strengthening the supervision of offenders in the community by:

• reforming the ability of the police to manage registered sex offenders, including restricting their ability to change their name where there is a risk of sexual harm
• giving probation officers the power to polygraph test more serious offenders who have committed sexual or terrorism-motivated crimes

Introducing new public order and safety powers, including:

• banning the possession of fireworks, flares and other pyrotechnics at protests
• criminalising the climbing of specified war memorials, making it clear that such disrespectful behaviour is unacceptable
• banning the use of face coverings to conceal a person’s identity at protests designated by the police

Tackling fraud and economic crime by:

• prohibiting possession and supply of ‘SIM farms’ with no legitimate purpose
• reforming the confiscation powers used to strip convicted criminals of their proceeds of crime
• introducing cost protections for law enforcement agencies to protect them from the risk of adverse costs when investigating kleptocrats and high-net worth individuals and corporations

Giving police the powers they need, including:

• creating a new targeted power for the police to enter premises to search for and seize electronically tracked stolen goods, ranging from mobile phones to stolen vehicles and agricultural machinery
• expanding the lawful purposes by which law enforcement agencies can access the DVLA driver licence records

Tougher action on drugs, including:

• expanding police powers to drug test more suspects on arrest, helping direct more drug users into treatment and away from illegal drugs

Enhancing public confidence in policing by:

• reforming the Independent Office for Police Conduct’s (IOPC) investigative processes and giving chief officers of police the right to appeal the result of misconduct boards to the Police Appeals Tribunal
• putting the IOPC’s victims’ right of review on a statutory footing

Update counter-terrorism powers by:

• implementing recommendations of the Independent Reviewer of Terrorism Legislation, such as introducing youth diversion orders to divert young people away from terrorism-related activity

The press release issued by the Home Office on 28 February 2025.

Security Minister Dan Jarvis visited the United Arab Emirates to continue the 2 nations’ shared aim to tackle illicit finance and counter-terrorism financing.

The Security Minister met with Minister of State in the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, His Excellency Ahmed bin Ali Al-Sayegh, and completed a significant visit, including meeting with the Dubai Police Commander in Chief.

These meetings marked a significant step forward in the UK and United Arab Emirate’s (UAE) ongoing shared efforts to further deliver on the UK-UAE Partnership to Tackle Illicit Financial Flows. Both parties agreed to increase judicial co-operation, and ensure the continuous alignment in their approach to illicit finance.

It reaffirmed the UK and UAE’s commitment and ambition to increase co-operation and to build a stronger, more effective partnership in the fight against illicit finance, reinforcing both nations’ roles as leaders in global efforts to tackle this threat.

Security Minister, Dan Jarvis, said:

The government understands the importance of international co-operation in tracking, intercepting, and stopping the flow of illicit funds between the UK and UAE.

This partnership remains critical to our nations’ missions for countering global crimes and protecting national security, which is the foundation of our Plan for Change.

The UK and UAE have worked to target the financial infrastructures that organised crime groups heavily rely on. This includes the work of the Combined Anti-Money Laundering Operational Team (CAMLOT), a joint initiative designed to tackle money laundering operations and identify hidden financial networks tied to illicit activities.

Through this initiative, the UK and UAE have targeted criminal organisations, weakening the sophisticated financial operations used to fund crime globally.

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

Published statistics show millions have accessed their eVisa, as an extension to the period expired immigration documents can be used for travel is confirmed.

Over 4 million UK visa holders have successfully created an account to access their eVisa, according to Home Office statistics published today. An estimated 600,000 people are yet to switch from their physical document to an eVisa.

Securing our borders is a key part of the government’s Plan for Change and eVisas are a key part of delivering a border and immigration system which is more digital and streamlined. This change will enhance the experience of people using the system, and increase the immigration system’s security and efficiency.

To support a continued smooth transition to eVisas, and ensure no one is disadvantaged, the Home Office is extending the ‘grace period’ announced in December 2024. We committed to keep this transitional measure under review and we are extending the end date from 31 March 2025 to 1 June 2025.

This allows people with a biometric residence permit (BRP) or EUSS biometric residence card (BRC) that expired on or after 31 December 2024, and who continue to hold underlying immigration status, to continue to use their expired document for international travel up to and including 1 June 2025.

From the 2 June 2025, expired BRPs and EUSS BRCs will no longer be acceptable evidence of immigration status when travelling to the UK.

Minister for Migration and Citizenship, Seema Malhotra MP said:

Today’s encouraging eVisa statistics show that a significant majority of the immigration status holders who needed to take action have done so.

We continue to listen carefully to feedback, and our confirmation that expired immigration documents can be used for travel until June this year will help to further ensure the transition to eVisas continues to be as smooth as possible.

Those yet to create an account to access their eVisa are encouraged to do so as soon as possible, to make the most of the benefits of using an eVisa and join the millions – including all EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS) status holders – who already have an eVisa. It is free, and straightforward for those who hold physical and paper documents to create a UKVI account to access their eVisa.

People with indefinite leave to remain (ILR, also known as settlement) who use an ink stamp or vignette in a passport to prove their rights can continue to use their documents as they do today, including for travel, but are encouraged to make the switch to an eVisa to take advantage of the benefits it brings.

We had previously estimated the number of BRP holders who need to create an account to access their eVisa at over 4 million, but this number is hard to establish accurately given the daily fluctuations in this data. This is because of people’s leave expiring, people leaving the country before their leave expires, or leave being cancelled or curtailed.

Since the first eVisa statistics publication in December 2024, we have carried out further analysis and quality assurance to enhance our understanding of who has not yet acted, though the data is presented in same format for clarity.

A number of people who created a UKVI account already had one created as part of their visa application, and therefore now have 2 UKVI accounts – although only one eVisa. This should not cause issues for those people, but it does mean that the published data includes a number of duplicate accounts. To maintain consistency, we are continuing to publish data on eVisa account creation numbers, recognising that this contains duplicates.

However, we are also clarifying our revised estimate of the numbers of immigration status holders who still need to access their eVisa, which we anticipate to be approximately 600,000 BRP holders. This number will decrease as people’s leave expires and they leave the UK.

Further information can be found in our eVisa factsheet.

The press release issued by the Home Office on 24 February 2025.

Elites with known links to the Kremlin may be subject to exclusion from the UK in show of steadfast support for Ukraine on 3 year anniversary of invasion.

Elites linked to the Russian state can be excluded from entering the UK under new measures announced by the Home Secretary today.

Under the new measures, the government will expand the criteria for exclusion to cover Kremlin-linked elites. This will ensure that, while Russia remains an acute national security threat, elites linked to the Russian state can be prevented from entering the UK.

Those who could be barred from the UK include anyone who:

• provides significant support to the Russian state
• owes their significant status or wealth to the Russian state
• enjoy access to the highest levels of the Russian state

Kremlin-linked elites can pose a real and present danger to our way of life. They denounce our values in public while enjoying the benefits of the UK in private – benefits which they look to deprive Ukraine of through their support of Russia’s war.  They can act as tools for the Russian state, enabling the continuation and expansion of Russia’s aggression.

The move will bolster both UK national interest and national security, one of the key priorities underpinning the government’s Plan for Change, by blocking the physical access of those who undermine UK national security. These new measures will complement the UK’s existing sanctions regime against Russian elites who are supporting Putin’s war effort, which will remain in place as long as Russia threatens Ukraine’s sovereignty.

The move follows continued action from the UK to respond to Russia’s illegal war in Ukraine including through imposing extensive sanctions on elites linked to the Russian state, strengthening law enforcement capabilities through the National Crime Agency’s (NCA’s) Combatting Kleptocracy Cell and closing the legislative loopholes open to money laundering by criminal actors.

These measures also follow ramped up efforts to tackle Russian illicit finance through the NCA’s Operation Destabilise, successfully disrupting 2 Russian money laundering networks which provided services to Russian oligarchs and helped fund Russian state espionage operations. The NCA-led action led to 84 arrests and over £20 million in illicit funds seized. This work continues and since the disruption, a further £1 million of cash has been seized and a further 6 arrests made.

This change builds on the UK-Ukraine 100 Year Partnership signed in January, which commits both countries to work together to tackle the malign influence of elites linked to the Russian state.

Security Minister Dan Jarvis said:

Border security is national security, and we will use all the tools at our disposal to protect our country against the threat from Russia.

The measures announced today slam the door shut to the oligarchs who have enriched themselves at the expense of the Russian people whilst bankrolling this illegal and unjustifiable war.

My message to Putin’s friends in Moscow is simple: you are not welcome in the UK.

Since the start of the full-scale invasion, the UK’s total military, economic and humanitarian support for Ukraine amounts to £12.8 billion. We remain committed to the provision of £3 billion of military support a year to put Ukraine in the strongest position possible.

Earlier this month, the Defence Secretary led the 50-nation strong Ukraine Defence Contact Group for the first time and announced a further £150 million firepower package for Ukraine, including drones, tanks and air defence systems.

Defence Secretary, John Healey MP, said:

As we mark the third anniversary of Russia’s illegal invasion, Putin is still waging a war he thought he would win in three days, because of fierce resistance from the Ukrainians. Our support for them is unshakeable.

I am proud of the UK’s leadership and unity on Ukraine. Keeping the Ukrainians in their fight and as strong as possible at any negotiating table is critical not only for them, but for the security of the UK. These new measures send a powerful message that we will do what it takes to turn the tables on Putin’s aggression.

The press release issued by the Home Office on 24 February 2025.

Possession or distribution of electronic devices used to commit vehicle theft will be banned, carrying a maximum sentence of 5 years.

Sophisticated electronic devices used by criminals in 40% of vehicle thefts in England and Wales will be banned under new laws, as part of the government’s mission to make the nation’s streets safer.

Having your vehicle stolen is a costly and distressing experience for victims. It disrupts livelihoods, stopping people from working and from seeing their families.

As the government works to prevent crimes from impacting working people’s lives, police officers and the courts will be given new powers to target criminals who steal vehicles using electronic devices, including ‘signal jammers’, along with the organised groups who manufacture and supply these devices.

Previously, prosecution for handling these devices was only possible if it could be proved by police that they had been used to commit a specific crime.

Under these new laws, anyone who is found in possession of one, or to have imported, made, adapted or distributed them, could receive a maximum penalty of 5 years’ imprisonment and an unlimited fine. The burden of proof will instead fall on the owner to prove they were using the device for a legitimate purpose, to avoid being prosecuted.

This new measure acts on a key milestone in our Plan for Change to protect our neighbourhoods and is part of the government’s flagship Crime and Policing Bill, which will be introduced to Parliament on Tuesday.

Minister for Policing, Crime and Fire Prevention, Dame Diana Johnson, said:

These thefts have a devastating effect on victims, who need their vehicles to go about their everyday lives. We are aware of the real concerns people feel with the use of these electronic devices being so prolific.

This is why we are introducing new laws focused on tackling this issue at source, which is what our Safer Streets mission and Plan for Change are all about. These new laws will prevent these devices from getting into the hands of thieves and organised crime groups.

We will also continue to work closely with the National Police Chiefs’ Council, which includes supporting their National Vehicle Crime Reduction Partnership, which brings together the police and manufacturers to clamp down on vehicle crime.

The most common way theft from a vehicle – or the theft of the vehicle itself – occurs is with the use of these electronic devices, with keyless repeaters and signal amplifiers being used to scramble the signal from remote locking devices.

According to the 2022 to 2023 Crime Survey for England and Wales, an offender manipulated a signal from a remote locking device in 40% of thefts of vehicles. There were also 732,000 incidents of vehicle-related theft in the year ending September 2024.

The Metropolitan Police Service estimates that, in London, signal jammers are used in approximately 60% of vehicle theft.

A significant proportion of vehicle theft is driven by organised crime groups, as there is a demand for stolen vehicles, which means this is a highly attractive and lucrative area for criminals to gain profit. Organised criminals are constantly trying to find ways to overcome security measures on vehicles, even in the latest models, by exploiting vulnerabilities in vehicles and new technologies.

In support of the new measures, RAC head of policy Simon Williams said:

With government statistics showing an average of 370 vehicles being stolen every day, outlawing the possession and distribution of signal jammers cannot come soon enough and we welcome the government’s action on this.

Having your car stolen is not only a violation, it causes massive amounts of stress and inconvenience as well as higher insurance costs for the individual concerned and drivers generally.

AA president, Edmund King, said:

This is a positive step, and these tougher sentences should make would-be thieves think again before stealing cars. As fast as vehicle technology has evolved, thieves have always tried to keep pace and beat the security systems.

Relay theft and signal jamming is all too frequent and these measures will give police forces more opportunities to tackle car crime.

ACC Jenny Sims, National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for vehicle crime said:

We welcome the announcement of new offences to criminalise the possession, manufacture, sale and supply of signal jammers which have provided an easily accessible tool for criminals to use in the theft of vehicles for far too long.

These devices have no legitimate purpose, apart from assisting in criminal activity, and reducing their availability will support policing and industry in preventing vehicle theft which is damaging to both individuals and businesses.

The press release issued by the Home Office on 22 February 2025.

Two new offences in the government’s flagship Crime and Policing Bill will make child criminal exploitation and ‘cuckooing’ illegal.

Children and vulnerable people who are exploited by gangs for criminal purposes will receive greater protection, with two new criminal offences set to be introduced by the government next week.

Landmark legislation will be brought forward to ban cuckooing, a highly exploitative practice where criminals seize control of a vulnerable person’s home without consent to conduct illegal activities like drug dealing.

Another new offence will be created against adults who use a child to commit criminal activity. Both of these measures will be part of the government’s landmark Crime and Policing Bill, which is set to be introduced in Parliament next week and forms a key part of the government’s Plan for Change.

Current estimates show that approximately 14,500 children were identified as at risk or involved in child criminal exploitation (CCE) in 2023 to 2024, although this is likely an underestimate as many exploited children will not be known to authorities.

However, under current legislation, only a small number of individuals have been charged for using children in criminal activity.

This standalone CCE offence will therefore look to target those adults who unscrupulously groom and exploit children into criminal activity, such as county lines drug running or organised robbery, as well as increasing the opportunities for children to be identified.

Those convicted of committing a CCE offence could face a maximum of 10 years in prison, sending a clear message that this form of child exploitation will never be tolerated.

Home Secretary, Yvette Cooper, said:

The exploitation of children and vulnerable people for criminal gain is sickening and it is vital we do everything in our power to eradicate it from our streets.

As part of our Plan for Change, we are introducing these two offences to properly punish those who prey on them, ensure victims are properly protected and prevent these often-hidden crimes from occurring in the first place.

These steps are vital in our efforts to stop the grooming and exploitation of children into criminal gangs, deliver on our pledge to halve knife crime in the next decade and work towards our overall mission to make our streets safer.

The new legislation also includes the creation of new CCE prevention orders, which may be issued at the end of criminal proceedings or upon application by police.

These bespoke orders will ensure that courts can impose restrictions and requirements on individuals who pose a risk of exploiting a child for criminal purposes, such as limiting their ability to work with children, contact specific people or go to a certain area.

This will help manage the risk of offending, or reoffending, and breach of these orders (or failure to comply with any relevant notification requirements) will also be a criminal offence, with a maximum penalty of five years in prison.

Baroness Anne Longfield, Executive Chair of the Centre for Young Lives, said:

The ruthless criminal exploitation of vulnerable children has been a brutal and lucrative business model for organised criminals for too long.

It has had tragic consequences for thousands of young lives and has devastated families and communities.

This change in the law is long overdue, very welcome, and will save lives.

Mark Russell, Chief Executive at The Children’s Society said:

This new offence is a vital step forward that we have been campaigning for over the years. A standalone crime of child criminal exploitation (CCE) will finally shift the focus onto perpetrators, not victims. For too long, adults who groom children into criminal activity – forcing them to hold drugs or launder money or commit theft – have evaded accountability. Charges such as drug possession ignore the core truth; these are child abusers exploiting vulnerable young people.

To protect the 14,500 children identified at risk last year – and the thousands more unseen – these measures must be backed by three pillars; strong enforcement, training for safeguarding professionals and a statutory definition of CCE to help end the postcode lottery in victim support.

This is how we break cycles of harm: punish the exploiters, prioritise the victims, and put child safety first.

In further measures to better protect vulnerable people, a new offence making cuckooing illegal will also be introduced.

Dame Rachel de Souza, The Children’s Commissioner, said:

As Children’s Commissioner, I know the criminal exploitation of children is a complex type of abuse that causes harm to victims in a way that has for too long been undercounted and poorly understood.

Many children targeted by adult criminals themselves face punishment instead of support. Like too many child victims, they are often ignored and overlooked. Their voices and experiences must be listened to, if we are to create a child-centric justice system that puts safeguarding at its heart.

Introducing this new offence and new prevention orders will help create that much needed clarity that exploited children are victims. I hope this will enable professionals to intervene at far earlier stages of intervention, backed by plans to create a unique identifying number for every child that helps services identify those in need of support.

These measures will be introduced in the Crime and Policing Bill alongside the new CCE offence.

It is commonly associated with drug supply, serious violence and antisocial behaviour, seeing people often with disabilities or those with substance misuse issues targeted by criminals for their own personal gain.

The introduction of this new offence will target individuals who take over the homes of vulnerable people for criminal purposes and punish them for the harm caused. It will carry a maximum penalty of 5 years in prison.

The press release issued by the Home Office on 21 February 2025.

Raneem’s Law has launched to embed the first domestic abuse specialists in 999 control rooms across five forces and ensure victims receive specialist support.

Delivering on a manifesto commitment, today (Friday 21 February), Raneem’s Law has been launched to embed the first domestic abuse specialists in 999 control rooms across five forces to ensure that victims of domestic abuse receive more specialist support.

West Midlands, Northumbria, Northamptonshire, Bedfordshire and Humberside Police are all pioneering this new approach to improve the police response to victims of domestic abuse.

This is part of the government’s mission – underpinned by our Plan for Change – to better protect victims, pursue perpetrators and halve violence against women and girls in a decade.

These domestic abuse specialists will ensure that calls for help are properly assessed, managed and responded to. Specifically, their duties can include:

• providing advice to officers responding to incidents on the ground
• reviewing incoming domestic abuse cases and their risk assessments
• listening in to live calls and providing feedback to call handlers on victim engagement
• facilitating training sessions on domestic abuse for force control room staff
• ensuring victims are referred to specialist support services
• using expertise and understanding to manually check over the decisions made by 999 call handlers and identifying any missed opportunities to safeguard victims
• supporting the use of innovative technology such as responding to victims via videocall

The government will work closely with these first forces to gain insight and understanding into how this new approach is working, to inform a national roll-out across all 43 forces and new statutory guidance for Raneem’s Law as soon as possible.

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said:

Every 30 seconds, someone calls the police about domestic abuse – over 100 people every hour seeking urgent help.

That’s why we are determined to overhaul the police emergency response to domestic abuse, making sure that victims get the specialist support and protection they need. That must be Raneem and Khaola’s legacy.

West Midlands has been determined to learn the lessons from the way Raneem and her mother were so badly failed and it is welcome that they, Bedfordshire, Humberside, Northumbria and Northamptonshire are all pioneering this ambitious approach to deliver the best possible response to victims at the worst time of their lives.

We need to change the future for others, where we couldn’t for Raneem, as part of our mission to halve violence against women and girls in a decade.

For too long, crimes disproportionately impacting women and girls have not been met with the specialist response they require.

Domestic abuse affects more than 2 million people every year, with the police receiving a call about it every 30 seconds on average. Yet only 1 in 5 victims are estimated to report incidents to the police.

Raneem’s Law was established in memory of Raneem Oudeh and her mother Khaola Saleem, who were murdered by Raneem’s ex-husband in August 2018. There were 13 reports made to the police about concerns for Raneem’s safety, but no arrests were made. On the night she was killed, she rang 999 four times but the police did not respond in time.

To deliver a step-change in approach to tackling this appalling crime, the government are providing £2.2 million to fund the first stages of Raneem’s Law over the next financial year.

Nour Norris, lead campaigner, aunt and sister of Raneem Oudeh and Khaola Saleem, said:

Raneem called for help, and today, the system finally answered.

I can’t express enough how deeply emotional and significant this moment is. After six relentless years of campaigning for justice, I am returning to the force that failed my sister, Khaola, and my niece, Raneem. West Midlands Police had the chance to save them. Raneem called 999, desperate for help, but the system did not listen. It did not act. And because of that failure, we lost them.

I refuse to point fingers or place blame. I believed in change, and I believed in people wanting that to happen. Working alongside the government and the police, especially West Midlands Police has been a journey of change. Raneem’s Law is now being implemented, and with it, a fundamental shift in how victims of domestic abuse are supported.

Raneem deserved the help she needed, my sister, Khaola, who broke my heart because she was caught in all of this, deserved to live around her children. This is not just about saving lives; it is also about ensuring that victims who survive have the chance to truly live, free from fear and harm. They deserve safety, dignity, and a future.

This moment proves that change only happens when we refuse to accept failure. We cannot wait for another tragedy. We must build the safeguards that should have been there all along. And while nothing will bring Khaola and Raneem back, their voices, struggles, and sacrifices have led to a law that will save lives. Their legacy will live forever.

Because the scale of violence against women and girls is a national emergency, earlier this month we announced a new intelligence-led national policing centre for England and Wales. Backed by £13 million, the centre will bring together around 100 officers to focus on tackling crimes such as domestic abuse, stalking, rape and sexual offences and ensure that victims are protected.

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

Raneem’s death showed us the devastating cost of missed opportunities.

Behind every 999 call is someone’s daughter, mother, sister or friend in fear. That’s why getting the response right the first time, every time, is absolutely crucial. Embedding specialism and expertise into 999 control rooms will ensure that when victims make that brave call for help, they get the expert response they need.

Working alongside Nour has shown me the true meaning of courage and determination. Her fight for Raneem’s Law, to change things for victims of domestic abuse before it is too late, will save lives. We are determined to halve violence against women and girls in a decade and won’t stop until every victim, up and down the country, gets the protection they deserve.

Under our Plan for Change, we are taking the serious action needed to drive change across the country. Launching Raneem’s Law is another part of our effort to ensure that government and law enforcement can effectively tackle these unacceptable crimes.

National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for Domestic Abuse, Assistant Commissioner Louisa Rolfe, said:

When a victim reports domestic abuse, they must have confidence that they will be protected from harm, which is why it’s so important that we get our response right from the moment we are called.

Forces work hard every day to ensure victims receive the right response and support, and embedding expertise and victim advocacy at the earliest opportunity is vital.

It’s important that we are both evidence and victim-led in our approach, and I would like to thank the victims and survivors, families and support organisations that continue to work with us to improve policing’s response to domestic abuse.

The press release issued by the Home Office on 19 February 2025.

Retailers will need to report suspicious and bulk purchases of knives on their platforms to police, with tougher sentences for selling knives to under 18s.

Stricter rules for online retailers selling knives will be introduced by the government, along with tougher penalties for failing to enforce them, as we pursue every avenue to protect young people from knife crime.

Following tragedies where the unlicensed sale of these weapons online has led to young people being killed, retailers will be required to report any bulk or suspicious-looking purchases of knives on their platforms to police to prevent illegal resales happening across social media accounts.

Underlining our commitment to stop these weapons from reaching young people, we will increase the sentence for selling weapons to under 18s from 6 months to up to 2 years prison time, which could apply to an individual who has processed the sale or a CEO of the company.

This increased penalty will also apply to the sale or supply of prohibited offensive weapons such as recently banned zombie-style knives, following police evidence outlined by Commander Stephen Clayman, the National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for knife crime, where he identified a discrepancy in current legislation which means there is more leniency for illegally selling weapons than possessing one.

And in recognition of the broad array of knives – legal or banned – that are involved in knife attacks, a new offence of possessing an offensive weapon with intent for violence will be introduced in the Crime and Policing Bill which will come with a prison sentence of up to 4 years in prison. This means that no matter if the weapon in possession is legal or not, if there is intent to cause violence, it is a crime.

The government will also explore through a consultation later this year whether a registration scheme should be put in place for all online retailers selling knives so that only responsible sellers are able to sell knives. This follows the government’s recent announcement that we will significantly strengthen ID checks on the sale and delivery of knives to keep our streets safe as part of the Plan for Change.

Home Secretary, Yvette Cooper said:

It is horrifying how easy it is for young people to get hold of knives online even though children’s lives are being lost, and families and communities are left devastated as a result.

Not enough has been done to tackle the online market over recent years which is why we made it an urgent priority in our manifesto and the measures today will be underpinned by investment for a new dedicated police unit to go after those who are breaking the law and putting children and teenagers lives at risk.

We are honouring our commitment to introduce Ronan’s Law in memory of Ronan Kanda who was tragically killed in 2022. I am so grateful to the Kanda family for their endless perseverance in ensuring governments take the right actions to protect young people from further tragedy.

This government has set an ambitious mission for the country to halve knife crime over the next decade and we will pursue every possible avenue to save young lives.

Last autumn, the Home Secretary commissioned Commander Clayman to conduct an end-to-end review into the sale of knives online. The review, being published today, exposed lethal loopholes in the sale of knives online which are allowing dangerous weapons to end up in the wrong hands.

The review highlighted the lack of minimum standards for age verification and delivery checks. That is why the government has announced that a stringent two-step system will be mandated for all retailers selling knives online.

National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for Knife Crime, Commander Stephen Clayman said:

A key focus in our fight to tackle knife crime and improve the safety of our communities is limiting the accessibility of knives wherever possible, restricting their availability and the routes to purchase. All too often in policing, we are dealing with the horrific consequences of knife crime and seeing how it devastates individuals and families.

The evidence in the end-to-end review clearly demonstrates just how easy it is for anyone to purchase a knife online, often avoiding any age verification at all, or where it is in place, exploiting vulnerabilities, especially with delivery.

We welcome the government’s commitment in working with policing and partners to tackle knife crime and these new measures will significantly enhance our response to this.

Today’s new measures will collectively be known as ‘Ronan’s Law’ in honour of Ronan Kanda who was tragically killed in 2022 in a case of mistaken identity near his home in Wolverhampton aged 16.

Ronan’s killers, who were also teenagers, illegally bought lethal weapons online and collected them from the Post Office on the day of the attack, with no age or identity verification taking place. It was later revealed that one of Ronan’s teenage killers had bought more than 20 knives online, including by using his mother’s ID. Today’s measures to close lethal loopholes in the online sale of knives deliver on a manifesto commitment to introduce Ronan’s Law and are the result of tireless campaigning by Ronan’s mother Pooja and sister Nikita to restrict young people’s access to weapons online and to protect other families from the same heartbreak.

Mother of Ronan and campaigner, Pooja Kanda said:

In 2022, I lost my son, Ronan, to knife crime and mistaken identity. In 2023, we sat in the courtroom where we were shown a Ninja sword and 25+ bladed articles. Looking at them, I knew my son didn’t stand a chance. Without proper ID checks, the online sale of these bladed articles played a crucial role in this tragedy. How was this allowed? A 16-year-old managed to get these weapons online and sold these weapons to other people.  I knew we could not go on like this, and our fight for what was right had begun. Proper ID checks by sellers, as well as postal and delivery services, played a crucial role.

We welcome the government’s plans to tackle the online sale of these weapons. Retailers, social media, and sellers need to take on more responsibilities. We welcome the proposal of a registration scheme, where the government will continue to implement stricter measures on the online sale of bladed articles. We have so much work to tackle knife crime; this is a much-needed beginning.

This part of Ronan’s law will provide much-needed barriers against knife crime. I wish this was done years ago, and my son would be with me today.

Patrick Green, CEO of Ben Kinsella Trust said:

I am pleased to see that the government is listening to frontline organisations and is tightening the legislation needed to eliminate the supply of dangerous and intimidating weapons.

These new laws, particularly the focus on reporting suspicious purchases and stronger age verification, will compel retailers to take responsibility for their actions. It has been our stated position that a licencing system for retailers is only way to ensure that specialised knives are only sold to those with legitimate and lawful need.

A licensing system will ensure that only reputable retailers who comply with the law and prioritise public safety will be able to sell knives.

In the spring, the Home Office intends to launch a consultation into a registration scheme for retailers in order to sell knives online.

The government has an ambitious mission to halve knife crime over the next decade and tackling the online space is a core part of that plan. We have already announced that we will introduce significant fines in the region of £10,000 for tech executives who fail to remove illegal knife crime content from their platforms and a mandatory two-step verification system for all retailers selling knives online. This will require customers to submit photo ID at the point of sale and again at the point of delivery. In addition, delivery companies will only be able to deliver a bladed article to the same person who purchased it.

Since coming into government, ministers have acted with urgency to ban zombie-style knives and machetes, accelerate a ban on ninja swords and address the online market in order to keep weapons off the streets and out of the wrong hands. The government is also steadfast in its commitment to making prevention a central part of its knife crime action plan through the new Young Futures Programme, which will identify young people at risk of being drawn into violent crime and provide the interventions necessary to steer them in the right direction.

Graham Wynn, Assistant Director of Regulatory Affairs at the British Retail Consortium, said:

Retailers take their responsibilities seriously and are fully committed to playing their part in making sure knives don’t make their way into the wrong hands. We look forward to considering the full details of the new proposal and welcome the commitment from the Home Office to meet retailers on this vital issue to ensure the safe sale of knives.