Tag: Home Office

The press release issued by the Home Office on 25 July 2024.

46 foreign criminals and immigration offenders have been returned to Vietnam and Timor-Leste on a groundbreaking charter flight.

The operation is the UK’s first-ever charter returns flight to Timor-Leste, and the first to Vietnam since 2022.

It comes after the Home Secretary announced this week that she has immediately replaced flight planning for Rwanda with flights to return foreign criminals and immigration offenders who have no right to be here to their home country.

After setting off on Wednesday (24 July), the flight arrived in Timor-Leste at approximately 9am BST today (25 July), having transported the cohort from the UK to the 2 countries in south-east Asia.

The flight highlights the government’s commitment to expanding its returns ability for individuals without the right to remain in the UK and building strong relationships with partner nations in a shared mission to end irregular migration. Vietnam has recently been one of the top nationalities crossing the Channel in small boats.

The operation began on the same day as a gang of British people-smugglers, including a brother and sister, were jailed after trying to hide 2 Vietnamese migrants in a hidden compartment of their campervan.

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said:

Today’s flight shows the government is taking quick and decisive action to secure our borders and return those with no right to be here.

We thank the governments of Vietnam and Timor-Leste for their co-operation, without which this could never have happened. Our strong diplomatic bonds with other countries have never been more crucial to our mission to bring order back into the asylum and immigration system, tackling irregular migration, and making sure the rules are properly respected and enforced.

Images from the court case show the migrants crammed into the dangerously small crawlspace, less than 1 foot high, as they were transported between the UK and France.

Siblings Natalie Sirrell and Alan Sirrell, Casey Dennis Loughnane, and Charlotte Smyth have been sentenced after a hearing at Canterbury Crown Court.

The court heard how on 19 July 2020, Border Force officers conducted a search of a campervan bound for the UK in Coquelles, France. During the search, they found 2 Vietnamese nationals concealed underneath a bed.

Driving the van was Natalie Sirrell, with Charlotte Smyth in the passenger seat. Both were arrested at the scene.

An investigation led officers to identify Alan Sirrell, Loughnane and Benjamin Tokeley as further members of the smuggling operation.

Alan Sirrell was sentenced to three and a half years behind bars and Loughnane to four and a half years after being found guilty at trial of conspiring to facilitate the commission of a breach of UK immigration law.

Natalie Sirrell was sentenced to 2 years suspended, electronic monitoring and a £500 fine, and Smyth to 2 years suspended after pleading guilty at an earlier hearing to the same offence. Credit was given by the judge due to the length of time passed to reach court, and for early pleas from Natalie Sirrell and Smyth.

Tokeley pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing and is due to be sentenced separately at a later date.

Home Office Criminal and Financial Investigation Lead for the North East Command, Stuart Wilkinson said:

Today’s sentencing is the result of strong collaboration between agencies to bring another people-smuggling ring to justice.

Our teams will continue to work tirelessly to secure our borders and clamp down on the gangs who heartlessly endanger vulnerable people to make money. I am enormously grateful for the tireless efforts of the officers involved in this case.

The press release issued by the Home Office on 23 July 2024.

The Minister for Border Security and Asylum has made the decision not to renew the contract for use of the Bibby Stockholm barge.

As part of the government’s commitment to clear the backlog and fix the asylum system, the Minister for Border Security and Asylum has made the decision not to renew the contract for use of the Bibby Stockholm barge.

Ending the use of the Bibby Stockholm forms part of the expected £7.7 billion of savings in asylum costs over the next ten years, as the Home Secretary takes action to restart asylum caseworking, clear the backlog and remove those with no right to be here.

Extending the use of the Bibby Stockholm would have cost over £20 million next year. The barge will continue to be used until January 2025, but there will be no continuation of the contract beyond that.

Yesterday, the Home Secretary set out more detail on the government’s plans to save billions of pounds by clearing the asylum backlog – where thousands remained permanently in taxpayer funded accommodation.

By doing so, the government will reduce demand for accommodation, like the Bibby Stockholm.

The news comes mere weeks since the newly elected government began delivering on its mission to create a faster, fairer asylum system. It builds on action to fix the asylum system and protect our border. The government has already begun rapid recruitment of a new border security commander and committed a 50% uplift in UK officers at Europol – to boost intelligence sharing, disrupt criminal people smugglers and bring them to justice.

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

We are determined to restore order to the asylum system, so that it operates swiftly, firmly and fairly; and ensures the rules are properly enforced.

The Home Secretary has set out plans to start clearing the asylum backlog and making savings on accommodation which is running up vast bills for the taxpayer.

The Bibby Stockholm will continue to be in use until the contract expires in January 2025.

The press release issued by the Home Office on 24 May 2024.

Confiscated and surrendered drugs will be tested to identify toxic substances in circulation and help prevent drug-related overdoses.

A continuation of long-standing government policy, licences have been issued under strict conditions to drug testing organisations to operate at some of the leading festivals in the UK.

Confiscated or surrendered drugs will be tested on site and public alerts will be cascaded to festival goers if extremely potent drugs are detected to protect the public as much as possible and help prevent drug-related harm.  The message to festival goers is there is no safe way to take illegal drugs.

This will also provide an important source of data for the government’s early warning system in tracking the prevalence of emerging threats, such as synthetic opioids, so that police and health support services can take swift action to contain the problem should any be identified.

Back-of-house drug testing does not see drug samples returned to an individual or provide them with tailored information on the content of their sample, as we are clear there are no safe ways to take illegal drugs.

More licences are expected to be issued in the coming weeks.

As in previous years, organisations wishing to deliver back-of-house drug testing must apply for a Home Office licence to operate responsibly, in line with government policy to ensure that they do not condone drug use which is illegal.

There has been no change in the government’s position on drug testing at festivals. It has long been a requirement for anyone handling controlled drugs, including drug testing services, to acquire a licence.

The Home Office continues to keep an open dialogue with any potential applicants who wish to apply for a licence, including organisations that deliver drug testing services, to ensure the strict requirements attached to back-of-house drug testing are fully understood.

Information about controlled drugs licences for companies that possess, manufacture, produce or supply controlled drugs in England, Wales or Scotland can be found in the controlled drugs: domestic licences guidance.

The press release issued by the Home Office on 21 May 2024.

A dedicated police taskforce set up to bring down grooming gangs has supported police forces in England and Wales to make hundreds of arrests in its first year.

In the last 12 months the crack team of expert investigators and analysts has helped police forces arrest over 550 suspects, identify and protect over 4,000 victims, and build up robust cases to get justice for these appalling crimes.

Established by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in April 2023, the Grooming Gangs Taskforce of specialist officers has worked with all 43 police forces in England and Wales to support child sexual exploitation and grooming investigations.

Led by the National Police Chiefs’ Council and supported by the National Crime Agency, the taskforce is a full time, operational police unit funded by the Home Office to improve how the police investigate grooming gangs and identify and protect children from abuse. It is staffed by experienced and qualified officers and data analysts who have long-term, practical on-the-ground experience of undertaking investigations into grooming gangs.

Home Secretary, James Cleverly said:

Where a child is being abused, we must do everything in our power to protect them and pursue the perpetrators until they are behind bars.

This despicable crime can have a lasting impact on a child’s life and I am pleased that in only a year, the taskforce’s hard work alongside local policing efforts has led to more than 550 arrests and helped keep thousands more children safe. I thank everyone that has been involved in this effort.

But we know we must do more. Through our Criminal Justice Bill we are better protecting children by requiring all professionals to report to police where they fear abuse is taking place and banning sex offenders from changing their names to evade justice.

Yesterday (Monday 20 May), the Home Secretary, James Cleverly, visited Essex Police where he spoke to the force’s Child Sexual Exploitation teams who have seen their investigations supported by the taskforce in the last year.

More than 400 officers across the country have now been specially trained by the taskforce, with more set to be mobilised over the coming months to root out child sex offenders. At his visit to Essex Police, the Home Secretary was able to witness first-hand a live training session of new recruits being upskilled in the specialist skills needed to work on child sexual abuse cases.

Minister for Victims and Safeguarding, Laura Farris said:

I am proud that the measures announced by this government just over a year ago to clamp down on crimes perpetrated by grooming gangs has led to hundreds of arrests, and the protection of over 4,000 victims.

We must continue to do more to support the police, placing technology and specialist training at the heart of our rigorous targeting of abusers who prey on vulnerable young people in the most appalling way. They must be brought to justice and face the full force of the law.

Crucial to the taskforce’s work has been the development of the Complex and Organised Child Abuse Database, which provides forces with a more robust data picture of the scale, risk, prevalence and characteristics of group-based child sexual exploitation than ever before, helping forces to deploy their resources locally in the most targeted way, and investigate without fear or favour around misplaced cultural sensitivities.

The taskforce has built strong engagement with an expert Crown Prosecution Service team to build robust prosecution cases to put more criminals behind bars. It provides intelligence for forces to help identify and disrupt grooming gang networks by collaborating with the Tackling Organised Exploitation Programme (TOEX) which provides cutting-edge data and analysis to help forces identify suspects.

The taskforce has also forged strong partnerships with hotels to raise awareness of the early warning signs of child sexual exploitation through Operation Makesafe.

Ian Critchley, NPCC National Police Lead for Child Protection and Abuse said:

Since the taskforce was launched, significant strides have been made to enhance the policing response to CSE investigation as well as co-ordinate best practice and guidance to further protect victims and disrupt perpetrators, through working closely with forces such as Essex .

Sadly, we know that CSE in many forms is still prevalent in our communities. The way we listen to, and support victims and survivors of these most abhorrent crimes is key to building on and maintaining the progress we have already made through the work of the CSE taskforce and dedicated force teams.

I hope this assures victims that when they take what is often a difficult decision to report to police, that they will be treated with empathy and respect and with the utmost professionalism . We are committed and dedicated to bringing more offenders to justice for these appalling crimes , wherever and whenever they have been committed and the taskforce are supporting force operations across the country.

While it is important to acknowledge how far we have come, particularly in the last 12 months, it is essential we continue to learn and make changes to help inform and influence all our work, in particular working alongside children’s services and valued third sector partners in encompassing the voice of victims and survivors in all we do.

We are not standing still. It is incumbent on us all in society and different communities to prevent these offences that have a lifelong impact on victims . We remain dedicated to ensuring we identify, protect and support victims and are committed to the relentless pursuit of offenders to bring them to justice.

Gabrielle Shaw, Chief Executive for the National Association for People Abused in Childhood (NAPAC) said:

At NAPAC, we are proud of the work we and other third sector colleagues have been doing in integrating the voices and experiences of victims and survivors into the CSE taskforce.

By listening to and acting on this, national policing will create authentic, practical change that improves victims and survivors’ engagement with the justice system.

The CSE taskforce’s work is informed by NAPAC’s unique body of research on what victims and survivors themselves want. This research shows that for a large proportion of survivors, a positive outcome does not necessarily equate to a criminal conviction. Many want to feel heard and believed, to stand up and be counted without entering the court process and without fearing judgement or re-traumatisation.

We look forward to police forces across the country continuing their positive work with partners, such as third sector organisations, to successfully understand and achieve the outcomes that victims and survivors wish for.

These measures demonstrate the government’s ongoing commitment to delivering on the recommendations of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) report to protect children from harm, and make sure authorities never again turn a blind eye to child sexual exploitation and abuse.

The Home Secretary is introducing a new legal requirement, through the government’s flagship Criminal Justice Bill, for anyone engaging in relevant activity with children in England, including teachers and healthcare professionals, to mandatorily report if they know a child is being sexual abused. Anyone who attempts to prevent a mandatory reporter from reporting known child sexual abuse could face prosecution and up to seven years in prison.

The Home Office has also provided £1.6m in funding for the NSPCC’s whistleblowing helpline, as well as their public helpline, giving professionals and members of the public help to raise concerns about children in their community. In the last year, the whistleblowing and public helplines have handled nearly 76,000 contact points with over 40,000 referrals made to partner agencies, including police and social services.

In addition, the police are gaining greater powers to stop registered sex offenders from changing their name if they think they still pose a risk to their communities, strengthening measures to ensure parents and carers have the information they need to keep children safe from offenders, and making sure that members of grooming gangs face the toughest possible sentences for their crimes by introducing legislation through the Criminal Justice Bill to create a statutory aggravating factor for grooming behaviour.

We recognise the devastating impacts that child sexual exploitation and abuse can have on victims and survivors, and are committed to ensuring that specialist support is provided to help all victims and survivors rebuild and move forward with their lives.

Our Support for Victims and Survivors of Child Sexual Abuse (SVSCSA) Fund (2022-2025) provides grant funding of up to £4.5m to voluntary sector organisations in England and Wales, giving nationally accessible support to victims and survivors of child sexual abuse.

The Ministry of Justice is also quadrupling funding for victim and witness support services by 2025, up from £41 million in 2010.

The press release issued by the Home Office on 21 May 2024.

The changes will ensure that citizens can continue to prove their rights easily, and bring greater clarity for those required to check immigration status.

Changes to the EU Settlement Scheme announced today will ensure that all those granted pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme can continue to prove their rights easily, and bring greater clarity for those who are required to check immigration status, such as employers and landlords.

The changes support the Home Office’s practical implementation of the High Court judgment in the judicial review proceedings brought by the Independent Monitoring Authority for the Citizens’ Rights Agreements (IMA).

In response to that judgment, we announced changes to the EU Settlement Scheme in July 2023 to ensure that nobody loses their immigration status if they do not apply to switch from pre-settled to settled status.

The Home Office has continued to work closely with the IMA on the implementation of the judgment. Having listened to concerns raised by the IMA and others about the potential implications for those affected by the judgment, the changes announced today will ensure it remains easy for status holders to demonstrate their rights in the UK.

The Home Office will change the duration of pre-settled status extensions from 2 to 5 years. The Home Office will also remove the pre-settled status expiry date from the digital profiles shown to third parties in the online checking services for Right to Work, Right to Rent and View and Prove.

Alongside this change, employers, landlords and letting agents will not be required to conduct a further right to work or rent check where the individual remains in their employment or as part of that tenancy agreement.

The EU Settlement Scheme has been a great success. As of 31 December 2023, 5.7 million people had secured their rights in the UK through the scheme, with 2 million holding pre-settled status and 3.7 million holding settled status.

The press release issued by the Home Office on 8 May 2024.

The move is part of a major package of measures to tighten defences against alleged malign activity by Russia across the UK and Europe.

A major package of measures to target and dismantle Russian intelligence gathering operations in the UK will be rolled out today, the Home Secretary has announced.

Today, the UK government will:

• expel the Russian defence attaché, an undeclared military intelligence officer
• remove diplomatic premises status from several Russian properties in the UK, including Seacox Heath – a Russia-owned property in Sussex – and the Trade and Defence Section in Highgate, which are believed to have been used for intelligence purposes
• impose new restrictions on Russian diplomatic visas, including capping the length of time Russian diplomats can spend in the UK

The UK has today summoned the Russian Ambassador to replay these measures and to reiterate that Russia’s actions will not be tolerated.

These actions, the latest in a string of robust measures taken against Russia to protect the UK, follow a pattern of malign activity carried out both here and abroad in the past year, which is believed to be linked to Russia.

That includes 5 Bulgarian nationals charged with conspiring to commit espionage activities in the UK on behalf of Russia. A sixth individual was later charged and legal proceedings for all are ongoing.

Last month, a further 5 individuals were the first to be charged in connection with an investigation into alleged offences under the National Security Act. The Crown Prosecution Service confirmed at the time it related to alleged ‘hostile activity in the UK in order to benefit a foreign state – namely Russia”.

The UK and its allies have also attributed a number of malign cyber activity incidents in the UK to the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) in recent years, such as targeting UK parliamentarians through spear-phishing campaigns, hacking and leaking UK-US trade documents and interference against a UK think tank working on defending democracy against disinformation.

In Europe, the Russian government has allegedly planned sabotage activities against military aid for Ukraine in Germany and Poland and carried out alleged espionage activity in Bulgaria and Italy; cyber and disinformation activities; air space violations; and GPS jamming with impact on civil aviation.

Home Secretary James Cleverly said:

These activities bear all the hallmarks of a deliberate campaign by Russia.

We are taking action to send a strong deterrence message to Russia and to further reduce the ability of the Russian Intelligence Services to threaten the UK.

We will stand firm in the face of the Russian threat to the UK and our way of life.

Foreign Secretary Lord Cameron said:

Since the illegal invasion of Ukraine, Russia’s attempts to undermine UK and European security have become increasingly brazen.

These measures are an unequivocal message to the Russian state – their actions will not go unanswered.

Alongside our friends and partners we will continue to stand with Ukraine and hold Russia accountable for its malign activity.

Defence Secretary Grant Shapps said:

In addition to the major uplift in our support for Ukraine to £3 billion this year, we are taking robust action to prevent Russia’s malign activity from threatening the UK.

Together with our allies, we continue to send a powerful message to Putin that we will not tolerate his disruptive efforts and are not cowed by his threats – we will continue to stand up for freedom and democracy for as long as it takes.

Following Russia’s state-backed attack in Salisbury in 2018, the UK and its allies took unprecedented measures to make Europe a harder operating environment for the Russian intelligence services, including expelling 23 undeclared Russian intelligence officers from the UK.

Security is a top priority for this government and the National Security Act 2023 has delivered a range of measures to strengthen the UK’s efforts to detect, deter and disrupt state threats, including by enhancing police powers to investigate state threats activity to protect our people.

The press release issued by the Home Office on 7 May 2024.

Progress on immigration as numbers on key visa routes fall 24%, detentions start after passing of Rwanda law, and a major crackdown begins on illegal working.

The Home Secretary’s strong action to tackle both legal and illegal migration is working and delivering progress, as data reveals a dramatic drop in visa numbers, whilst the first flights to Rwanda draw closer as the first cohort of illegal migrants to be removed are detained.

New monthly visa statistics revealed that the Home Secretary’s comprehensive reforms to address unsustainable levels of legal migration are already starting to have a decisive impact. Visa applications across key routes affected by the changes fell by 24% in the first 3 months of 2024, compared with the same period last year.

This comes as the government has moved quickly to operationalise its landmark policy to stop the boats and deter migrants making perilous and illegal journeys across the channel. The first group of migrants set for removal to Rwanda are being detained following a series of Immigration Enforcement operations across the country, whilst the first migrant to arrive in Rwanda through the voluntary scheme was successfully relocated.

Meanwhile, leading food delivery companies have agreed to introduce enhanced security checks on their apps to prevent the market being abused by illegal workers, following a series of discussions with ministers and officials across government.

Home Secretary, James Cleverly, said:

Across the board our plan is working – we are delivering a fairer and stronger immigration system.

Legal migration reached grossly unsustainable levels, but we worked quickly to implement the changes I brought forward last year. The early signs show strong progress, and numbers will continue to fall.

And our partnership with Rwanda is moving forward at great speed. We must deter those risking their lives in the channel, and this week we have shown that we mean it when we say you will be detained and removed if you come here illegally.

Migration is a global issue, but the UK stands at the forefront of the response and we’re tackling it head on. With robust, innovative, and unrelenting action, we are delivering as promised.

New monthly visa statistics show falling numbers across Skilled Worker, Health and Care, and Study visa routes. This includes, in the first 3 months of the year, the number of student dependants fell by almost 80% compared to the same period last year, after a restriction was placed on most postgraduate students bringing family with them from January.

Later this month, the Migration Advisory Committee will complete their rapid review of the Graduate Route as part of the government’s plan to protect the integrity and quality of UK higher education and ensure it works in the best interests of the UK. The committee’s findings will be considered closely and the government will act if change is necessary.

The government’s full plan to cut legal migration would mean 300,000 who arrived last year would be unable to do so under the new rules and new monthly statistics will allow the public to see the impact of the full set of measures.

Following the passage into law of the Safety of Rwanda Act and the ratification of the Treaty with Rwanda, the Home Office has moved quickly to arrest and detain the initial cohort of migrants to be removed. Preparations are now being made to safely remove them to Rwanda where they can start rebuilding their lives, with a flight set to take off within 9 to 11 weeks.

Under the Migration and Economic Development Partnership the government is now also able to send those with no right to remain in the UK to Rwanda under the voluntary removals route, the first individual has been successfully relocated and is being fully supported.

As part of the government’s wider efforts to tackle and deter illegal migration, including cracking down on incentives to cross the channel, Minister Michael Tomlinson, the Minister for Countering Illegal Migration, and Minister Kevin Hollinrake, the Minister for Business and Trade, met with representatives from Deliveroo, Just Eat and Uber Eats. All 3 companies agreed to enhanced security checks on their apps to prevent account sharing by those looking for work who have no right to be in the UK.

They will now change their processes to ensure substitute riders are working in the UK legally and that right to work checks will be carried out, helping to protect the economy and legitimate workers.

Progress demonstrated comes as the government’s wider plan to tackle illegal migration continues to deliver. In 2023, small boat crossing fell by a third on the previous year whilst enforcement visits rose by 49% and arrests more than doubled. Returns of those with no right to be in the UK increased by two-thirds.

The press release issued by the Home Office on 23 April 2024.

38 million hours of police time could be saved under a plan supported by the government, as the drive continues to free up officers’ time so they can focus on keeping our streets safe.

In its response to the Policing Productivity Review, commissioned by the Home Office and published last autumn, the government has set out how £230 million will be spent over the next 4 years on new technology, such as live facial recognition and drones that will be used as first responders to meet the recommendations made by the independent Policing Productivity Team.

Previously announced in the spring budget, this investment will go towards innovation such as knife detection and artificial intelligence, including automatic redaction and translation, and will enable police to spend less time in the office, and more time in our communities.

The government will also be creating a new Centre for Police Productivity to provide the foundation for future improvements across policing. The centre will be integral to devising and implementing the further work raised in the review that could save the equivalent of an additional 20,000 police officers’ worth of time.

The productivity review also recommended many initiatives that the government has already started implementing, including the expansion of facial recognition, with £55.5 million committed to its rollout across the country over the next 4 years. This will include at least £4 million for bespoke mobile units that can be deployed in crowded areas to identify people wanted by the police.

The expansion of Right Care, Right Person, which sees those experiencing a mental health crisis receiving the most appropriate treatment in the right environment by health and social care professionals, could save up to a million police hours a year.

If just 500,000 officer hours were saved, the review estimates that officers in England could attend an additional 250,000 incidents of domestic abuse or over 300,000 burglaries.

Policing Minister Chris Philp said:

It is critical that our police officers are out on our streets, stopping criminals and supporting the public, and we will continue in our plan to remove any barriers that keep them from this.

I want to see cutting edge innovation ingrained in our policing, and the new Centre for Police Productivity and our reforms to cut red tape will remove the bureaucracy that holds officers back.

By investing millions in facial recognition, AI, and new knife detection technology, we will continue to give police the tools they need to rise to the challenge of modern policing.

The productivity review highlighted a range of work that can save police time, and the government has already started on much of this in the past few years.

Last year, the government also signed the National Partnership Agreement with health authorities and the police that will see Right Care, Right Person implemented in all police forces in England. The approach will free up considerable amounts of police time to focus on keeping our communities safe. Created by Humberside Police and the NHS in 2019, it is now much easier for staff in police control rooms to identify the right agency to respond at the outset when dealing with calls about individuals experiencing a mental health crisis.

Changes have also been made to the Home Office Counting Rules, so all reported crimes for a single incident will now consistently be recorded under the ‘principal offence’, rather than as multiple entries on a database that effectively duplicates information. A core recommendation in the review, the National Police Chiefs’ Council report estimated that 443,000 officer hours can be saved by simplifying crime recording – freeing up time that could be better spent cutting crime and keeping our streets safe.

The government is also going beyond the productivity review’s recommendations with technologies, including investing in the piloting of drones as first responders. This will look at stationing ‘drones in a box’ in strategic locations for deployment to incidents prior to the arrival of emergency services, to provide support to front line policing and police operations by enabling enhanced response times, informed decisions prior to arriving on scene, and increased safety of the public and officers.

The press release issued by the Home Office on 23 April 2024.

Minister for Crime, Policing and Fire promotes the UK’s balanced approach towards tackling drug use, with a focus on the challenge of synthetic opioids.

The UK is a long-standing member of the United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND), which is the UN’s primary policy making forum for international cooperation on drugs. It is mandated to supervise the application of the international drug control treaties and meets annually. This year’s CND took place across 14-22 March and marked the mid-way point in a 10 year strategy, established by the 2019 Ministerial Declaration, to tackle the world drug situation, during which a critical review of collective progress and new, emerging challenges was undertaken.

The Rt Hon Chris Philp MP, Minister for Crime, Policing and Fire, attended to represent the UK and lead a cross-government delegation from Home Office, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and the Department of Health and Social Care.

The minister delivered a national statement highlighting the government’s approach towards tackling drugs and made several pledges to work closely with global partners to tackle drugs supply, to deliver the UK Addiction Mission through collaborative working and innovation, and to ensure that treatment and recovery services are evidence-led and widely available. High-level attendees also included US Secretary of State Blinken, Colombian Foreign Minister Murillo, EU DG HOME Commissioner Ylva Johansson, and Bolivia’s Vice President Choquehuanca.

Minister Philp used the CND as a platform to bring the increasing risk of synthetic opioids to the top of the international agenda, through bilateral discussions and by chairing a high-level panel discussion with US White House drug “czar” Dr Rahul Gupta, who noted that “The US appreciates the UK’s leadership in drawing global attention to dangerous synthetic opioids and looks forward to deepening our partnership to help protect public health and safety.”

The high-level side event also included speakers from the South African Narcotics Enforcement Bureau and the UNODC’s Executive Director, Ghada Waly, to share perspectives and responses to synthetic opioids, helping to raise awareness of the threat posed by nitazenes. Minister Philp described a range of activity led by UK government:

We are doing work upstream, with countries around the world where drugs are cultivated, countries through which drugs transit, often using the National Crime Agency, which is the UK equivalent of the FBI. We have had some very notable successes in making large scale seizures of heroin and cocaine out of the UK when they have been in transit. We are also doing a lot of work at the border, with the UK Border Force, to try to intercept drugs as they enter the United Kingdom… We have a lot of work going on combatting organised criminal gangs, domestically targeting them. We also enforce against drug consumption, particularly drug consumption in public. So, law enforcement is a critical and indispensable component in the fight against crime. But law enforcement on its own is not enough. We’re also investing very heavily in a world class treatment and recovery system. We’re investing an additional £780m, that’s almost £1 billion, over three years, to increase capacity in our treatment system. If we can get people treated successfully then the demand for drugs will reduce. And the associated criminality will reduce – both the criminality associated with drug supply, but also the addict committing crime to fund the offence.

The minister stressed the importance of tackling the emerging challenge of synthetic opioids, through zero-tolerance law enforcement, early warning systems, treatment, and international cooperation:

We established the taskforce, and it reaches across government, with various agencies involved – the Ministry of Justice, the National Crime Agency, the Home Office, the Department for Health, the domestic police, His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service, and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, as this is ultimately an international problem with international supply chains that cross the globe.

We think that information and monitoring system is important so that, as this threat potentially develops, we can act very quickly to try to combat it… We are a very enthusiastic member of the US-led Global Coalition Against Synthetic Drugs. We will do everything we can to work with and support our American friends and allies, and countries around the world, to tackle this treat. And that is really what brought me here to Vienna today, as it’s only through international cooperation: by working together on supply, working together on law enforcement, sharing best practice, and by sharing what works in terms of treatment. By working together, we can beat the threat of synthetic opioids.

This emerging threat has also seen media attention, with minister Philp publishing an op-ed in The Times, to coincide with his visit and the government banning 15 synthetic opioids on 20 March.

The regular CND segment which followed the high-level event was led by officials from across Home Office, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, Department of Health and Social Care and the Joint Combating Drugs Unit. The regular segment focused on the negotiation of 4 resolutions and voting on 23 substances to be place under international control. The UK played an active role in the 4 resolutions and continued to work closely with likeminded countries, to defend commitments on gender equality, human rights and civil society engagement.

CND ultimately provides an important platform, from which the UK promotes its balanced approach towards tackling drug use and related harms, maintains our international reputation, builds links with a range of international partners, and progresses the government’s ambitions on drugs and wider strategic policy aims.

The press release issued by the Home Office on 23 April 2024.

Final phase of implementing the flagship policy to commence, marking a crucial step in the global response to illegal migration.

UK government efforts to stop the boats and tackle illegal migration took a major step forward, after the Safety of Rwanda Bill completed its passage through Parliament overnight, Monday 22 April.

The Bill’s passing means the government can enter the final phase of operational planning to get flights off the ground to Rwanda, pioneering a new response to the global challenge of illegal migration.

Robust operational plans are in place to ensure a first flight to Rwanda can be delivered within 10-12 weeks, with multiple flights set to take off after this.

The landmark legislation means that going forward, Rwanda should be deemed a safe country for the purposes of relocating people, including in UK courts and tribunals.

It will prevent legal challenges from being used to delay or halt a person’s removal to Rwanda on the grounds that Rwanda is generally unsafe, or that an individual will be returned to an unsafe country after removal to Rwanda – an act known as refoulement.

The Bill makes it unambiguously clear that UK Parliament is sovereign, and the validity of any Act of Parliament is unaffected by international law. Ministers will be able to retain the decision on whether to comply with interim measures from the European Court of Human Rights, for example, a Rule 39 injunction.

Home Secretary James Cleverly said:

This vital legislation means we can now proceed with our Rwanda plan and begin removing people with no right to be here.

The only way to stop the boats is to eliminate the incentive to come – by making clear that if you are here illegally, you will not be allowed to stay.

Our policy does exactly that and plans are well under way to begin flights within 10-12 weeks.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said:

The passing of this landmark legislation is not just a step forward but a fundamental change in the global equation on migration.

We introduced the Rwanda Bill to deter vulnerable migrants from making perilous crossings and break the business model of the criminal gangs who exploit them. The passing of this legislation will allow us to do that and make it very clear that if you come here illegally, you will not be able to stay.

Our focus is to now get flights off the ground, and I am clear that nothing will stand in our way of doing that and saving lives.

The government is ready to deliver a first relocation flight and teams are working at pace to prepare. This includes:

• an airfield on standby and commercial charter planes booked for specific slots
• detention spaces increased to 2,200
• 200 trained dedicated caseworkers are ready and waiting to quickly process claims
• the judiciary have made available 25 courtrooms to deal with any legal cases quickly and decisively
• to escort illegal migrants all the way to Rwanda, we have 500 highly trained individuals ready, with 300 more trained in the coming weeks.

Responding to the concerns raised by the Supreme Court, the Safety of Rwanda Bill was introduced in December last year and builds upon the UK-Rwanda Treaty.

Together, these measures and evidence of changes in Rwanda since summer 2022, will allow government to implement the policy, supporting the wider plan to stop the boats by removing the incentive to come here illegally.

The new law, which is one of the toughest pieces of legislation ever introduced, builds upon the Treaty, reflecting the strength of the Government of Rwanda’s protections and commitments relocated to Rwanda in accordance with the Treaty. It also:

• confirms that, with the new Treaty, Rwanda is safe
• prevents UK courts and tribunals from delaying or preventing a person’s removal to Rwanda on matters relating only to the general safety of Rwanda
• allows for an exceptionally narrow route to individual challenge to ensure that the courts will interpret the relevant provisions in accordance with the will of Parliament
• disapplies relevant sections of the Human Rights Act 1998
• confirms that only a Minister of the Crown can decide whether to comply with an interim measure issued by the European Court of Human Rights.

In November 2023, the Supreme Court upheld the lawfulness of resettling illegal migrants for the purposes of determining their asylum claims, but required more assurance that they would not be refouled.

The internationally binding Treaty between Rwanda and the UK was announced by the Government in response to this finding and introduces measures to make clear Rwanda will not return anyone to an unsafe country.

Under the Treaty, Rwanda has also introduced a strengthened end-to-end asylum system, including a new, specialist asylum appeals tribunal to consider individual appeals against any refused claims. It will have two co-presidents, from Rwanda and from another Commonwealth country, and be made up of judges from a mix of nations.

The Treaty also enhances the role of the independent Monitoring Committee, which will ensure adherence to obligations under the Treaty and have the power to set its own priority areas for monitoring.

But this significant step forward remains just one part of the government’s wider plan to stop the boats. Solid progress has been made, with the number of small boat arrivals falling by more than a third in 2023. Our work with international partners prevented more than 26,000 crossings last year, as well as helping to dismantle 82 organised crime groups since July 2020.

Our new agreement with Albania has cut Albanian small boat arrivals by more than 90 per cent; and we recently signed a ground-breaking deal with Frontex, the European Border and Coast Guard Agency, marking another crucial step in securing our borders.

The Bill is expected to receive Royal Assent in the coming days.