Tag: Home Office

The Home Secretary, James Cleverly, has today (15 January) laid a draft order before Parliament to proscribe the international Sunni Islamist political organisation Hizb ut-Tahrir under the Terrorism Act 2000.

If agreed by Parliament, the order will come into force on 19 January 2024. This means that belonging to, inviting support for and displaying articles in a public place in a way that arouses suspicion of membership or support for the group will be a criminal offence.

Certain proscription offences can be punishable by up to 14 years in prison, which can be handed down by a court alongside or in place of a fine. The resources of a proscribed organisation are terrorist property and may be seized. Once a group is proscribed its ability to operate openly in the UK will be significantly degraded because of the offences attached to membership and inviting support.

Founded in 1953, Hizb ut-Tahrir is an international political group with a long-term goal of establishing a Caliphate ruled under Islamic law. While their headquarters are in Lebanon, the group operates in at least 32 countries including the UK, United States, Canada and Australia.

The proscription of Hizb ut-Tahrir includes the global organisation, as well as all regional branches, including Hizb ut-Tahrir Britain.

Home Secretary, James Cleverly said:

Hizb ut-Tahrir is an antisemitic organisation that actively promotes and encourages terrorism, including praising and celebrating the appalling 7 October attacks.

Proscribing this terrorist group will ensure that anyone who belongs to and invites supports for them will face consequences. It will curb Hizb ut-Tahrir’s ability to operate as it currently does.

Hizb ut-Tahrir’s praise of the 7 October attacks and associated incidents, as well as describing Hamas as ‘heroes’ on their central website constitutes promoting and encouraging terrorism.

Hizb ut-Tahrir has a history of praising and celebrating attacks against Israel and attacks against Jews more widely. The UK stands strongly against antisemitism and will not tolerate the promotion of terrorism in any form.

This group’s antisemitic ideology and praise of attacks against innocent civilians in Israel outlines the necessity of its proscription.

Security Minister, Tom Tugendhat said:

Hizb ut-Tahrir clearly encourage and promote terrorism.

Their celebration of Hamas’ appalling attacks on Israel, going so far as to call the terrorists who raped and murdered Israeli citizens ‘heroes’, is disgraceful.

We stand firmly against antisemitism and hatred against the Jewish community in the UK.

Several countries have banned Hizb ut-Tahrir for their various activities, including Germany, Egypt, Bangladesh, Pakistan and several Central Asian and Arab countries. Austria banned symbols of the group in May 2021.

The order will be debated in Parliament during this week and, if approved, Hizb ut-Tahrir will become the 80th organisation to be proscribed in the UK.

Other groups who have been proscribed by the British government include al-Qaeda, ISIS, National Action and most recently the Wagner Group.

Bays Consulting, an analytics company that prides itself on using ‘maths, not magic’ to solve data challenges, supported the Accelerated Capability Environment (ACE) on a government commission to model the way large crowds behave in an emergency.

However, after the initial commission work was complete, the Bays team felt more could be done to develop the concept – and two of them asked founder Sophie Carr for permission to spend time taking it further. The original work was covered by Crown copyright, which meant it couldn’t be reused, so they started from scratch.

A novel solution

At this time, Bays was investing internally to explore what was possible simply to satisfy the team’s curiosity, with no suggestion of external funding. But when a follow-up piece of work for the same customer was put out to tender to ACE’s expert Vivace community, Bays had an interesting solution to offer.

Dr Carr explained: “We said, we can use your code and work on it – but what you’re investing won’t get you to where we are now, because of what we’ve done ourselves. So now the money for this work is accelerating our roadmap and giving them a much, much better tool at the end of it – and it’s genuinely a partnership.”

This second phase delivered a simulation tool of interest to event operators, responders, and policymakers, which has provided an increased understanding of how crowds could move in response to external stimuli.

As part of the deal, Bays kept the intellectual property (IP) for their new tool, meaning they could commercialise it, but the Home Office was given a free forever licence for use within the Home Office.

Bays’ new tool, says Dr Carr, “is a 2D cellular model which is faster and more efficient to use than its ancestor. Maps of a given area can be uploaded, and crowd composition differentiation means groups, individuals and families are all easily identified.

“This is important because realistic modelling against different scenarios is key to increasing understanding of what mitigations and protections are needed to help keep the public safe.

“The crowd can be set by age, to mimic known footfall or density in a given area on a given day. It’s also scalable – and can be used for anything from a local cinema or high street to a major street in London.”

“This model is really designed to be a risk management and crowd management tool. It can help planners to understand how their current plan could affect the outcomes of a scenario.”

Dr Carr added: “The crowd’s objective is to not get injured. So, we’ve been working with a professor of psychology to make sure we capture the crowd’s responses as accurately as possible.”

Validators working with Bays as part of this latest ACE work include an ex-head of crowd control and an ex-deputy commissioner from London’s Metropolitan Police.

The opportunity of a lifetime

In terms of company development, Dr Carr said, having the IP “gives us something we can push out as a product or service, something which helps us create a stable base and be known for something we’re good at”.

“I’m not joking when I say it’s the opportunity of a lifetime – it’s literally company-changing.”

Dr Carr founded Bays in 2009 after she was made redundant. Winning a grant in 2021 to predict the need for independent food banks in the UK enabled her to hire the company’s first statistician. Work for the Joint Biosecurity Centre (JBC) during the pandemic followed, because they needed statisticians too, and the company started to take off.  Then Bays found ACE – and a whole new journey began.

Looking back over her experience with ACE so far, Dr Carr said: “The real draw, as a small company, is that ACE offers – in a way that no other government framework we’re involved in has – the chance to work on short, sharp, quick turnaround projects and different projects.

“Equally, the rainbow teaming means we’ve worked with much bigger companies who we would struggle to meet and work with otherwise.

“We’ve now met other companies that we bid on work with outside ACE, and we’ve built up a reputation externally for some of the work we’ve done internally. I don’t know any other environment that is a genuine community in the way that ACE is.”

Hundreds of domestic abuse victims will receive lifeline payments to help them escape tormenting and often life-threatening abuse, and to help rebuild their lives thanks to an additional £2 million investment, the Home Office has announced today.

From 31 January, victims of domestic abuse who do not have the financial means to leave their abusers will be able to apply for a one-off payment of up to £500 via one of over 470 support services, for essential items such as groceries, nappies or support with new accommodation to help them and their children flee to safety.

For the first time, victims can also apply for a further one-off payment of up to £2,500 to help secure a sustainable independent future, such as putting down a deposit for rental accommodation. This will help them move forward with their lives and prevent homelessness or pressure to return to abusers because of financial strain.

The fund will be delivered via referrals from a network of local frontline services in England and Wales including organisations, helplines and caseworkers who have a specialist understanding of domestic abuse.

The fund, which will initially last until March 2025, builds on a successful pilot funded by the Home Office and delivered with Women’s Aid last year which, helped over 600 victims to safety. Women’s Aid have been re-appointed to deliver this additional funding alongside hundreds of domestic abuse services across England and Wales.

Home Secretary, James Cleverly said:

Tackling violence and abuse against women and girls is a priority of mine.

We know that victims of domestic abuse are often forced to flee with very little. These payments cover essentials like food, clothing and nappies, and will also help them keep a roof over their heads.

After the successful trial of this lifeline scheme with Women’s Aid last year, I am proud to continue helping victims to escape abuse, find safety and rebuild their lives.

Minister for Victims and Safeguarding, Laura Farris said:

Women leave abusive partners at what is often the lowest point in their lives. The most common issues – kids, lack of money and confidence, fear of reprisal – keep so many victims locked into dangerous and harmful situations for far too long.

I am proud this fund has helped over 600 people to escape their abusers and find safety and hope this additional £2 million will help hundreds more find peace and rebuild their lives.  I am also proud of, and grateful to, Women’s Aid, for the extraordinary service they provide to some of the most desperate women in society.

The money complements the action this government has taken to protect victims – including our landmark Domestic Abuse Act which significantly expanded the definition of the offence, created more robust protections and tougher sentences.

During the pilot of the fund 83.4% of those applying said that the payments would be used to flee an abuser. Some reported the payments were to help prevent them from returning to abusive relationships due to financial struggles. With most survivors fleeing with little or no belongings, 77.6% said the money helped them to purchase essential goods such as fresh food for their children. Mental health and peace of mind was also improved, with the payments enabling them to purchase security measures such as CCTV and doorbell cameras.

This trial followed Women’s Aid research which found that almost three-quarters of women living with their abuser found it harder to leave as a result of the associated further cost of living.

Farah Nazeer, Chief Executive of Women’s Aid, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, said:

At Women’s Aid we warmly welcome the funding which will be made available to all survivors of domestic abuse through our, and our partners’, work with the Home Office. Domestic abuse affects a huge number of people, many of whom face additional challenges when it comes to receiving the life-changing support that they need. This year, we are delighted to be working with specialist services to ensure all survivors, including those from minoritised groups, receive the help they so desperately need.

When we worked on the pilot of the fund in May last year, we saw immediately the impact this was having on survivors – over 75% of applicants used their grant to replace or purchase essential goods for themselves or their children, after they had fled their abuser with nothing to their name.

This year’s funding will make life-changing improvements to the lives of countless adult and child survivors, allowing them to take those first steps towards a life free of abuse. We are immensely proud to be a part of this, especially during our 50th year, and believe that by allowing more survivors to escape their abusers, we are taking steps in the right direction to building a society in which domestic abuse is no longer tolerated.

Melanie Brown, MBE, Patron of Women’s Aid said:

I am so happy at the news that the government fund for survivors of domestic abuse will continue – I know how needed it is and the difference it has made to the lives of women and children who could not have left without it.

As someone who knows first-hand what it is like to live in fear of a partner, I am proud to have campaigned as Patron of Women’s Aid and with The Sun on this important issue, and thank the government for listening to our voices.

Nicole Jacobs, Domestic Abuse Commissioner for England and Wales, said:

I am delighted that the government is launching a Flexible Fund for 2024 following the success of last year’s scheme.

This fund provides one-off urgent payments to victims of domestic abuse, many of whom report leaving their abuser with little or no belongings. It will be a lifeline for many, helping victims to flee abuse and rebuild their lives.

I hope to see this critical funding reach as many victims and survivors as possible, including those who face the most significant barriers to support.

The fund follows the government’s Domestic Abuse Plan which has invested over £230 million in tackling this heinous crime and builds on a series of measures which prioritise tackling violence against women and girls.

Last year the government expanded legal aid to ensure domestic abuse victims face fewer barriers to funded assistance in the courts. Victims on universal credit seeking a protective order for themselves or their children against their attackers can now access legal aid funding more easily without facing a means test. Changes introduced in May mean victims of coercive control will also be made eligible for legal help without needing to access funds from joint assets.

All police forces across England and Wales are now following a new approach for the investigation of rape, funded by the Home Office, with police referrals to the Crown Prosecution Service for adult rape offences already up more than 200% since 2019.  Under the new model, police and prosecutors can access better support and 2,000 police investigators will be specially trained in sexual offences by April 2024.

Violence against women and girls (including domestic abuse) has been added to the Strategic Policing Requirement – meaning it is now categorised as a national threat for forces to respond to, alongside other serious threats like terrorism.

In November 2023, the third phase of the government’s innovative ‘Enough’ communications campaign that looks to change long-term behaviours and attitudes towards violence against women and girls, launched a third phase of activity, which included partnering with over 30 UK universities in a bid to protect women and girls on university campuses.

The Home Office also funds “perpetrator intervention” projects which aim to stop domestic abusers and stalkers from repeatedly targeting victims and terrorising vulnerable people.

The government has also created new offences to criminalise acts such as non-fatal strangulation, stalking, cyberflashing and the sharing of intimate images without consent.

Restrictions to student visa routes came into effect yesterday, as the government continues to slash migration and curb abuse of the immigration system.

International students starting courses this month will no longer be able to bring family members on all but postgraduate research courses and courses with government-funded scholarships. The changes, first announced last May, have also seen people banned from using the student visa as a backdoor route to work in the UK and will see an estimated 140,000 fewer people come to the UK.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) estimated that net migration was 672,000 from June 2022 to June 2023. In the year ending September 2023, 152,980 visas were issued to dependants of students, a more than 930% rise from the 14,839 in the year ending September 2019.

The changes to student dependant rules are part of a wider package of measures to come into force that will drastically bring down the high numbers of migrants coming to the UK to sustainable levels, and crack down on those who take advantage of the flexibility of the UK’s immigration system.

Home Secretary James Cleverly said:

This government is delivering on its commitment to the British public to cut migration. We have set out a tough plan to rapidly bring numbers down, control our borders and prevent people from manipulating our immigration system, which will come into force throughout this year.

Yesterday, a major part of that plan came into effect, ending the unreasonable practice of overseas students bringing their family members to the UK. This will see migration falling rapidly by the tens of thousands and contribute to our overall strategy to prevent 300,000 people from coming to the UK.

Tom Pursglove MP, Minister for Legal Migration and the Border, said:

Our world-leading universities rightly attract some of the brightest students from around the world to the UK. But we have seen a surge in the number of dependants being brought by students, which is contributing to unsustainable levels of migration.

We are completely committed to seeing a decisive cut in migration. The action implemented yesterday to restrict bringing dependants on the student visa route allows us to better protect our public services, while supporting the economy by allowing the students who contribute the most to keep coming here.

This is part of a series of measures which together will see 300,000 fewer people coming to the UK compared to last year.

At the same time, the government is stopping the boats and tackling illegal migration. Small boat arrivals to the UK are down 35% this year, illegal working raids have increased by 70%, migration agreements have been signed with France, Bulgaria, Turkey, Italy, Georgia and Ethiopia, more than 5,000 Albanians have been returned and arrivals from Albania are down by 90%. This is on top of signing a new treaty with the government of Rwanda and introducing new legislation making it clear that Rwanda is a safe country and allowing asylum seekers to be relocated there as a safe third country.

The changes to student visas strike the right balance to continue to preserve the attractiveness of the UK’s world-leading higher education sector, while removing the ability for institutions to undermine the UK’s reputation by selling immigration not education.

The government remains committed to the International Education Strategy which recognises the important benefits that international students bring to the UK, including the economic contribution they make. This means balancing the commitment to lower overall levels of migration with ensuring those coming to the UK are highly skilled and provide the most benefit to our economy.

The government will work with universities to design an alternative approach, in order to continue to attract the brightest and the best to the UK, and so they can bring dependents to the UK’s world-leading universities, while continuing to reduce net migration.

In December, the Home Secretary announced a further set of measures to bring legal migration down to sustainable levels. This includes ending the abuse of health and care visas by stopping overseas care workers from bringing dependants, and requiring care firms in England to be regulated by the Care Quality Commission in order to sponsor visas.

Salary thresholds across the skilled worker route will also be increased by nearly 50% to £38,700, while the government is also cracking down on cut-price labour from overseas by scrapping the 20% salary discount for shortage occupations and replacing the Shortage Occupation List.

The minimum income requirement for British or settled people sponsoring family members to join them in the UK will also be increased to £38,700 by Spring 2025, while the Migration Advisory Committee will be commissioned to review the Graduate route to prevent abuse and ensure the integrity and quality of the UK higher education system is maintained.

This package of measures, taken in addition with the measures on student dependants, means that around 300,000 people who came to the UK last year would not be able to in the future – the largest reduction ever. This is a tough but fair approach to bring net migration down to sustainable levels as soon as possible, while ensuring those affected have ample time to prepare for upcoming changes – with the package being introduced gradually throughout early 2024.

More than 2,000 county lines have been dismantled in the last 18 months, as the government hits its target of closing thousands of these criminal networks early.

Data published this month shows the ambitious three-year target, made in the government’s 10-year drug strategy, has been achieved in just a year and a half, with dedicated police taskforces from the County Lines Programme arresting senior line holders and breaking the gangs that terrorise communities.

Between April 2022 and September this year, over 4,000 arrests have been made, whilst 4,800 vulnerable people caught up in these vile operations have been offered support to turn their lives around.

Between April and September 2023, over 700 lines were dismantled, 1,300 arrests made and 1,600 victims were supported.

These results demonstrate the relentless targeting of county lines by the police, who are persistently closing them down as they appear.

The government is also keeping the dangerous criminals behind these gangs locked up for longer, ensuring they are off our streets and stopping them re-opening drug networks.

Home Secretary James Cleverly said:

County lines gangs are some of the most vile, exploitative criminals in this country, lining their pockets at the expense of countless vulnerable lives.

We set a target of taking down 2,000 lines in three years, which we have delivered in half the time. We will go even further to shut down these criminal enterprises and help victims to turn their lives around.

The Home Office launched the County Lines Programme in 2019 to tackle the harmful drug supply model which devastates lives through exploitation, coercion and violence.

County lines gangs often target the most vulnerable people, manipulating and coercing them into debt, and forcing them to transport and sell drugs.

A key part of the County Lines Programme lies in victim support to ensure that young people and their families have the support they need as they escape these gangs.

Since the start of the programme, the Home Office has invested up to £5 million in support services like Catch22 and Missing People, who carry out crucial work to help vulnerable individuals and families.

Catch22 provides specialist support and rescue services for young people and their families who are criminally exploited through county lines.

One vulnerable young person who has turned their back on county lines criminality due to Catch22’s work is Liam*.

Liam was referred to Catch22 by social services after a raid at his home found his mother and brother in possession of Class A and Class B drugs, alongside £3,000 in cash. A subsequent raid found 11 bags of cannabis and weapons. Care workers were concerned that Liam was going down the same path as his family and referred him to Catch22 for support.

Whilst Liam was resistant to support at first, Catch22 were able to build a relationship with him and help him understand the dangers of getting involved in county lines and drug use and how to recognise and avoid criminal exploitation.

Liam never missed a session with Catch22 and his attendance and performance at college subsequently improved. He has now moved onto a construction college, knowing that support is there if he is struggling.

Liam is just one of hundreds of young people who have been supported by Home Office-funded victim support services since 2022 and shows that vulnerable, hard-to-reach people can, with support, make different choices and turn their backs on a life of criminality.

The government has committed to increasing police funding to tackle criminal activity like county lines and this month announced the 2024-25 provisional police funding settlement which will give police forces in England and Wales up to £922 million additional funding next year, should Police and Crime Commissioners choose to take full advantage of police precept flexibility. In addition to this, over £200 million will be invested in priority projects next year, including continued work to tackle county lines.

The government has also delivered on its manifesto commitment to recruit 20,000 additional officers by March 2023, bolstering police action against these gangs with a record high of almost 150,000 officers across England and Wales.

*Liam is not the victim’s real name, which has been changed to protect his identity.