Tag: Home Office

The press release issued by the Home Office on 16 June 2023.

The Home Office deployed over 300 immigration officers on over 150 enforcement visits in one day to crack down on illegal working across the UK.

The Home Office has conducted a record number of visits targeting illegal working in one day, as part of a nationwide operation.

During the operation, which took place across the UK yesterday, Immigration Enforcement officers arrested 105 foreign nationals found working without the right to do so during 159 illegal working visits.

The arrests took place at commercial premises including restaurants, car washes, nail bars, barber shops and convenience stores.

Suspects were arrested for offences including illegal working and possession of false documentation, with sums of cash seized at some locations.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak attended an early morning visit in Brent, North London, to observe Immigration Enforcement officers at work as part of the day of action.

Home Secretary, Suella Braverman said:

Illegal working harms our communities, cheats honest workers out of employment and defrauds the public purse as no taxes are paid. As the Prime Minister has set out, we are committed to tackling the abuse of our laws and borders.

We know the prospect of black-market employment is a significant attraction for migrants considering making dangerous and illegal journeys to the UK.  Operations such as today send a clear message that we will not stand for this.

Of those arrested, over 40 were detained by the Home Office, pending their removal from the UK, with the remaining suspects being released on immigration bail. It is also expected that a number of the arrests will result in voluntary departure from the UK.

Offenders of over 20 different nationalities were found to be working without the right to do so in the UK.

The operation builds on the ongoing work by Immigration Enforcement officers to clamp down on illegal working which is a key part of the government’s approach to stopping the boats. This work tackles illegal migration by breaking the business model of criminal gangs who use the offer of black market jobs as one way to draw people to the UK illegally.

In the first quarter of 2023, Immigration Enforcement teams delivered 1,303 enforcement visits, a 57% increase on the same period last year, and since the PM set out his plan to stop the boats in December, arrests have now doubled since the same period last year.

Director of Enforcement, Compliance and Crime, Eddy Montgomery, added:

This result demonstrates the dedication and professionalism of our officers to take action against immigration offenders, as well as employers who are not complying with the rules. Our enforcement teams are working around the clock to deter immigration offending and help protect the public.

Working closely with partners and agencies including the police and the National Crime Agency, we are tackling illegal working at every level. It is vital that we not only identify individuals in breach of immigration law but target the people smuggling networks behind this type of criminal activity.

The press release issued by the Home Office on 16 June 2023.

The government has launched a consultation to ensure domestic homicide reviews reflect the full range of domestic-abuse related deaths, including suicide.

The press release issued by the Home Office on 15 June 2023.

Plans have been submitted to modernise the identification doctrine, a legal principle which can hold corporations criminally liable for an offence.

Businesses who commit fraud, money laundering and bribery will be subject to stricter scrutiny under new Home Office plans.

The government has collaborated with prosecutors, the Law Commission, and the private sector to introduce the biggest reform of the identification doctrine – legislation used to hold companies criminally liable for offences – in more than 50 years.

Under the proposal, added to the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Bill today, senior managers will be brought within scope of who can be considered the ‘directing mind and will’ of a business. It means if they commit an economic crime, the company can also be held criminally liable and fined for the offence.

Security Minister Tom Tugendhat said:

Alongside our new Failure to Prevent Fraud Offence, these measures demonstrate our commitment to improved transparency.

We will ensure that those responsible for economic crime, whether individuals or companies, can be brought to justice.

The identification doctrine is a principle used to hold companies criminally accountable for the actions of its ‘directing mind and will’.

This has generally been interpreted to be a member of the board, such as chief executives, but complex management structures can conceal who key decision makers are.

For example, a recent multi-billion-pound fraud trial determined a banking group’s chief executive and chief financial officer could not be viewed as the company’s ‘directing mind’. This has left prosecutors with a very high bar to prove who fits the criteria.

Senior executives often possess a huge amount of influence and autonomy but cannot currently be considered a part of the ‘directing mind’.

Minister for Enterprise, Markets and Small Business Kevin Hollinrake said:

This reform will help small business owners play on a level playing field with corporate giants, whilst holding larger companies to account for committing economic crimes.

We stand firm in striking the right balance between the need to tackle economic crime whilst keeping burdens for the law-abiding majority low.

The move is another tool that can be used in the government’s robust plan to fight fraud. This includes the recent publication of the Fraud Strategy, which sets out how the government will work with law enforcement, and the private sector, to block scams at source, bring offenders to justice, shut down fraudulent infrastructure and ensure the public have the support they need.

It also builds on recommendations made by the Law Commission and feedback received from prosecutors and business groups. The consensus from these engagements was the current regime does not effectively cover the way modern businesses are structured.

In practice, a test will be applied to consider the decision-making power of the senior manager who has committed an economic crime, rather than just their job title. The corporation may then be liable in its own right.

This will reduce the ability for corporations to use complex management structures to conceal who decision makers are and therefore level the playing field for businesses of all sizes.

Andrew Penhale, Chief Crown Prosecutor for the CPS, said:

The scale of fraud in the UK – which now comprises over 40% of all criminal activity – is so widespread that extra measures to help prevent it and protect people and organisations from falling victim to this crime is a welcome step in tackling this type of offending.

The reform of the identification doctrine for economic crime is another important measure to drive better corporate behaviours and will further enhance the tools available to prosecutors.

We recognise and support the government’s commitment to legislate for identification doctrine reform across all crime types in the future.

Lisa Osofsky, Director of the Serious Fraud Office, said:

We have a mission to investigate and prosecute those responsible for fraud, bribery and corruption, but currently face a perverse situation where some companies have no liability for misconduct and no incentive to prevent it.

We welcome the range of measures introduced by this bill – including the expansion of our pre-investigation powers and the ‘failure to prevent fraud’ offence – which, together with a review of the disclosure regime, would strengthen our ability to hold corporate criminals to account.

An influential piece of legislation currently used to determine a ‘directing mind’ comes from a House of Lords ruling in 1971.

That case concluded a supermarket group was not liable for the actions of an individual store manager, who was selling washing powder for one shilling more than the advertised price. The store manager was not a part of the corporation’s ‘directing mind’ and the corporation was therefore not guilty.

Senior executives are, consequently, generally viewed within the same light as the store manager.

The government’s reform will reset the balance and ensure greater accountability.

The identification doctrine reform, which applies to economic crime only, is another major development in the government’s drive to reform corporate criminal liability. Another reform – the creation of the Failure to Prevent Fraud offence – was tabled in April.

The Failure to Prevent Fraud offence states that a large business must have measures in place to prevent fraud. If an employee commits fraud for the company’s benefit, the organisation could receive an unlimited fine unless it is able to prove it had adopted reasonable safeguards.

A list of these measures will be published by the government in due course.

The press release issued by the Home Office on 15 June 2023.

The government has today published its response to the Daniel Morgan Independent Panel report.

The publication of the government response today marks the second anniversary of the Panel’s report being published.

The Panel was established by the government in 2013 to look into the circumstances surrounding Daniel Morgan’s murder in 1987 and the police handling of the case.

The Panel’s report shone a light on examples of corrupt behaviour throughout the investigations into Daniel’s murder which irreparably damaged the chances of a successful prosecution. Most of the recommendations were for policing, however there were several for the government to address.

In her written ministerial statement laid in Parliament today, the Home Secretary acknowledged the progress that has been made by policing, and the Metropolitan Police, in addressing the Panel’s recommendations, but made clear that more must be done to repair the damage to public trust caused by the handling of Daniel’s case.

The Home Secretary Suella Braverman said:

The Independent Panel’s report was sobering, and for Daniel Morgan’s family to know that corruption denied them the justice they deserve is simply not acceptable.

There have been serious failures of culture and leadership in the Metropolitan Police, and I have been clear that restoring trust and getting the basics right must be a priority for the Metropolitan Police Commissioner.

I am also driving forward work to ensure culture, standards and behaviour across policing is improved at all levels, including reviewing the dismissals process and strengthening vetting to root out those not fit to serve.

The government’s response covers 4 key themes – investigations, tackling corruption, working with inquiries and information management – to reflect the key themes raised in the Panel’s report for the government to consider.

It notes the progress being made by policing to address concerns with tackling corruption, and the importance of the work the government is doing to drive improvement in culture and standards across policing, including strengthening vetting and reviewing the dismissals process so chief constables can remove officers who are not fit to be in the police.

The government has also taken several steps in recent years to tackle police corruption, introducing a new corruption offence in 2017 that applies to police and National Crime Agency officers and carries a maximum 14-year prison sentence. Measures were also introduced following the Policing and Crime Act 2017 to prevent corrupt officers from resigning or retiring early to avoid being held accountable for misconduct.

The government is also currently considering other recommendations in the Panel’s report, such as a duty of candour, which will be responded to in full as part of the government’s response to Bishop James Jones’ report on the experiences of the Hillsborough families.

Alongside the government’s response, today the National Police Chiefs Council will be publishing its response to the Panel’s recommendations for national policing. This follows the Metropolitan Police publishing their response to the Panel’s report in March 2022.

The press release issued by the Home Office on 15 June 2023.

Home Secretary Suella Braverman and French Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin discuss issues relating to state security, counter-terrorism and illegal migration.

The press release issued by the Home Office on 15 June 2023.

The press release issued by the Home Office on 14 June 2023.

Home Secretary delivers on government pledge to support the police to tackle disruptive slow marching protest tactics.

A clearer definition of ‘serious disruption’ will stop slow marching protesters causing hours of delay and distress to the public from tomorrow (15 June).

This will further clarify existing public order laws to help the police respond to new highly disruptive protest tactics like slow marching.

156 of these highly disruptive protests have taken place in London since April. While the right to peaceful protest remains a cornerstone of our democracy, causing traffic to halt, delaying people getting to work and distracting the police from fighting crime will not be tolerated.

Police officers can now assess the cumulative impact of protests on the community over a period of time, rather than treating each incident in isolation. This will give officers the authority to move quickly and firmly to stop this campaign of disruption, ensuring Londoners, commuters and tourists can move freely around the capital without delay.

A handful of protestors have swallowed up almost 13,770 police shifts, deliberately burdening police time and keeping officers from our neighbourhoods where they are really needed.

Home Secretary Suella Braverman said:

The public are sick of Just Stop Oil’s selfish and self-defeating actions, which achieve nothing towards their cause.

Chief Constables and I agree that police officers should be out fighting crime. They shouldn’t be forced to stand by as protestors block our roads and the public shouldn’t have to take matters in their own hands.

This new definition of serious disruption means police can stop slow marchers, to reclaim our right to get to work, hospital and go about our daily lives.

Chief Constable BJ Harrington, the National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for public order and public safety said:

Our priority is always to keep people safe and in every decision around policing public order and protests we must balance the right to freedom of expression with the right to tackle crime so we can ensure public safety. Policing is not anti-protest, but we are anti-crime.

We welcome clearer definition of serious disruption provided by parliament in this statutory instrument as this will help officers to take proportionate action when it is necessary.

The law has been amended today and will take effect from tomorrow. It comes following scrutiny and approval by the House of Commons and Lords, empowering officers to take action swiftly and spend more time protecting our communities.

The move supports the Public Order Act 2023, which brought in new criminal offences and proper penalties for disruptive protest acts such as locking on. Repeat offenders can be hit by the courts with a Serious Disruption Prevention Order, seeing them face six months in prison if they try to disrupt lives again.

The press release issued by the Home Office on 13 June 2023.

The scheme to wipe historic convictions for homosexual activity has been expanded.

More people who were unjustly criminalised for gay sex in the past will be able to have their convictions wiped from their records, the Home Office has announced.

In a significant step forward in addressing the wrongs of the past, the government’s disregards and pardons scheme has been significantly widened from today (13 June).

Up until now, only men have been able to apply to have convictions wiped under a specified list of offences. These largely focused on offences of buggery and gross indecency between men.

As of today anyone – including, for the first time, women – will be able to apply if they have been convicted or cautioned under any repealed or abolished offences relating to same-sex activity.

This could include, for example, offences such as ‘solicitation by men’ which may have sometimes been used in the past to criminalise behaviour between gay men which, if it had been conducted between a man and a woman, would have been seen as no more than “chatting up”.

A wider range of service offences will also now be in scope enabling more veterans to benefit. In the past, members of the Armed Forces were prosecuted for their sexuality under service law. This extension will enable more veterans to have those convictions erased from the record.

Under the scheme, people who were unjustly criminalised will receive a pardon. Convictions will be deleted from official records and individuals will not be required to disclose them during court proceedings or when applying for jobs.

Minister for Safeguarding, Sarah Dines said:

The appalling criminalisation of homosexuality is a shameful and yet not so distant part of our history.

Although they can never be undone, the disregards and pardons scheme has gone some way to right the wrongs of the past.

I am proud that from today the scheme has been significantly widened to include more repealed offences.

I invite all of those who were convicted or cautioned for same-sex sexual activity under an abolished offence to come forward and apply.

Since 2012, men have been able to apply to have their convictions or cautions for consensual sex with another man disregarded. Through the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022, the government has taken action to widen the offences – both civilian and service offences – covered by the scheme. For the first time, women will also be able to apply.

A ‘disregard’ will be granted if certain conditions are met, including that any other party involved must have been aged 16 or over and the sexual activity does not constitute an offence today.

Minister for Veterans’ Affairs, Johnny Mercer said:

The treatment of LGBT Armed Forces personnel and veterans prior to 2000 was wholly unacceptable, and today’s announcement is a clear demonstration of progress in righting these wrongs.

I will continue working to ensure government meets its commitment to value and recognise every veteran’s service and experience.

Service offences which are now in scope of the scheme include those repealed by the Armed Forces Act 2006, such as sections 64 (scandalous conduct) and 66 (disgraceful conduct) of the Air Force and Army Acts 1955, and the corresponding sections 36 and 27 of the Naval Discipline Act 1957.

Craig Jones MBE, Executive Chair and Caroline Paige, Chief Executive of Fighting With Pride said:

This extension to the disregards and pardons scheme and its inclusion of female veterans is welcome and another small step in the right direction.

We will continue to work very closely with the Ministry of Defence and other government departments to ensure the vulnerable veterans in this cohort get all the support available to them.

Rob Cookson, Deputy Chief Executive of the LGBT Foundation said:

People should never be criminalised simply for who they are and who they love.

The criminalisation of gay men made a huge, terrible impact on many people in our community. It is only right that the disregards and pardons scheme has been widened.

The press release issued by the Home Office on 6 June 2023.

The UK’s new Electronic Travel Authorisation scheme (ETA) will cost just £10, making travel to Britain cheaper and easier for visitors from the Gulf and Jordan.

Nationals from the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states and Jordan will soon only be required to pay £10 to apply for an ETA, which will allow them to visit the UK multiple times over a two-year period. This is compared to Gulf nationals currently paying £30 per visit to the UK under the current Electronic Visa Wavier (EVW) scheme and Jordanian nationals £100 for a visit visa.

The scheme is set to launch for Qatari nationals in October 2023, and for the rest of the Gulf Cooperation Council states and Jordan in February 2024 ahead of a worldwide expansion throughout 2024.

Earlier this year, the UK government announced plans to introduce a new ETA scheme as part of a digitisation of the UK border by 2025 to further enhance border security and the customer experience. An ETA is a digital permission to travel for those visiting or transiting through the UK who do not need a visa for short stays, or who do not currently hold another UK visa.

Immigration Minister Robert Jenrick said:

Visitors from the Gulf states and Jordan make a huge contribution to the UK’s tourism industry and the new ETA scheme will make it easier and cheaper for them to travel to the UK.

The cost of an ETA will be one of the best value in the world compared to similar international schemes. This small additional cost to visitors will enable us to bolster the security of the UK border and keep our communities safe.

Minister of State for the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia Lord Ahmad said:

I’m delighted that our partners across the Gulf and Jordan will be the first to benefit from the UK’s new Electronic Travel Authorisation scheme. This scheme is further proof of the strong partnership between the UK and countries across the region.

By cutting costs and visa requirements, the ETA scheme will ensure visitors from the Gulf states and Jordan can enjoy travelling with ease to the UK, boosting business and tourism links between our countries.

Gulf visitors are highly valuable to the UK economy, with over 790,000 Gulf visitors spending £2 billion during their stays in the UK last year.

The move to the ETA scheme means that the visa requirement will be removed for nationals from GCC states and Jordan, bringing the requirements for them to visit the UK in line with other visitors, such as those from the US and Australia.

The application process for an ETA will be simple and fast to complete, with the process being entirely digital via a mobile phone app. To apply, individuals will need to provide biographic and biometric details such as a digital photograph and answer a set of suitability questions.

The press release issued by the Home Office on 5 June 2023.

More than 5,000 asylum seekers will be accommodated on vessels and in alternative sites to drive down the cost of expensive hotels.