Tag: Home Office

The press release issued by the Home Office on 9 January 2024.

New £2 million fund will provide one-off payments to victims to help them leave their tormenters.

The press release issued by the Home Office on 2 January 2024.

From 1 January 2024, tough government action means most international students can now no longer bring family members to the UK.

The press release issued by the Home Office on 2 January 2024.

The legacy asylum backlog target has been met with more than 112,000 asylum cases cleared in 2023 and small boat crossing arrivals down by 36%.

The Prime Minister’s commitment of clearing the legacy asylum backlog has been delivered, with 112,000 asylum cases being processed in the past year.

Ending the legacy asylum backlog, a pivotal step in the government’s pledge to stop the boats, comes as end-of-year statistics show small boat crossings were down by 36% in 2023. In recent months, crossings have fallen even more sharply – by 45% in the second half of the year and 64% in the final quarter of 2023, against equivalent periods in 2022. This is despite sea crossings into Europe surging by 80% in 2023.

In December 2022, the Prime Minister pledged to tackle the remaining legacy asylum backlog – which had more than 92,000 cases of individuals who claimed asylum before 28 June 2022, which were still waiting for an initial decision.

Fundamental changes to the decision-making process and boosting efficiency has resulted in 112,000 asylum decisions this year, and the highest annual number of substantive decisions in a year since 2002.

The government stepped up processing, deploying an additional 1,200 caseworkers, meeting our target to double the number of asylum caseworkers and tripling productivity to ensure more illegal migrants are returned to their country of origin, quicker.

The increased efficiency has seen the Home Office not just clear the original 92,000 legacy asylum backlog, but exceed it, processing 112,000 cases.

All cases in the legacy backlog have now been reviewed, with 86,800 decisions made. In one 4-week period from 20 November to 17 December 2023, there were 20,481 initial asylum decisions made, this is more than the number of asylum decisions made in the entirety of 2021.

When the Prime Minister set out his ambition to cut the backlog, he made clear it could not be cleared at the expense of thorough security and background checks. This has meant that, despite the surge in decision-making, the grant rate for asylum decisions in 2023 is at 67%, lower than in both 2022 and 2021, which were 76% and 72% respectively.

While all cases have been reviewed and 112,000 decisions made overall, 4,500 complex cases have been highlighted that require additional checks or investigation for a final decision to be made. These hard cases typically relate to asylum seekers presenting as children – where age verification is taking place; those with serious medical issues; or those with suspected past convictions, where checks may reveal criminality that would bar asylum.

The robust action taken by the government to disrupt and deter small boat gangs and people smugglers has seen the UK defy trends across Europe, and large parts of the world, by having fewer small boat arrivals than the previous year, while sea crossings to Europe are up 80%.

As well as individuals arriving by small boats dropping by 36%, there has also been a 46% decrease in the number of vessels crossing the Channel, demonstrating the success of operations to disrupt the supply of boats and engines.

Further action by the government in 2023 includes:

• returning more than 24,000 people who have no right to be in the UK, including more than 5,500 Albanians, some of whom were removed within 48 hours of illegally arriving by small boat
• a surge in enforcement visits, with 10,509 in the first 9 months of 2023 compared to 6,865 in same period in 2022 and 5,576 people arrested linked to these compared to 2,175 in the previous year – including illegal working, overstaying, facilitating illegal entry and entering illegally
• a 68% increase in illegal working visits
• 246 arrests of people smugglers

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said:

I am determined to end the burden of illegal migration on the British people. That is why we have taken action to stop the boats, return hotels to their local communities, and deter those wanting to come here illegally from doing so.

By clearing the legacy asylum backlog, deciding more than 112,000 cases, we are saving the taxpayer millions of pounds in expensive hotel costs, reducing strain on public services and ensuring the most vulnerable receive the right support.

But we cannot be complacent, which is why I am focused on delivering on my commitment to stop the boats and get flights off the ground to Rwanda.

Home Secretary James Cleverly said:

While illegal entries across Europe are going up, the number of people coming into the UK illegally is going down. This is a significant achievement, but the job is far from over.

I will continue to do everything possible to stop the boats. No people smuggler will be safe, we will work with law enforcement partners and governments across the world who want to tackle this threat and ensure that British taxpayer money is not wasted on people trying to abuse our generosity.

The UK will continue to work with international partners to tackle illegal migration. In 2023, we signed new agreements with countries including France, Albania, Bulgaria, Turkey, Italy, Georgia and Ethiopia.

The government will progress its Safety of Rwanda Bill through Parliament, which will enable Parliament to make clear Rwanda is a safe country, address the conclusions of the Supreme Court in November and allow flights to relocate asylum seekers to Rwanda to start.

The UK continues to urge genuine asylum seekers to claim asylum in the first safe country they reach, and the government will continue to target, disrupt and dismantle people smuggling gangs, who continue to lure vulnerable people to undertaking the deadly journey across the Channel.

We will be going further this year in targeting the people smugglers and breaking their business model through leveraging international cooperation and innovative disruption tactics.

The press release issued by the Home Office on 29 December 2023.

Ambitious target to close 2,000 county lines by 2025 exceeded in just a year and a half.

The press release issued by the Home Office on 23 December 2023.

Charities, grassroots organisations and other community groups have been awarded a share of over £150,000 from the Home Office’s Community Engagement Fund.

Charities, grassroots organisations and other community groups have been awarded a share of over £150,000 from the Home Office’s Community Engagement Fund, to go towards raising awareness of the Windrush Status and Windrush Compensation Schemes.

The fund is providing financial support to 16 diverse groups and organisations, who applied for grants of between £5,000 and £10,000, to assist their engagement with individuals and communities about the Windrush Schemes.

This will bolster efforts to reach as many people as possible who may be eligible to apply for documentation to confirm their status or for compensation. As of the end of September 2023, the Windrush Scheme has provided documentation confirming status or citizenship to over 16,700 individuals. Over £73 million had been paid in compensation, across 2,009 claims, by the end of October 2023.

The Community Engagement funding will support activities and events to provide people with information about eligibility criteria, guidance on the application process, and to address any misunderstandings about what the schemes cover.

The successful bidders have demonstrated how they will reach communities and individuals within and beyond the Caribbean community, including those with roots in Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nigeria, Ghana and India. This follows feedback from Wendy Williams’ progress update that said more needed to be done to identify and reach out to wider affected groups.

The experience of organisations helped through the fund will help the Home Office understand more about why some people might not have yet come forward to apply for documentation and compensation. This will help with future efforts to encourage eligible people to apply for both schemes.

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

The money we are providing will make sure groups, with roots and well-established networks in their communities, can help the Government reach as many people as possible to encourage them to come forward.

We know this is the most effective way to get the message out and assure people that they will get the guidance and support necessary to get the documentation they need and to apply for compensation they so rightly deserve, having contributed so much to the UK.”

Activities and projects that the fund supports may include, but are not limited to, hosting small-scale engagement groups, 1-to-1 sessions and creating and sharing materials such as leaflets and posters. Groups will use diverse communications channels such as social media and local radio, and will secure support from corporate partners, advocates and prominent figures.

The fund follows the success of the Windrush Community Fund, a similar fund of £500,000 which was launched in December 2020 to support community groups in carrying out promotional activity for both schemes. The fund was a key element of the Home Office’s work to support and engage with communities.

The Windrush Community Fund reached over 850,000 individuals through a range of activities and events hosted by community groups. Since 2018, the department has also held over 200 engagement events, in person and virtually.

This is the third iteration of Community Engagement Fund which is offered by the Home Office and provides funding to grassroots and community groups to engage communities and raise awareness of priority Home Office policies.

Successful organisations have been awarded grants of between £5,000 – £10,000 and will need to use the funding by the end of the 2023-24 financial year. They will receive up to 25% of the awarded amount as an initial payment for set up costs, with the remaining payments being made in arrears in accordance with their delivery plans.

All organisations successful in applying for funding have been made aware and grant agreements have been signed. Early conversations with those organisations to embed their funded projects are now taking place and names and locations of successful organisations will be published in the new year.

The press release issued by the Home Office on 22 December 2023.

Information about claiming compensation if you were a victim of the terrorist attack in Paris France on 2 December 2022.

The terrorist attack in Paris, France on 2 December 2022 has been designated as an act of terrorism by The Secretary of State for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO).

Applications can be made to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA) under the Victims of Overseas Terrorism Compensation Scheme 2012 (VOTCS) by those victims injured, or the families of those killed, in the attack. You can get more information in CICA’s guide to the VOTCS.

You do not need a paid representative, such as a solicitor or claims management company, to apply for compensation.

Free independent advice may be available from Victim Support or other charitable organisations. You can get support as a victim of terrorism on GOV.UK

The press release issued by the Home Office on 22 December 2023.

Government to consult on transfer of Police and Crime Commissioner functions to West Midlands and South Yorkshire Mayors.

Plans to transfer the oversight of the local police force in the West Midlands and South Yorkshire from the Police and Crime Commissioner to the Mayor will be consulted on, the Home Office has announced this week.

As part of the plans to give these locally elected Mayors a greater overview of the police, the public can expect greater collaboration across public services, helping to cut crime and keep our communities safe.

This is already the case in London, Greater Manchester and West Yorkshire.

Last week, the government announced that overall police funding available to forces in England and Wales will increase by up to £922.2 million next year, should PCCs choose to take full advantage of police precept flexibility. This will help to support frontline policing in their area and maintain the officer numbers.

Under the settlement, West Midlands Police would receive up to £789.4m, a 6.8% increase in cash terms compared to last year. South Yorkshire Police would receive up to £355.1m, a 6.1% increase in cash terms compared to last year.

Earlier this year, the government met its commitment to recruit 20,000 additional police officers, meaning there are now more officers in England and Wales than ever before. West Midlands Police have recruited an additional 1,376 officers through the police uplift programme, whilst South Yorkshire Police have recruited an additional 519 officers.

The consultations on the proposed transfer of Police & Crime Commissioner functions to the West Midlands and South Yorkshire Mayors were launched this week (Wednesday 20 December) and will run for 6 weeks to allow the public to share their views on the proposals.

The government will carefully consider the responses received before deciding whether to introduce legislation to enact the change.

Any changes will be effective following the mayoral elections in May 2024.

The press release issued by the Home Office on 21 December 2023.

Border Force seized almost one million items of counterfeit goods worth nearly £200 million in 2023, with fake electricals targeted in the run-up to Christmas.

An intensive Border Force operation to tackle counterfeit electrical goods in the run-up to Black Friday and Christmas led to more than £170,000 worth of seizures.

Operation Rivean, a concerted Border Force operation targeting electrical counterfeit products, ran for 3 weeks from 20 November 2023 and targeted counterfeit electrical being shipped into the UK as Christmas gifts.

The operation saw Border Force officers seize 250 counterfeit Dyson-branded haircare products, which would have a retail value worth more than £98,000 were they genuine.

Officers also seized 120 GHD-branded counterfeit hair styling tools, valued at £31,980, as well as 640 non-branded hair straighteners that were found to be a safety risk as they did not meet health and safety laws and standards.

Furthermore, 8,880 counterfeit Oral B and Philips Sonicare branded electronic toothbrush heads were also seized, worth over £42,000.

Tom Pursglove MP, Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery, said:

We are determined to crack down on the illegal trade of counterfeit goods and the criminals that drive it.

Counterfeit goods fund serious crime, endanger customers, harm legitimate businesses and contribute to the loss of tens of thousands of British jobs every year.

Our Border Force officers have been working relentlessly to seize dangerous electrical counterfeit products, and I urge the public to buy genuine products for Christmas this year.

According to the Intellectual Property Office, an estimated 98% of counterfeit electrical goods fail product safety tests, meaning they can damage other possessions, pose a fire safety risk, as well as cause injury to the consumer and their family.

Among the products seized were 250 counterfeit Dyson-branded products, which included fake Supersonic hairdryers, as well as counterfeit copies of the Airwrap multi-styler, a hair styling tool.

Giles Lane, Senior IP Legal Counsel at Dyson, said:

We welcome UK Border Force’s continued efforts to protect consumers and our owners during this busy time of year. Consumers should be alert to the dangers of counterfeit products – particularly in the holiday season, when counterfeiters capitalise on shoppers looking to secure a deal on their gifts.

Genuine Dyson machines are the product of years of diligent research, development, and engineering. They contain the technology we are known for and are manufactured to our exacting quality, safety, and durability standards. Counterfeiters cut corners and make unsafe goods that put people at risk.

Shoppers looking to purchase the latest Dyson products are advised to buy directly from Dyson – via our website, Dyson Demo stores or trusted retailers.

Operation Rivean forms just part of Border Force’s continued determination to seize counterfeit products all year round. So far this year, there have been over 2,000 separate seizures, with almost one million counterfeit goods removed from the marketplace, which would have had a value of just under £200 million were they legitimate products.

Last week, counterfeit Apple, Samsung and PlayStation products with a retail value of over £500,000 were seized at Felixstowe Port.

Miles Rees, Deputy Directory of IP Enforcement at the Intellectual Property Office, said:

The sale of counterfeit goods is anything but a victimless crime. It has been estimated to contribute to over 80,000 job losses a year in the UK, diverting funds away from legitimate traders and into the hands of criminals.

We are pleased to support the activity by UK Border Force to help disrupt the supply of such illicit goods and protect the public. As well as being linked to serious and organised criminality on a global scale, the trade in these goods presents real dangers for those using them, as they are not subject to the usual safety checks and very often are made to an extremely poor quality.

We continue to work with our partners to highlight the harms to the public, communities and our economy of buying counterfeits, empowering consumers to make informed choices and sending a clear message to the criminals who trade in such goods that this activity will not be tolerated.

Once items are detained, Border Force’s specialist international trade teams work with the owners of brands to establish whether goods are genuine. If they are fake, the goods are usually destroyed, and the rights holders must decide whether to privately prosecute the importers.

Those involved in the production of counterfeit goods are highly unlikely to follow health and safety laws – both in manufacturing the counterfeit goods, and also for individuals likely to be being exploited during their production.

Criminals stop at nothing to increase their profit margins, often at the expense of consumers, the environment, legitimate businesses and our economy – and even those working for them, who may often be doing so against their will.

Consumers who believe they have purchased counterfeit goods are advised to contact Action Fraud.

Anyone with information about activity they suspect may be linked to smuggling should call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or report smuggling on GOV.UK.

The press release issued by the Home Office on 18 December 2023.

Language in legislation is set to be updated to reflect the modern day crime.

Spiking will be targeted by police and door staff in a raft of new measures unveiled today (Monday 18 December) by the Home Secretary James Cleverly as the festive party-going season gets into full swing.

The new package will see changes to the legislation, research into self-testing kits, more training for door staff and better education for young people, to raise awareness about the threat. There will also be coordinated police action to crackdown on spiking during key weeks of the year – an approach that has proved successful in tackling other crimes, such as knife crime.

The step up to tackle spiking comes as the government prepares to clarify under the Criminal Justice Bill, that without any doubt, spiking is illegal. It will be backed with separate guidance, set in law, to provide a clear, unequivocal definition of what spiking is. This will give victims renewed confidence to come forward, increase public awareness of the crime and enforce that perpetrators will face up to 10 years behind bars.

Alongside this, the government will set out practical measures aimed at improving understanding of the crime and delivering better support to victims.

This includes:

• training hundreds more door staff to spot potential perpetrators and signs patrons have been victimised
• investing in research into spiking testing kits to help venues and police detect if someone’s drink has been spiked in real-time
• intensive operations run by the National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC) to tackle spiking during key weeks across the 43 police forces in England and Wales
• an online spiking tool to be rolled out to all police forces to make it easier to anonymously report it if people fear they have been a victim of the crime
• updated statutory guidance to include spiking (s182 Licensing Act 2003)
• a spiking guidance/advice toolkit for the public that contains a range of resources and signposting for anyone who is looking for information on spiking, what it is, who is affected, how to report it, how to support victims, and which criminal offences can be used to prosecute it
• supporting the higher education regulator, the Office for Students, as they take action to make sure universities and other higher education institutions to prevent and address sexual misconduct – this will follow its consultation on the issue, expected to report back in early 2024

Home Secretary, James Cleverly said:

Tackling violence against women and girls is a personal priority for me and this government has shown time and again that we will do what is necessary to keep the public safe.

Spiking is a perverse crime which can have a lasting impact on victims. Our comprehensive new measures are designed to help police and staff in bars, restaurants, pubs and other premises to protect victims and bring more offenders to justice.

Minister for Victims and Safeguarding, Laura Farris said:

Spiking is an insidious and predatory act which is already illegal under existing laws.

We are amending legislation to make the offence explicit and capture the modern day nature of the threat.

Taken alongside new measures to improve the way the police respond to incidents, and better equipping venue staff to identify, respond and protect their customers, we are sending a clear message that perpetrators of this crime should expect to be caught and face justice.

ACC Samantha Millar, National Police Chiefs’ Council Strategic Programme Director, Violence Against Women and Girls, said:

Spiking is a complex and challenging offence to investigate. Drugs pass through the system quickly and there is often limited evidence to identify offenders. The primary barriers to prosecution are the lack of an identifiable suspect and the ability to gather timely sufficient evidence to both charge and support a prosecution.

People should be in no doubt that spiking is an abhorrent crime and the new clarity in the legislation should drive that message home.

We still believe that there is underreporting of spiking and so our message remains to encourage victims to report to police. We have developed a new online reporting method so that victims are able to quickly tell us if they think they’ve been spiked, and we are also working up plans for all forces to heavily focus their efforts on spiking as part of their neighbourhood work. We also face challenges in identifying suspects promptly so we welcome focus in this area by partners including those who work in the night-time economy.

Dawn Dines, CEO and Founder of Stand Out Spiking Global, said:

This is a monumental announcement. I have been campaigning on behalf of the victims of Spiking for over 20 years now. I am so relieved that finally some sort of justice will be available to the survivors of this cowardly offence.

Spiking being clearly recognised in law and the language being modernised will give a clear message to the perpetrators that giving someone any drug – including alcohol without that person’s knowledge or consent – can result in a criminal conviction and not be tolerated.

Spiking will finally not be an invisible crime.

Sharon Gaffka, Violence Against Women and Girls Activist and Drink Spiking Campaigner:

As a campaigner for the past few years who has been dedicated to combating spiking, I applaud the government’s comprehensive approach unveiled today.

While urging legislative updates has been my primary request for some time, the introduction and investment in preventive measures like venue staff training and drink testing kits is crucial. This commitment sends a clear message: spiking is an abhorrent crime that will be met with increased scrutiny and consequences.

It’s a positive stride in the safeguarding of our communities during the festive season and beyond. I look forward to what further progress is made in 2024.

Tackling spiking is just one way the government is prioritising protecting women and girls from violence and abuse.

The Chancellor unveiled £12 million of new funding to tackle domestic abuse in the Autumn Statement last month including £2 million of funding for payments directly to victims to help them leave abusive relationships and rebuild their lives.

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.

Earlier this year, the government added violence against women and girls 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.