Tag: Home Office

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

The Home Secretary brought together law enforcement and leading tech companies to drive new action to tackle mobile phone thefts.

Today the Home Secretary brought together policing leaders, the National Crime Agency, the Mayor of London and leading tech companies to drive new action to tackle mobile phone thefts and secure a collective effort to grip this criminality.

The summit comes as street crime has soared by 43% nationwide, driven by a significant rise in snatch theft, including of mobile phones.

For too long crimes like these have been neglected, which is why as part of the Government’s Plan for Change, the Home Secretary says she will legislate where necessary to ensure police have the powers they need to treat this with the seriousness it warrants, and police are expected to agree to step up enforcement activity nationwide.

This will include better use of intelligence to drive more hotspot policing and targeted operations, particularly around high-risk periods such as Christmas and when a new phone is released.

The Home Secretary urged companies including Apple, Google and Samsung, and law enforcement to join forces to build on existing anti-theft security measures and help design out and disincentivise phone theft, by making phones effectively worthless to criminals.

She called for a much deeper dive on all available sources of data and intelligence to build a much more comprehensive diagnosis of the problems and scale of the criminal market, to drive joint solutions.

All in attendance agreed to greater collaboration between police and tech by significantly boosting intelligence sharing, on both sides, and to reconvene in 3 months’ time.

It follows the government kickstarting the recruitment of 13,000 neighbourhood police officers, police community support officers and specials with £200 million investment so that every community will have a named, contactable officer who knows their patch.

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said:

Over the last few years, mobile phone thefts have shot up – often driven by organised crime – leaving our streets feeling less safe. That has to change.

I brought together tech companies and law enforcement today to pursue stronger action against organised criminality and to prevent phone theft on our streets. It was a significant step forward in addressing the need to come together as partners to disrupt, design-out and disincentivise these damaging crimes.

At the same time, this government is doubling new investment into neighbourhood policing to tackle theft on high streets and in our communities, to keep our streets safe.

The commitment follows the Met Police’s significant recent intensification operation, which led to 1,000 phones seized and 230 arrests.

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said:

I’m really pleased to have joined today’s roundtable discussion with mobile phone firms, the Home Secretary, Met Police and National Crime Agency to discuss our ongoing partnership-led approach to tackle mobile phone crime.

The Met’s hard-working officers have stepped up their work in London to prevent and tackle mobile phone theft – with patrols and plain-clothed operations in hotspot areas and are increasingly using phone-tracking data and intelligence. This work is being backed up with record funding from City Hall which is boosting neighbourhood policing in our communities.

But we know that we can’t arrest our way out of mobile phone crime – which has become a national and international issue and needs innovative solutions. I welcome recent security updates by leading mobile phone companies that we supported and we spoke today about how we can build on those and work together to ‘design out’ the scourge of mobile phone crime to build a safer London for all.

Aleyne Johnson, Director of Government and External Relations, Samsung UK, said:

Samsung is deeply committed to working closely with the Home Office, Mayor’s Office, the Met Police and authorities in London on the issue of mobile phone theft and related crimes and are encouraged by collaborative discussions held at the Mobile Phone Theft Summit today, to look at existing and potential new solutions to help combat this complex issue and improve the safety of mobile phone users.

We encourage all of our customers to protect their devices by setting up existing Android security and privacy features, like Theft Detection Lock, Offline Device Lock and Remote Lock and our recent One UI 7 update has built further on those protections with new anti-theft features such as identity check, biometric authentication and security delay, all featured in our latest Galaxy S25 series.

Alex Rawle, Safety and Security Lead, Google UK said:

Android devices offer added protection for millions around the UK. We encourage users to make use of existing security and privacy features, like Theft Detection Lock, Offline Device Lock and Remote Lock, to improve the safety of their devices and data.

We welcome today’s summit and are committed to continue working with our partners to support efforts against mobile phone theft.

Gary Davis, Senior Director, Regulatory Legal, Apple, said:

Apple works closely with law enforcement bodies in the UK and globally to fight phone theft, and we welcome the opportunity to further collaborate at today’s event.

Apple has industry leading features that help users keep their devices and data safe. These include Activation Lock, a feature that is enabled automatically when Find My is activated and works in the background to make it more difficult for someone to use or sell your iPhone or iPad if it’s ever lost or stolen.

Stolen Device Protection adds additional security if a device is away from familiar locations. These are complemented by tools such as Recovery Key, a method to regain control if you lose access to your account and Find My, a tool that you can use to locate the device and protect your personal information.

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

Government announces new intelligence-led national policing centre to put the experiences of victims at the heart of police investigations.

A new intelligence-led national policing centre will put the experiences of victims of child sexual abuse, rape and sexual offences, domestic abuse and stalking at the heart of police investigations – backed by more than £13 million of government funding.

The National Centre for VAWG and Public Protection, run by the National Police Chiefs’ Council and the College of Policing, will be based in Ryton and bring together around 100 officers and staff to prioritise tackling violence against women and children across England and Wales.

For too long, crimes disproportionately impacting women and girls, such as domestic abuse and grooming gangs, have not been met with the specialist response they require.

Police efforts to tackle these crimes will now benefit from a national coordinating function – a specialist capability usually reserved for counterterrorism and serious and organised crime – making sure victims get a consistent level of support regardless of where they are in the country.

The government has been clear it will prioritise protecting women and children from these harms as part of our commitment to halve violence against women and girls in a decade through our Plan for Change. This new policing centre will ensure that standards in tackling them are driven up across the country.

This funding builds on measures set out before Christmas to introduce Raneem’s Law and embed domestic abuse specialists in 999 control rooms, action to tackle spiking and stalking, as well as new measures to tackle the scourge of child sexual abuse, including mandatory reporting and increased funding for the Child Sexual Exploitation Police Taskforce.

Launching in April, the centre will build on existing areas of work to:

• roll out new quality training for police officers across the country in tackling violence against women and girls and child sexual abuse, implementing a manifesto commitment
• professionalise public protection work within policing so that future police leaders will all be expected to have built up experience and training in public protection roles
• deploy intelligence-led tactics used to target other serious offenders to pursue domestic abusers, rapists and stalkers
• work with the National Crime Agency to ensure that all forces are supported to respond to online child sexual abuse
• drive up investigative and operational standards across all 43 police forces in England and Wales in tackling these crimes
• train more police officers in the skills necessary to tackle violence against women and girls and child sexual abuse
• ensure the latest academic research informs investigative practices

This announcement aims to build confidence in victims to come forward to report crimes to the police, knowing they will receive the service they deserve.

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said:

Women and girls experience violence and abuse each year, yet for far too long it just hasn’t been taken seriously enough by policing, the criminal justice system or the government.

Warm words are not enough. We need to drive up standards and start treating the epidemic of violence against women and children with the seriousness it deserves.

We have national specialist standards and leadership on serious and organised crime, terrorism and public order, but not on public protection – even though it needs proper specialist skills and training to go after dangerous perpetrators and keep victims and survivors safe. That is why we are setting up the first policing national centre for public protection to drive up standards and tackle these terrible crimes.

To ensure there is a cohesive and effective response across all 43 forces in England and Wales, the centre will work closely with the Home Office to deliver the government’s manifesto commitment to set out consistent and standard practices for responding to these crimes, including through improved training for officers. This will mean officers have the right skills and training to respond appropriately to victims of VAWG and child sexual abuse.

This will include developing and rolling out high-quality training for frontline, specialist and leadership roles and for critical functions such as rape and sexual offences teams where educated, and specialist support is vital to build victim confidence.

T/CC Maggie Blyth, National Police Chief’s Council lead for Violence Against Women and Girls said:

We welcome the official announcement and the financial support from government to implement a national centre to further protect victims and enhance our specialist capability to target perpetrators.

The centre will build on existing police work and progress made in tackling violence against women and girls, allowing us to mandate nationwide improvements to support forces and frontline officers to carry out their jobs effectively.

Our officers work tirelessly every day to bring offenders to justice and keep people safe, but we need to do more and that starts with equipping our officers with the right training and support to be able to investigate effectively, in the same way as we would provide specialist training to firearms or public order officers. We also need to better support victims through the criminal justice process and alongside partners, we will drive improvements for swifter justice and a quicker more robust response when people seek our help.

The centre will unify three existing victim-orientated policing programs – Operation Soteria, the national VAWG Taskforce and the Vulnerability Knowledge and Practice Programme, which focus on protecting vulnerable people including victims of child sexual abuse. Building on programs like Operation Soteria, the centre will work with academics to ensure an evidence-based approach, transforming the way policing looks at and responds to these crimes.

Assistant Chief Constable Tom Harding, the College of Policing’s Director of Operational Standards, said:

Policing is dedicated to protecting women and girls by targeting those who seek to harm them; and ensuring victims have the confidence to come forward, that they are listened to, treated compassionately and receive the best possible service.

We’ll place victims at the heart of the new centre and work across law enforcement, government and both the public and voluntary sectors to boost the training we give to officers. The College of Policing will support forces to achieve the highest possible standards and improve the response to violence against women and girls.

This investment is a core part of the government’s mission to halve violence against women and girls in a decade and treat it as a national emergency as part of the wider Safer Streets Mission.

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

Thousands of unlicensed and illegal wildlife products have been seized by Border Force as part of Operation Thunder.

Operation Thunder is an intensive international operation to target the criminal networks behind wildlife crime,

From 11 November to 6 December 2024, Border Force officers taking part in Operation Thunder 24 made 217 seizures of wildlife products which are controlled by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of wild fauna and flora (CITES).

Seizures included live plants, a range of beauty products containing caviar and cactus extracts, a quantity of bear bile, and clothes and accessories containing animal skins.

Border Force officers also detected over 400 live birds as part of the operation, including rosella parakeets, king parrots, African grey parrots and blue-fronted Amazon parrots. Where possible, Border Force will rehome any live animals found.

Operation Thunder is a global effort to target the illegal wildlife trade and is co-led by Interpol and the World Customs Organisation (WCO).

Wildlife crime is estimated to be worth up to £17 billion globally per year and is the fourth largest international crime according to Interpol, behind only arms, drugs and human trafficking. Strengthening border security and breaking the criminal networks that seek to abuse our borders is a key part of the government’s plan for change.

Minister for Migration and Citizenship, Seema Malhotra said:

Detecting and seizing illegal wildlife products is not just a matter of enforcement, but a vital act of preservation for this planet’s biodiversity.

The work of Border Force in interrupting this serious organised crime is critical to the UK’s efforts to regulate the international trade in endangered species.

Border Force Director for National Operations, Danny Hewitt said:

Wildlife crime is a serious organised crime which fuels corruption, threatens species with extinction, deprives some of the world’s poorest communities of sustainable livelihoods, and degrades ecosystems.

We take an intelligence-led approach to detecting illegal trade and work closely with our partners across the global community to share training, expertise and skills.

Minister for Nature, Mary Creagh said:

Tackling wildlife crime is essential to protecting iconic biodiversity at home and abroad. Criminal gangs must face justice for the part they play in nature destruction for self-gain.

These figures reflect the invaluable role of the Border Force in safeguarding wildlife, and are an example of international collaboration to combat global criminal networks.

Border Force works closely with other enforcement agencies, both nationally and internationally, to tackle the illegal wildlife trade and keep borders secure. This includes the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA), London Heathrow Animal Reception Centre and Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, amongst others.

This year’s Operation Thunder was also supported by the police, who executed 5 warrants in relation to bird egg smuggling. This has so far resulted in the confiscation of over 5,000 bird eggs.

Operation Thunder 24 led to seizures in the UK which included:

• over 400 live birds (51 CITES listed)
• 7kg of ivory
• 450 live plants
• 315kg of beauty products containing caviar
• over 2,500 pills and 21.5kg of powders containing endangered plant and animal species
• live corals
• snow leopard garments

Border Force is responsible for frontline detection and seizure of items covered by the CITES convention, which tackles the illegal trade in endangered animals and plants. The Heathrow-based Border Force CITES team are specialist officers who are recognised as world leaders in their field.

Border Force’s work to prevent the trade of unregulated and illegal products made from endangered species is helping the government in its safer streets mission by smashing organised crime.

Anyone with information about activity they suspect may be linked to smuggling and trafficking of any kind can report it online using the report smuggling service.

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

UK becomes the first country in the world to create new AI sexual abuse offences to protect children from predators generating AI images.

Children will be protected from the growing threat of predators generating AI images and from online sexual abuse as the UK becomes the first country in the world to create new AI sexual abuse offences.

AI tools are being used to generate child sexual abuse images in a number of sickening ways including by ‘nudifying’ real-life images of children or by stitching the faces of other children onto existing child sexual abuse images. The real-life voices of children are also often used in this sickening material, meaning innocent survivors of traumatic abuse are being re-victimised.

Perpetrators are also using those fake images to blackmail children and force victims into further horrific abuse including streaming live images. AI tools are being used to help perpetrators disguise their initial identity and more effectively groom and abuse children online.

To better protect children against this sickening abuse the Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has today (2 February) revealed the UK will be the first country in the world to:

• make it illegal to possess, create or distribute AI tools designed to generate child sexual abuse material (CSAM), punishable by up to 5 years in prison
• make it illegal for anyone to possess AI ‘paedophile manuals’ which teach people how to use AI to sexually abuse children, punishable by up to 3 years in prison

At the same time, the Home Office will:

• introduce a specific offence for predators who run websites designed for other paedophiles to share vile child sexual abuse content or advice on how to groom children, punishable by up to 10 years in prison
• give Border Force the necessary powers to keep the UK safe and prevent the distribution of CSAM which is often filmed abroad by allowing officers to compel an individual who they reasonably suspect poses a sexual risk to children to unlock their digital devices for inspection, punishable by up to 3 years in prison, depending on the severity

All 4 measures will be introduced as part of the Crime and Policing Bill when it comes to Parliament. The bill will support the delivery of the government’s safer streets mission to halve knife crime and violence against women and girls in a decade and increase confidence in policing and the wider criminal justice system to its highest levels.

The increased availability of AI child sexual exploitation and abuse imagery not only poses a real risk to the public by normalising sexual violence against children, but it can lead those who view and create it to go on to offend in real life.

Home Secretary, Yvette Cooper, said:

We know that sick predators’ activities online often lead to them carrying out the most horrific abuse in person. This government will not hesitate to act to ensure the safety of children online by ensuring our laws keep pace with the latest threats.

These 4 new laws are bold measures designed to keep our children safe online as technologies evolve. It is vital that we tackle child sexual abuse online as well as offline so we can better protect the public from new and emerging crimes as part of our plan for change.

The Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) has warned that more and more sexual abuse AI images of children are being produced.

Over a 30 day period in 2024, IWF analysts identified 3,512 AI CSAM images on a single dark web site. Compared with their 2023 analysis, the prevalence of category A images (the most severe category) had risen by 10%.

New data from the charity shows that reports showing AI generated CSAM have risen 380%, with 245 confirmed reports in 2024 compared with 51 in 2023. Each report can contain thousands of images.

The charity also warns that some of this AI-generated content is so realistic that sometimes they are unable to tell the difference between AI-generated content and abuse that is filmed in real life. Of the 245 reports the IWF took action against, 193 included AI-generated images which were so sophisticated and life-like, they were actioned under UK law as though they were actual, photographic images of child sexual abuse.

The predators who run or moderate websites designed for other paedophiles to share vile child sexual abuse content or advice on how to groom children are often the most dangerous to society by encouraging others to view even more extreme content.

Covert law enforcement officials warn that these individuals often act as ‘mentors’ for others with an interest in harming children by offering advice on how to avoid detection and how to manipulate AI tools to generate CSAM.

Technology Secretary, Peter Kyle said:

For too long abusers have hidden behind their screens, manipulating technology to commit vile crimes and the law has failed to keep up. It’s meant too many children, young people, and their families have been suffering the dire and lasting impacts of this abuse.

That is why we are cracking down with some of the most far-reaching laws anywhere in the world. These laws will close loopholes, imprison more abusers, and put a stop to the trafficking of this abhorrent material from abroad. Our message is clear – nothing will get in the way from keeping children safe, and to abusers, the time for cowering behind a keyboard is over.

Through the new laws, The Home Office is leading on the international stage by continuing to invest in law enforcement capabilities to target online child sexual abuse offenders to disrupt the highest harm and most technically sophisticated offenders.

Which is why we are giving Border Force the necessary powers to keep the UK safe and prevent the distribution of CSAM which is often filmed abroad. Border Force officers will have the power to compel an individual, where they reasonably suspect that the individual poses a sexual risk to children, to unlock their digital devices for inspection.

Once the device is accessed, specialist technology will be used to compare the contents of the device against the Child Abuse Image Database (CAID), to identify the presence of known child sexual abuse material.

Interim Chief Executive of the IWF, Derek Ray-Hill, said:

We have long been calling for the law to be tightened up, and are pleased the government has adopted our recommendations. These steps will have a concrete impact on online safety.

The frightening speed with which AI imagery has become indistinguishable from photographic abuse has shown the need for legislation to keep pace with new technologies.

Children who have suffered sexual abuse in the past are now being made victims all over again, with images of their abuse being commodified to train AI models. It is a nightmare scenario, and any child can now be made a victim, with life-like images of them being sexually abused obtainable with only a few prompts, and a few clicks.

The availability of this AI content further fuels sexual violence against children. It emboldens and encourages abusers, and it makes real children less safe. There is certainly more to be done to prevent AI technology from being exploited, but we welcome today’s announcement, and believe these measures are a vital starting point.

While AI can be used as a force for good to transform people’s lives, make public services more efficient and help bolster creative industries, the risk of its use to children continues to grow.

The crime risks normalising sexual violence against children and re-victimising survivors of traumatic abuse. Which is why this government is prepared to build upon the Online Safety Act and will not hesitate to go further if necessary.

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

As technology evolves so does the risk to the most vulnerable in society, especially children. It is vital that our laws are robust enough to protect children from these changes online. We will not allow gaps and loopholes in legislation to facilitate this abhorrent abuse.

However, everyone has a role to play, and I would implore Big Tech to take seriously its responsibility to protect children and not provide safe spaces for this offending.

Crossbench Peer and Chair of 5Rights Foundation, Baroness Kidron said:

It has been a long fight to get the AI child sexual abuse offences into law, and the Home Secretary’s announcement today that they will be included in the crime bill, is a milestone. AI-enabled crime normalises the abuse of children and amplifies its spread. Our laws must reflect the reality of children’s experience, and ensure that technology is safe by design and default.

I pay tribute to my friends and colleagues in the specialist police unit that brought this to my attention, and commend them for their extraordinary efforts to keep children safe. All children whose identity has been stolen or who have suffered abuse deserve our relentless attention and unwavering support. It is they –  and not politicians – who are the focus of our efforts

In January, the Home Secretary announced a raft of new measures and an investment of £10 million that will allow us to do more to protect vulnerable children, find more criminals, and get justice for more victims and survivors of child sexual abuse.

More victims of child sexual abuse and exploitation will be given power to seek an independent review of their cases following the widening of the Child Sexual Abuse Review Panel. Chief constables of all police forces in England and Wales have been urged to re-examine non-recent and live cases of gang exploitation to increase prosecutions.

At the same time, Baroness Louise Casey has been appointed to lead a rapid audit of existing evidence on grooming gangs to help deliver quicker action to tackle the crime and help victims. By Easter, the government will lay out a clear timetable for taking forward the recommendations from the final IICSA [Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse] report.

Policy Manager for Child Safety Online at the NSPCC, Rani Govender said:

It is encouraging to see the government take action aimed at tackling criminals who create AI-generated child sexual abuse images.

Our Childline service is hearing from children and young people about the devastating impact it can have when AI-generated images are created of them and shared. And, concerningly, often victims won’t even know these images have been created in the first place.

It is vital the development of AI does not race ahead of child safety online. Wherever possible, these abhorrent harms must be prevented from happening in the first place. To achieve this, we must see robust regulation of this technology to ensure children are protected and tech companies undertake thorough risk assessments before new AI products are rolled out.

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

Powerful new legislation will give law enforcement tougher tools to pursue people smugglers and disrupt their ability to carry out small boat crossings.

New counter terror-style powers to identify, disrupt and smash people smuggling gangs will be introduced as part of landmark legislation to protect our borders.

The measures will for the first time allow counter-terror style tactics to be used against smuggling gangs through unprecedented tools to stop smugglers before they act.

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

These laws, included within the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill introduced in Parliament today (January 30), are inspired by powers used to combat terrorism and will transform the ability of law enforcement agencies to take earlier and more effective action against organised immigration crime.

The robust, workable measures will directly go after organised crime groups who – even in the freezing temperatures in the Channel this month – are continuing to organise dangerous crossings, not caring if the vulnerable people they exploit live or die, as long as they pay. The legislation will give greater powers than ever to law enforcement agencies to treat people smuggling as a global security threat as part of our renewed effort to break the business model of these gangs for good and restore order to our asylum system.

The new laws are being welcomed by law enforcement agencies like the National Crime Agency (NCA), Immigration Enforcement and police, and include:

• allowing immigration officers and police to seize phones, laptops and other electronic devices at an earlier stage before arrests are made, if they are suspected of containing information about organised immigration crime
• allowing law enforcement to arrest those involved in facilitating organised immigration crime at a much earlier stage than is currently possible, meaning they can intervene quicker, more effectively and before smuggling takes place
• making it illegal to supply or handle items suspected of being for use by organised crime groups, for example the selling and handling of small boats parts, with those caught facing a prison sentence of up to 14 years
• creating a new offence for collecting information to be used by organised immigration criminals to prepare for boat crossings – this includes arranging departure points, dates and times, with clear links back to the gangs facilitating the dangerous crossings
• criminalising the making, adapting, importing and possession of specific articles that could be used in serious crime, carrying a prison sentence of up to 5 years – this includes templates for 3D printed firearms, pill presses and vehicle concealments
• putting the role of the Border Security Commander, Martin Hewitt, on a legal footing, meaning he will have the authority to convene partners across law enforcement and set strategic priorities for achieving the Home Secretary’s goals – these will be shared with partners like the NCA as part of their ongoing work upstream to target people smuggling networks
• to prevent more people being crammed into unsafe, flimsy boats and lives being put at risk by these gangs, we will make it an offence to endanger another life during perilous sea crossing to the UK – anyone involved in physical aggression, intimidation or coercive behaviour, including preventing offers of rescue, while at sea will face prosecution and an increased sentence of up to 5 years in prison

Border security is one of the foundations of the government’s Plan for Change. The legislation being introduced today demonstrates our commitment to giving law enforcement the tools and powers they need to protect the integrity of the UK border as we put in place a serious, credible plan to restore order to our asylum system.

Since July, we have already surpassed our pledge to deliver the highest rate of removals since 2018, with 16,400 people with no right to be in the UK removed since this government took power and have ramped up our enforcement against illegal working by 32% as we look to end the false promise of jobs sold to migrants by people smugglers.   This is in addition to a stream of major people smuggling arrests through a renewed focus on joint international investigations involving the NCA.

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said:

Over the last six years, criminal smuggling gangs have been allowed to take hold all along our borders, making millions out of small boat crossings.

This bill will equip our law enforcement agencies with the powers they need to stop these vile criminals, disrupting their supply chains and bringing more of those who profit from human misery to justice.

These new counter terror-style powers, including making it easier to seize mobile phones at the border, along with statutory powers for our new Border Security Command to focus activity across law enforcement agencies and border force will turbocharge efforts to smash the gangs.

Our Plan for Change relies on strong border security. It is critical we have the tools at our disposal to pursue those who undermine them in every way we can.

Border Security Commander Martin Hewitt said:

It is vital that government and our law enforcement partners, working together as part of the UK’s border security system, have the right tools to tackle the people smuggling gangs abusing our border.

This bill will do exactly that, by equipping teams on the ground dealing with this issue first hand and empowering them to go further and act faster when dismantling organised criminality.

These crucial measures will underpin our enforcement action across the system, and together with our strengthened relationships with international partners, we will bring down these gangs once and for all.

NCA Director General Graeme Biggar said:

Tackling organised immigration crime remains a priority for the NCA.

The Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill should help UK law enforcement act earlier and faster to disrupt people smuggling networks and give us additional tools to target them and their business models.

These criminal gangs risk the lives of those they transport in their deadly pursuit of profit, and we remain determined to work with partners in the UK and abroad to do all we can to stop them.

Based on counter-terror tactics, the new powers in this bill will allow law enforcement to make swifter interventions at a much earlier stage against those conspiring to smuggle people into the UK by small boats or in the backs of lorries.

Where someone is suspected of selling or handling small boats parts or sharing suspect information online, we will be able to apply these offences against them at this point and make an arrest. Current rules mean law enforcement are unable to intervene until much later on in the process and after they’ve facilitated a small boat crossing.

In November 2024, Amanj Hasan Zada was jailed for 17 years after being found guilty of organising small boat crossings from his home in Lancashire. Each crossing involved Kurdish migrants who had travelled through eastern Europe, into Germany, Belgium and then France. It is possible the reasonable suspicion element means investigators would have met the requirements to arrest and charge earlier with the new offences. Evidence which showed Zada planning organised immigration crime facilitation – for example discussing moving migrants, purchasing vessels – would have likely been in scope of the offence. Instead of needing to prove a definitive link to a migrant facilitation under current legislation, the new offences could have met the threshold for earlier and faster action to be taken.

The bill will also modernise biometric checks overseas to build a clear picture of individuals coming to the UK and preventing those with a criminal history from entering. During crisis evacuations to the UK, the new powers will allow checks to take place much earlier, resulting in the rapid identification of who is eligible to enter the country and reducing the risk of delays or security threats during time sensitive operations.

In a major upgrade to serious crime prevention orders, we will also give law enforcement new powers to impose interim serious crime prevention orders, allowing them to place instance restrictions on organised immigration criminals alongside other serious criminals. This could include bans on travel, internet and mobile phone use, with curbs also leading to social media blackouts, curfews and restricted access to finances.

Collectively, these measures will strengthen our response across the system, empowering partners and law enforcement to properly go after the people smuggling gangs.

Through the Border Security Command, we’re already driving up activity to disrupt the criminal gangs behind this trade.

The NCA continues to target smuggling networks in the UK and overseas. This includes 3 arrests this month in Iraq’s Kurdistan region as a result of a joint operation between the NCA and local law enforcement, the first of its kind.

But with this legislation we will go further, giving our law enforcement stronger tools than ever before to dismantle the gangs.

The press release issued by the Home Office on 16 January 2025.

Border Force seized 119 tonnes of illegal drugs, a 52% increase from last year, in the highest number of seizures on record.

Border Force has made the highest number of illegal drug seizures since records began, taking action at the border to help prevent harmful substances from reaching communities across the UK.

In the year ending March 2024, over 119 tonnes of illegal drugs were seized by police and Border Force with a street value of around £3 billion. This is a 52% increase from last year and the highest volume since records began.

Combined action from police and Border Force resulted in a total of 217,644 drug seizures in England and Wales last year, a 13% increase compared to 2023. Border Force made a total of 40,639 drug seizures, the highest since records began and a 57% increase from the previous year.

Record amounts of cocaine were taken off the streets last year through relentless action and a zero tolerance approach to illegal drugs at the border. The total quantity of cocaine seized by Border Force and police rose by 52% to over 28 tonnes.

Border Force also saw a strong performance on herbal cannabis seizures, with over 74 tonnes seized. This was the largest quantity since records began in 1973, and a 58% increase from the previous year.

Minister for Migration and Citizenship Seema Malhotra is today visiting Border Force officers at Stansted Airport to thank them for their relentless work in breaking drug supply chains and preventing harmful substances from entering the country.

Minister for Migration and Citizenship Seema Malhotra said:

We are clear in our determination to protect the public from illegal drugs which pose a threat to people’s lives.

I’d like to thank our dedicated Border Force officers who work tirelessly to seize illegal drugs, alongside our police forces and NCA, who keep them off our streets and the public safe.

These statistics send a clear message to organised criminal gangs that they will be caught and face the full force of the law if they try to smuggle drugs into our country.

Working in partnership, police forces, Border Force, the National Crime Agency and international partners use intelligence and technology to keep the UK’s borders safe, prevent drug trafficking and bring those responsible to justice.

Border Force officers use a range of methods including hi-tech search equipment to detect and stop illegal and restricted goods that criminals attempt to bring into the country.

Today’s statistics come as more than 20 dangerous substances have been banned, including xylazine, stepping up efforts to combat the increasing drug threat and make our streets safer.

Through our Plan for Change, the government is working closely with policing and Border Force, expanding the access of the life saving drug naloxone and training Border Force dogs to detect a range of nitazenes and fentanyl.

The collective response in dismantling drug smuggling operations from police and Border Force is helping the government in its safer streets mission by smashing organised crime and saving lives.

The press release issued by the Home Office on 15 January 2025.

More than 20 dangerous substances have been banned by the government as efforts stepped up to combat the increasing drug threat and make our streets safer.

Significant efforts are being made to combat the threat of devastating synthetic drugs, which the UK government warns is increasing.

Measures are being stepped up across government to better equip policing, healthcare and Border Force to deal with this growing issue, as well as contributing to international efforts to better protect communities.

Latest figures show since June 2023, there have been at least 400 drug-related deaths across the UK linked to nitazenes, a type of synthetic opioid, and this figure is expected to increase in the coming years.

As part of the effort to make our streets safer, legislation will come into force today (Wednesday 15 January) which bans xylazine, as well as several other synthetic drugs that can be hundreds of times more potent than heroin, meaning tougher sentences for drug dealers.

Xylazine, often known as ‘tranq’, is a high-strength veterinary sedative, which has increasingly been used in combination with opioids such as heroin. Its effects can leave users prone to non-healing skin lesions and more liable to overdose.

The UK is also training Border Force dogs to detect a range of nitazenes and fentanyl – currently the only country in the world doing so – to stop these substances entering the country in the first place.

As of December 2024, police officers in forces across the country are now trained to carry and administer naloxone – a lifesaving medicine that reverses the effects of opioid overdose. The government is working closely with the National Police Chiefs’ Council to see the provision rolled out across most forces.

The National Crime Agency is also working in partnership with policing and Border Force to ensure that all lines of enquiry are prioritised and vigorously pursued to stem any supply of nitazenes and fentanyl to and within the UK.

Policing Minister Dame Diana Johnson said:

Synthetic drugs cause devastation wherever they are found – to individuals, to families, to our town centres and our communities.

I have been concerned about the growing presence of these drugs on UK streets and I don’t think enough has been done in recent years to get a grip on it. Stepping up efforts to tackle this threat will form a key part of this government’s approach to drugs, which we hope to set out later this year.

As part of our Plan for Change and mission to make our streets safer, we are dedicated to driving down drug misuse and harms through prevention and treatment while acting quickly to stop the criminals peddling these harmful substances.

As part of the international effort to combat these substances, the UK is spearheading a workstream under the US-led Global Coalition to Address Synthetic Drug Threats which will focus on how governments across the world can control the availability of these drugs through legislation and further strengthen efforts at the border by sharing intelligence.

This is a multi-nation effort run by core coalition countries, who are developing their own initiatives that aim to disrupt supply chains and enhance public health interventions.

The government also has an enhanced early warning system, which is designed to improve our ability to respond to emerging drug threats with several new data streams, such as hospital admissions and lab-tested police seizures, which are monitored and fed into the decision-making processes.

Today’s legislation will see 22 substances banned under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971, 6 of which will be controlled as Class A.

This means that anyone caught producing or supplying these could now face up to life in prison, an unlimited fine, or both. Anyone caught possessing a Class A drug can also face up to 7 years in prison, a fine or both.

Xylazine will be controlled as a Class C substance, meaning its unlawful supply carries a maximum sentence of up to 14 years in prison, a fine or both and unlawful possession up to 2 years, a fine or both.

A generic definition of nitazenes, a type of synthetic opioid, has also been introduced into law today, which will prevent drug gangs from trying to make adjustments to drug recipes to attempt to bypass UK drug law.

The press release issued by the Home Office on 15 January 2025.

Frontline emergency services will benefit from a new communications network that will modernise how they work together, as the government announces a new partnership with IBM following a series of delays by previous suppliers.

The Emergency Services Network (ESN) will support more than 300,000 emergency responders in Great Britain, providing them with better technology and faster access to data in emergency situations and frontline operations.

Police forces, fire services and ambulance trusts will be able to share live data and imagery, location reports and essential public safety information as they work on time-critical rescue and response efforts.

After several delays to the rollout of ESN over recent years, the government is committing to delivering the project as quickly as possible and help save lives as a result. The Policing Minister, Dame Diana Johnson, will chair regular meetings to ensure the project is running to time and cost.

Providing the emergency services with improved technology is a key part of the government’s drive to make the nation’s streets safer, which is a crucial part of the Prime Minister’s Plan for Change.

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

Every day our brave emergency services help members of the public facing life-or-death situations. We must do everything we can to maximise the chances of successful outcomes, and communications between frontline staff is critical to ensuring this.

This government is working tirelessly to support this project, making sure it is delivered in a timely and cost-effective manner, and IBM will be an important part of bringing the Emergency Services Network online.

Rahul Kalia, Managing Partner at IBM UK and Ireland, said:

We are proud to support the Emergency Services Network (ESN) in delivering a secure and resilient communications platform to empower frontline emergency services.

Working with our ecosystem partners, we will deliver mission-critical services for first responders to enhance safety in our communities across Great Britain.

We look forward to working with the government to deliver this in a timely and cost-effective manner.

Software for new handheld devices will provide data-sharing functions and real-time video features, providing personnel with the critical information they need to save lives, as well as a push-to-talk protocol for instant communications.

One real-world example of how the network could work is in a serious road traffic collision:

• the first service to arrive would be able share their exact location using GPS data with the other services
• fire services would be instantly updated with the make and model of vehicle, which can then be cross-referenced with data on how to best use cutting equipment, if someone was trapped, or where batteries are located on electric cars
• they could also update paramedics with passenger details to check medical information and determine if there is anything they need to know such as prior medical conditions
• this would greatly speed up dealing with the incident and the ability to aid the victims involved

Led by the Home Office, ESN will implement the next generation of fast, safe, and secure voice, video, and data communication, allowing emergency services to work in tandem and coordinate efforts when protecting and aiding members of the public. Similar technology has already been rolled out with success in countries including the USA, Canada and South Korea.

As the new user services supplier, IBM will be responsible for leading the design, build and system integration of the ESN platform. Key to achieving this will be IBM’s delivery of IT infrastructure, which will be fundamental to ensuring improved and more efficient communication capabilities for mission-critical services.

The news comes swiftly after EE was awarded the contract to provide the mobile communications infrastructure for the project, as the new government works towards deploying the new ESN and shutting down the current system, Airwave.

The press release issued by the Home Office on 9 January 2025.

The government’s pledge to deliver the highest rate of removals since 2018 has been surpassed, with a surge in returns activity since the election leading to 16,400 people with no right to be in the UK being removed.

Since the government came to office, enforced returns are up 24% compared to the same 12 months prior and Britain’s streets have been made safer with the removal of 2,580 foreign criminals – a 23% increase on last year.

Bespoke charter flights have removed immigration offenders to countries around the world, including 4 of the biggest returns flights in the UK’s history carrying more than 800 people. Individuals removed since the election include criminals convicted of drug offences, theft, rape and murder.

By restarting asylum processing to help clear the backlog and redeploying 1,000 staff to work on immigration enforcement, the government has been able to achieve this level of removals within 6 months of coming to office.

The ramp up reverses the dramatic decline in removals seen over the past 10 years and, as part of the government’s Plan for Change, is working to fix the foundations of a broken immigration system.

Today, Thursday 9 January, the government also announced the introduction of a new sanctions regime designed to prevent, combat, deter and disrupt irregular migration, holding accountable those making money by putting lives at risk in the Channel.

The world first regime will allow the UK to target individuals and entities enabling dangerous journeys and disrupt the gangs’ finances to make it harder for them to operate. This will boost our ability to prevent and combat irregular migration.

To see first-hand how law enforcement leverages public-private partnerships to stop criminals benefitting from dirty money, Prime Minister Keir Starmer visited City of London Police today. The new sanctions regime will be an additional tool to target those who law enforcement and criminal justice are not currently able to reach.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said:

This government was elected on a promise of change – and within just 6 months we have redeployed resources for a scheme that returned just 4 volunteers and instead worked to remove 16,400 people with no right to be here.

Our message to those wanting to come here illegally is clear – you are wasting your money putting your trust in these vile gangs and will be returned swiftly.

No more gimmicks. This government is delivering for working people as we restore order to the asylum system through our Plan for Change.

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said:

This government inherited a broken asylum and immigration system. We are taking swift action to increase enforcement and returns of those with no right to be here.

We will continue our crack down on illegal working and make progress with clearing the asylum backlog. We have now exceeded our pledge to get returns to the highest level in half a decade.

Our priority is to ensure the rules are respected and enforced. As part of the Plan for Change, in 2025 we will go further, introducing new legislation to disrupt criminal smuggling networks and working through the Border Security Command to bring these criminal gangs to justice.

In addition to the returns target, following a crackdown on dodgy car washes, nail bars and construction sites, illegal working visits and action against exploitative employers has soared since the government came into power, with 32% more visits and 29% more arrests compared to the same period last year. Biometric kits and body worn cameras will be rolled out to frontline Immigration Enforcement teams throughout 2025 to boost arrests and prosecutions.

Today’s figures follow 6 months of action to restore order to our immigration system, strengthen border security and disrupt smuggling gangs. Since the election we have established the new Border Security Command, announced £150million of game changing investment to fund new technology and hundreds of specialist investigators, and agreed a new anti-smuggling action plan with G7 countries.

As part of the government’s reset of international relations, we’ve boosted the UK’s presence at Europol and struck a landmark deal on border security with Iraq to disrupt the gangs at source.

Asylum caseworker productivity is also up, with asylum interviews increasing tenfold, as plans to speed up decision making, clear the backlog and swiftly remove those whose claims are rejected gain pace.

Looking ahead to this year, the government will also introduce landmark border security legislation to empower law enforcement with the tools they need to dismantle the gangs.

The press release issued by the Home Office on 9 January 2025.

Victims of antisocial behaviour (ASB) are to get better information and access to support as the government continues to implement its Plan for Change and cracks down on ASB in local communities.

At present when victims of antisocial behaviour believe their case is not being dealt with appropriately by the relevant agencies like councils, police, and housing providers they can ask that their case is reviewed through the ASB case review mechanism.

Responding to recommendations from the Victims’ Commissioner, the government is to review the statutory guidance on the current system designed to protect victims, to make ASB case reviews more accessible and effective for those victims who need it.

This will include giving victims a voice within the process by encouraging all agencies involved to communicate the progress of their case and giving victims the opportunity to shape action plans to tackle the antisocial behaviour they have been victims of.

The government will also recommend independent chairs oversee case reviews so that victims feel confident that their case will be dealt with fairly and objectively, while victims will be given one person to turn to rather than dealing with multiple agencies.

A new victims’ code will be published later this year that will make clear that victims of criminal antisocial behaviour fall within the scope of the code, including an entitlement to expect to be able to access support services.

Minister for Crime and Policing Dame Diana Johnson said:

For victims of antisocial behaviour, the impact on their lives can be devastating, but for too long their needs have not been met, with varied levels of support and poor access to information.

These changes will help ensure that the needs of victims are at the forefront of how police and local authorities respond to antisocial behaviour and are another vital step in our mission to deliver safer streets, as part of our Plan for Change.

To improve how the police identify and respond to persistent antisocial behaviour and the harm it causes, new bespoke training for neighbourhood officers is to be included in the Neighbourhood Policing Pathway programme.

This follows the government’s commitment for every force to have a dedicated antisocial behaviour lead to work with local communities to tackle the issue under the new Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee.

The guarantee will see the restoration of visible police patrols, an additional 13,000 police officers, PCSOs and special constables in dedicated neighbourhood policing roles and a named officer for every community to turn to.

The government will also work with police and crime commissioners to ensure that they are promoting access to support services for antisocial behaviour victims locally within communities.

Minister for Victims and Violence Against Women and Girls, Alex Davies-Jones, said:

We thank Baroness Newlove for her unwavering advocacy of victims of antisocial behaviour. This is a blight on our communities, disrupting lives and causing significant harm.

The changes announced today come ahead of legislation – as announced in the King’s Speech – to strengthen the Victims’ Commissioner’s powers to ensure greater accountability when the needs of victims are not being met.

The Victims’ Commissioner for England and Wales, Baroness Newlove, said:

More must be done to support victims of antisocial behaviour, and I welcome the government’s response to my report as a positive first step.

My report highlighted the transformative impact of a single point of contact (SPOC) to ensure victims feel heard and supported, so I’m pleased this recommendation is being taken forward.

It is so important victims of ASB are given a voice and are listened to. Planned reforms to strengthen statutory guidance for the ASB case review process are a welcome measure to build trust and empower victims. For these reforms to have the greatest impact, changes to the law will be the crucial next step.

I look forward to working with the government to bolster protections and the law. The upcoming consultation on the victims’ code offers a key opportunity for progress. It is essential we get this right, as there is still much more to be done for lasting change.

New respect orders are to be introduced through the Crime and Policing Bill which will enable agencies and courts to place tough restrictions on the behaviour of persistent antisocial behaviour offenders, with tough enforcement and sentencing options if orders are breached.

Harvinder Saimbhi, ASB Help CEO said:

ASB Help fully endorse the recommendations made in the report and are supportive of the government’s response. The report addresses victim’s experiences and pleas for help, which we at ASB Help are inundated with on a daily basis.

The most fundamental tool victims have is the ASB case review and this report clearly highlights that victims are unaware of their rights or how to access the case review.

We need to ensure that partners tackling ASB across England and Wales are appropriately trained to use the tools and powers available within the ASB Crime and Policing Act, and to tackle ASB effectively, bringing respite to those experiencing ASB.

We therefore welcome the government’s response and look forward to continuing to work with them, and other partners, to tackle ASB and ensure better protection and support for victims.