Tag: Home Office

The press release issued by the Home Office on 3 May 2023.

Government launches new strategy to cut fraud, pursue fraudsters and empower the public.

The press release issued by the Home Office on 2 May 2023.

The UK will be better prepared for, and protected from, terrorist attacks under new draft laws published by government.

The press release issued by the Home Office on 28 April 2023.

The Home Secretary has renewed plans to protect the public from highly disruptive protest tactics such as slow walking.

Under new legislation introduced today (28 April 2023), police will be empowered to intervene against highly disruptive slow marching tactics used to block roads and cause chaos to the lives of the hard-working public.

This legislation will support the Public Order Bill, which passed through Parliament yesterday, by clearly setting out what is meant by ‘serious disruption to the life of the community’. This will give police the clarity they have asked for on when to use their existing powers to break up the slow marching tactics protesters have used to halt traffic across the UK.

Today’s legislation, alongside the Public Order Bill, is the latest in a series of measures the Government has taken to clamp down on selfish, guerrilla protest tactics and bringing in new criminal offences and tougher penalties for those who intentionally inflict misery on the public.

The Public Order Bill will:

create a new criminal offence for interfering with key national infrastructure, such as roads, airports and railways, with perpetrators facing 12 months behind bars
make it illegal to ‘lock-on’ to others, objects, or buildings, carrying a maximum penalty of 6 months’ imprisonment and an unlimited fine
allow police to carry out Stop and Search when they believe protestors are setting out to inflict serious disruption, so police can intervene before chaos is caused
Home Secretary Suella Braverman said:

Selfish, disruptive protesters are wreaking havoc in people’s everyday lives across the country and this must be brought to a stop.

This is why we are bringing forward this new law to clearly define serious disruption as requested by police chiefs.

Not only will the Public Order Bill, passed yesterday by Parliament, introduce new criminal offences for causing serious disruption, this new legislation permits the police to clear the roads of slow marching protesters who are hell-bent on causing chaos across the UK.

Crime and Policing Minister Chris Philp said:

The British public do not deserve to have their daily lives disrupted by the self-indulgent, criminal behaviour we have seen in some recent protests.

With the Public Order Bill passing in Parliament yesterday and these new measures, we are protecting the hard-working majority’s right to go about their day free from disruption.

The legislation will be laid as a Statutory Instrument in Parliament and will be debated in both the House of Commons and House of Lords before it comes into law.

National Police Chiefs’ Council Lead for Public Order and Public Safety, Chief Constable BJ Harrington, said:

Policing is not anti-protest, but there is a difference between protest and criminal activism, and we are committed to responding quickly and effectively to activists who deliberately disrupt people’s lives through dangerous, reckless, and criminal acts.

It is the responsibility of Parliament make the law, and our job to enforce it. We have advised and provide professional advice to the Home Office to inform decisions about public order legislation. This has been based on ensuring that we can discharge our responsibilities appropriately, while balancing the rights of the public who are going about their daily business lawfully, and the rights of those protesting.

The press release issued by the Home Office on 27 April 2023.

Lee Freeman and Michelle Skeer take up dual roles as His Majesty’s Inspector of Constabulary in England and Wales and Inspector of Fire and Rescue in England.

The press release issued by the Home Office on 26 April 2023.

There are more police officers in England and Wales than ever before, new figures published by the government today confirm.

The government has delivered on its 2019 manifesto commitment to recruit 20,000 additional police officers by March 2023. This brings the total number to nearly 150,000 officers, more than 3,500 higher than the previous peak in 2010.

Police forces are now more representative of the diverse communities they serve, with over 53,000 female officers (35.5%) and over 12,000 (8.3%) from an ethnic minority background – both also at record highs. Whilst there is more progress to be made, thanks to the Police Uplift Programme there has been a 43% increase in the number of ethnic minority officers in England and Wales since the start of the recruitment drive.

Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak said:

When I stood at the steps of Downing Street six months ago, I made clear that I will do whatever it takes to build a better future for everyone in the UK, with stronger communities and safer streets.

At the heart of that pledge is recruiting more police officers than at any time in our history, and today we have delivered on that promise.

Thousands of officers are already out in our communities, tackling crime and keeping the public safe.

Home Secretary, Suella Braverman said:

This is an historic moment for our country. We have delivered on the promise we made to the British people which means more police on the beat preventing violence, solving burglaries and cracking down on antisocial behaviour.

These new officers are changing the face of policing. They are more representative of the communities they serve and this offers a unique chance to deliver the highest standards and common sense policing expected by the public.

Crime and Policing Minister, Chris Philp said:

Not only are we putting more police officers on the streets, we are making sure they have the tools they need to fight crime – and holding them to account to deliver.

Overall crime, excluding fraud and computer misuse, has halved since 2010 and I thank all the police officers who have contributed to this effort, and welcome those who are going to drive this down even further.

Gavin Stephens, Chair of National Police Chiefs’ Council said:

It is an incredible achievement to have recruited more than 46,000 officers, giving us more than 20,000 additional officers over the last three years. These additional police officers are much welcomed, bringing a breadth of experience, skills and diversity to their communities.

Those that joined at the start of the programme are now completing training and making a difference every day in forces across England and Wales.  It fills me with optimism that so many talented colleagues have joined with a real desire to keep their communities safe and feeling safe.

This landmark recruitment drive is a core part of this government’s commitment to drive down crime. Progress is being made, with crime falling in England and Wales by 50% since 2010, excluding fraud and computer misuse. Since March 2020 theft has reduced by 20%, homicides and knife crime by 8% and domestic burglary by 30%.

Ninety thousand knives have been taken off our streets through stop and search, surrender initiatives and other targeted police action since 2019. Alongside our ‘Grip’ programme, which is delivering more police patrols in streets and neighbourhoods most affected by violence, violence reduction units have prevented over 136,000 violence offences in their first three years of operation, supporting 215,00 vulnerable young people in their third year alone.

The County Lines Programme has also seen police shut down more than 3,500 county lines since November 2019, making more than 10,000 arrests and referring more than 5,700 people for safeguarding.

Since 2019, thousands of these additional officers have already made positive impacts in their communities and boosted local policing functions. There have been officers deployed to protective services for child abuse, sexual assault, violence against women and girls and community safety teams, making a visible impact on policing in our neighbourhoods and greater support for victims.

But the government also recognises that more must more progress must be made. The Home Office recently announced changes to crime recording, reducing paperwork burdens that the NPCC estimate could free up a potential 443,000 hours of police time a year. We are also working with partners to make sure police only attend mental health incidents they need to, such as where there is a risk of serious harm or criminality, so time and resources are focused on policing.

Police time and resources are vital to protecting the public and safeguarding victims, and with thousands of hours saved and an additional 20,000 police officers, police in England and Wales are getting the vital support they need to keep this country safe.

The press release issued by the Home Office on 25 April 2023.

Over 1,000 Albanian nationals have been returned since the UK-Albania joint communiqué was signed on 13 December.

The press release issued by the Home Office on 25 April 2023.

Fire and rescue authorities will be able to carry out stringent new record checks, helping fire and rescue services protect the public and their staff.

The press release issued by the Home Office on 24 April 2023.

A week-long crackdown on illegal working by delivery drivers from major firms has resulted in 60 arrests across London and the south.

Following an increase in immigration offences by gig workers in the region, Home Office teams have stepped up action to tackle illegal working and this week arrested drivers working for companies including Deliveroo, JustEat and UberEats.

The arrests were for offences including illegal working and possession of false documentation, but the operation also led to the seizure of weapons and cash suspected of being linked to criminal activity.

Immigration Enforcement carried out extensive intelligence-gathering ahead of the operation, to identify hotspots for illegal moped delivery drivers. Alongside relevant police forces, the Home Office deployed officers on 6 consecutive days (16 to 21 April), to make the arrests and detentions.

The government is clamping down on illegal working to ensure all companies and workers are contributing to the UK economy by complying with our tax and other regulations. More widely, it can also be a pull factor for illegal migration, often trapping vulnerable people in poor conditions and exploitation while undermining the UK’s labour market.

Home Secretary Suella Braverman said:

Illegal working damages our communities, cheats honest workers out of employment and defrauds the public purse. As the Prime Minister has set out, we are committed to going further and faster to prevent the abuse of our laws and borders.

The British public deserve a labour market that is fair and honest and must have confidence that goods and services they buy are from legitimate businesses.

Of those arrested, 44 were detained by the Home Office, pending their removal from the UK, with the remaining 16 being released on immigration bail. It is also expected that a number of the arrests will result in voluntary departure from the UK.

The majority of offenders were of Brazilian nationality. Indian and Algerian nationals were also found to be working without the right to do so in the UK.

Following thorough searches of properties linked to the arrests, imitation firearms and other weapons were found, while over £4,500 was seized under the Proceeds of Crime Act.

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

This is a really positive result and shows why the work we do is so important.

By raising awareness of the risks and consequences of illegal working, we are helping ensure businesses are complying with the rules. Our enforcement teams are working around the clock to deter immigration offending and change behaviours that compromise public safety.

All employers in the UK have a responsibility to prevent illegal working. Employers can be jailed for 5 years and could pay an unlimited fine if they are found guilty of employing someone they knew or had ‘reasonable cause to believe’ did not have the right to work in the UK.

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

Reforms will speed up the removal of people with no right to be here and enhance safeguards to protect unaccompanied children.

Today, Friday 21 April, the government has tabled a number of amendments to the Illegal Migration Bill to strengthen it further, ahead of it returning to Parliament next week – helping to deliver our priority of stopping the boats.

The amendments tabled this week will help to speed up the removal of people with no right to be here and enhance safeguards for unaccompanied children who cross the Channel in small boats.

Amendments also include a commitment to consult local authorities within three months of the bill becoming law to understand their capacity to support people coming to the UK through safe and legal routes, and to publish a report on existing, and any proposed additional safe and legal routes, within six months of the bill becoming law.

Together these will provide greater clarity and ensure progress on delivering our plans for safe and legal routes with an annual cap, agreed by Parliament, to ensure we are properly supporting people to rebuild their lives in the way communities would expect.

The UK will continue to play a world-leading role in protecting those in need who come to the country illegally. However, to tackle the abuse of the system which detracts from our ability to help those in need, further amendments are being made to ensure the UK can better protect its borders.

To speed up removals, amendments will make clear that the UK’s domestic courts cannot apply any interim measure to stop someone being removed if they bring forward a legal challenge, aside from in the narrow route available under the bill where they are at risk of serious and irreversible harm.

Instead, challenges would be heard remotely after the person concerned had been removed. This will ensure that someone would only be able to apply for a domestic injunction to prevent their removal if they were to face “serious and irreversible harm” in the country they were due to be removed to.

Amendments will also make clear that ministers may exercise discretion in relation to interim measures issued by the European Court of Human Rights, and set certain principles under which they would make a decision whether to comply or not. Alongside the amendment, the government is having constructive discussions regarding reform to the Rule 39 process in Strasbourg, to support greater timeliness, accountability and representation in such cases.

Further amendments include:

• giving immigration officers new powers to search for and seize electronic devices like mobile phones from people who come to the UK illegally – to help them assess whether someone has the right to be in the UK
• increasing protections around the safeguarding risk caused by adults pretending to be children, by bringing in new regulations that will see age-disputed people treated as an adult if they refuse to undergo a scientific age assessment.

Home Secretary Suella Braverman said:

The British public are rightly fed up with people coming to the UK through dangerous small boat crossings, and myself and the Prime Minister are absolutely committed to stopping the boats once and for all.

The changes I am announcing today will help secure our borders and make it easier for us to remove people by preventing them from making last minute, bogus claims, while ensuring we strengthen our safe and legal routes.

My focus remains on ensuring this landmark piece of legislation does what it is intended to do, and we now must work to pass it through Parliament as soon as possible so we can stop the boats.

Immigration Minister Robert Jenrick said:

It is not fair that people can pay criminal gangs thousands of pounds and pass through multiple safe countries to come to the UK illegally.

The only way to break the business model of the evil people smugglers and secure our borders is to make sure that if people come to the UK illegally, they won’t be able to stay.

These amendments will make it easier to swiftly remove individuals who come here illegally from safe countries, whilst re-affirming our commitment to help those directly from regions of conflict and instability.

These new powers are part of further amendments tabled by the government today to strengthen the landmark Illegal Migration Bill, which will see people who come to the UK illegally in scope for detention and swift removal.

The amendments relating to safe and legal routes were laid by Tim Loughton MP, and measures to prevent UK courts from interfering to stop a removal were laid by Danny Kruger MP – the government will support these measures when the bill goes back to the House of Commons for report stage next week. The remaining measures have been tabled by the government.

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

A public call for evidence has been launched to establish the scale of ‘sex for rent’ in the UK and ask if existing laws protect victims.

A new law is being considered to crack down on predatory landlords exploiting vulnerable people for sex in return for free or discounted rent, the Home Secretary has announced.

The government is seeking views of victims, police and charities as part of a call for evidence launching today (21 April) to better understand the scale and nature of the abhorrent ‘sex for rent’ exchange in the UK.

‘Sex for rent’ is an arrangement where landlords exchange accommodation for free or at a discount in return for sexual relations with their tenants.  This is already illegal under the Sexual Offences Act, and landlords can already be prosecuted for attempting to engage in sex for rent.

The call for evidence will look at whether these laws go far enough, or if new measures are needed to tackle the issue and better protect vulnerable people from harm.

Home Secretary, Suella Braverman said:

It’s wholly unacceptable that vulnerable people, and particularly young women, are being exploited in ‘sex for rent’ arrangements. This is an abuse of power which puts people in desperate situations and has no place in our country.

The launch of this public call for evidence brings us closer to ending this deeply harmful trend and better protecting victims.

And it is another example of how this government will not stop in our efforts to bring more sexual and domestic abusers to justice.

According to research by polling company YouGov, carried out on behalf of the housing charity Shelter, nearly 1 in 50 women in England have been propositioned for ‘sex for rent’ in the last five years.

The call for evidence, which will last for 10 weeks, seeks to gain the views of those who have been directly engaged in a ‘sex for rent’ arrangement, whether they were deceived, coerced, or compelled into it.

Among the charities expected to provide their views is National Ugly Mugs (NUM), an organisation which works to end all violence towards sex workers.

They work with numerous victims of ‘sex for rent’ abuse such as Alina*.

Safeguarding Minister, Sarah Dines said:

While advances in technology have brought us closer to family and friends, they can also make it easier for perpetrators to prey on vulnerable individuals, including through so-called ‘sex for rent’ arrangements.

Our pioneering Online Safety Bill will ensure social media companies take greater action in order to protect their users – but we must continue to expand our understanding of these harmful practices and what more can be done to protect those who need it.

Dr Raven Bowen, CEO of NUM said:

We welcome the ‘sex for rent’ call for evidence. As an organisation dedicated to supporting sex workers we have seen first hand the damage that this exploitative behaviour can have, especially on young women and mothers.

We support action that will clamp down on predatory landlords and we hope that this is accompanied by wider action to combat the fundamental issue of poverty and unaffordable housing that make people vulnerable to this abuse.

Deputy Chief Constable Dan Vajzovic, National Police Chiefs’ Council Lead for Prostitution and Sex Working, said:

This call for evidence is a welcome opportunity to hear from victims and stakeholders on the reality facing women. With many struggling to pay rent, they become vulnerable to predatory landlords, and it is vital we put an end to this.

Violence against women and girls in all its forms is abhorrent. Policing is going after the violent and abusive men who commit these crimes. This call for evidence offers a first step towards helping vulnerable victims of this behaviour, please come forward.

If you are ever in danger, please call 999, you will be listened to and taken seriously.

Dan Wilson Craw, Deputy Director of Generation Rent said:

This call for evidence is vital. Research conducted by Generation Rent and Mumsnet estimates that over 200,000 women could be victims of ‘Sex for Rent’ in the United Kingdom. Four per cent of all respondents indicated that they had been offered free or discounted rent in return for sexual favours, with this rising to a shocking 1 in 10 respondents with a household income below £20,000.

We know the vast majority of landlords abide by the law: seeking permission to enter and respecting their tenants’ privacy. However, given the unparalleled access landlords have to tenants’ personal spaces and lives, and the scale of the issue, this consultation is necessary in ensuring that everyone, especially the most vulnerable among us, has access to a safe and secure home, free from harassment and exploitation.

Tackling sexual exploitation and violence against women and girls is a government priority.

In July 2021 we published our new cross-government Tackling Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy to help ensure that women and girls are safe everywhere – at home, online, at work and on the streets.

The world-leading Online Safety Bill means that social media platforms will have to proactively tackle illegal content such as use of their sites to coerce and control women for sex. If they fail in these duties, they will be made to pay huge fines up to billions of pounds.

The Home Office is also working closely with Women’s Aid to provide £300,000 for one-off payments of £250 to victims of domestic abuse, rising to £500 where a victim is pregnant or has children.

The funding has been granted to support victims to leave abusive relationships, and will help victims to pay for essentials such as groceries, nappies, sanitary products and rent on their previous property whilst they are in a refuge, or it could be put towards a deposit on new accommodation when they leave a refuge.