Tag: Home Office

The press release issued by the Home Office on 1 September 2022.

Individuals who have protected communities, carried out immense acts of bravery and championed the UK to be a better place have been recognised by the Home Secretary.

Priti Patel has awarded 110 people a new commendation, which honours individuals in policing, fire, community organisations, the civil service and campaigners.

Actions to help cut crime and the harm it causes, protect vulnerable people and communities, and respond to the threat of terrorism were all individually recognised by the Home Secretary at a ceremony at Lancaster House yesterday.

Individuals recognised include:

• Figen Murray, who campaigned for Martyn’s Law following the death of her son Martyn Hett in the Manchester Arena attack
• Bishop Derek Webley for leading the Windrush Working Group
• members of Merseyside Police, who responded to the bombing at Liverpool Women’s Hospital as well as recent tragic murders
• Detective Chief Inspector Stuart Blaik, whose work ensured justice was served for the family and friends of PC Andrew Harper
• Sheila Coates for her leadership providing front­line services to victims and survivors of sexual abuse
• the National Crime Agency team who worked with law enforcement partners in Europe to target a major criminal network suspected of involvement in the smuggling of up to 10,000 people across the Channel in the last 12-18 months, leading to the arrests of more than 40 people across Europe and upwards of 100 boats being seized

Policing leaders recognised include those who led on security for COP 26, the G7 Leaders’ Summit in Cornwall and the Commonwealth Games, as well as those responding to illegal protests, the tragic deaths of Vietnamese migrants in Essex and tackling county lines.

Chiefs who helped tackle this year’s wildfires and blazes last year in Greece, and helped a convoy of equipment reach Ukraine, were also given a commendation.

Medals were awarded to Border Force officers deployed into Kabul as part of Operation Pitting, one of the largest humanitarian evacuations in history, which brought over 15,000 people to safety in the UK.

Home Secretary Priti Patel said:

It is impossible for me adequately to express my gratitude to all those who have made truly outstanding contributions in keeping our communities safe or making our country a better place.

It is only right to recognise the exceptional efforts and courage of these people. This commendation says to the world that what they do is important, vital and absolutely valued.

The Home Secretary expressed her personal thanks to individuals who have selflessly given their time to advocate change for the better, such as members of the Windrush Working Group, whose insight and expertise contributes to the government’s commitment to right the wrongs of Windrush, including advising on the Windrush Compensation Scheme, which has now paid out £40.5 million across 1,037 claims.

Civil servants recognised with a commendation include those responsible for:

• establishing the Ukraine Family Scheme and Homes for Ukraine Scheme, which have so far brought 118,000 Ukrainian people to safety in the UK
• leading the Home Office response to the threat from Russian oligarchs and dirty money
• tackling organised immigration crime and removing people with no right to be in the UK

Awards covered a range of crime and policing, fire, counter-terrorism, drugs, security and immigration issues that the Home Office works tirelessly to deliver for the public on.

The press release issued by the Home Office on 26 August 2022.

The press release issued by the Home Office on 25 August 2022.

The press release issued by the Home Office on 25 August 2022.

Removal of Albanians with no right to be in the UK will be fast-tracked wherever possible, under new plans agreed to tackle the scourge of small boat crossings.

Speaking this week, Home Secretary Priti Patel and the Minister for Interior Affairs of Albania, Bledi Çuçi, pledged to intensify joint work to tackle the problem of large numbers of Albanians taking the treacherous journey to the UK across the Channel at the hands of people smugglers.

Those coming from Albania – a safe and prosperous country – are travelling through multiple countries to make the journey to the UK. Many then make spurious asylum claims when they arrive.

Through the Nationality and Borders Act, introduced by the Home Secretary, asylum claims may be inadmissible if someone travels through a safe third country before reaching the UK.

People coming through this route will have claims processed immediately, with those who have no right to be in the UK being removed as soon as possible.

The Albanian government has also offered senior law enforcement support to the UK to provide UK authorities with vital intelligence and to support processing.

Since the historic readmission agreement signed with Albania last year, nearly 1,000 Albanian foreign national offenders have been removed from the UK.

Home Secretary Priti Patel said:

“Large numbers of Albanians are being sold lies by ruthless people smugglers and vicious organised crime gangs, leading them to take treacherous journeys in flimsy boats to the UK. This abuse of our immigration system and people risking their lives cannot go on.

Thanks to our excellent levels of co-operation with Albania, we will take every opportunity to speed up removal of Albanians with no right to be in the UK.

I want to thank my counterpart Bledi Çuçi for the work he and his government are doing – we are both steadfast in our commitment to stop this trend.”

Minister for Interior Affairs of Albania Bledi Çuçi, said:

“We discourage these illegal and dangerous practices.

The Home Secretary and I also discussed mid-term solutions to provide better opportunities for young people, and means of legal migration that enables skilled professionals and labour access to the UK.”

The UK and Albania work closely together to stop the exploitation of young Albanians being encouraged to come to the UK under false pretences and lies from callous criminal gangs.

To raise awareness of the risks and alternatives of arriving illegally via dangerous and unnecessary journeys, new hard-hitting Albanian language adverts were launched on 24 August, as part of a Home Office campaign.

The campaign, which fights back against the lies sold by people smuggling gangs on social media, is essential to tell people about new UK rules that will make it harder for those arriving illegally to remain and work in the UK.

Albanian adverts join those launched earlier this summer in key locations in France and Belgium, in the languages most frequently spoken by small boat arrivals.

The campaign’s guidance for people considering a small boat journey includes information about possible relocation to Rwanda or another safe country; restrictions on working and earning money; increased prison sentences for immigration offences; crucial information on safe alternative options while encouraging people to claim asylum in the first safe country they reach.

The press release issued by the Home Office on 24 August 2022.

The transfer of unaccompanied asylum-seeking children (UASC) from temporary hotels to long-term care will be sped up to help reduce the multi-million pound cost of accommodation to the UK taxpayer and ensure children get the care they need, the government has announced.

The changes, part of the New Plan for Immigration, will mean that UASC will spend less time in hotels and more time in long-term accommodation designed for their needs.

Currently the government spends more than £5 million a day accommodating asylum seekers and Afghan refugees in hotels, including UASC.

The government is working at pace to end the use of hotels for asylum seekers and fix the broken asylum system. While there is no one single solution, the government’s New Plan for Immigration is delivering a broad range of measures to tackle illegal migration and the pressures it has put on our asylum system, including through the Migration and Economic Development Partnership with Rwanda, our new Borders Act, plans for asylum reception centres and a fairer asylum dispersal system.

Minister Kevin Foster, Minister for Safe and Legal Migration said:

“The government cannot deal with the impact of the rise in dangerous and illegal small boat crossings alone which is why I welcome the support from councils to help us reduce the cost of hotels and quickly move unaccompanied asylum-seeking children so they receive the care they need.

Any council which moves a child from a hotel to their care under the new scheme will receive support funding of £6,000 per child for the first three months to give them the best possible start.”

Today’s announcement means once a referral is made under the National Transfer Scheme, councils will have five working days rather than 10, to transfer an unaccompanied asylum-seeking child from hotel accommodation to their care.

On top of the extra £20 million of government funding announced last year, councils will receive new funding to help them deliver the changes to the scheme.

Councils will receive an additional £2,000 per child per month for the first three months if they move a UASC from a hotel to a placement within five working days. Following this councils will continue to receive up to £143 a day to support any UASC and £270 per week for all former UASC care leavers in their area.

The Home Office has made further changes which means councils have to work to create placements based on a minimum of 0.1% UASC as a percentage of their overall child population. The change will mean children are fairly distributed between councils.

The NTS, which was made mandatory in February 2022, has seen more than 1,730 children transferred to councils with children’s services between January 2021 to March 2022.

The press release issued by the Home Office on 22 August 2022.

The UK’s top high-growth businesses will have greater flexibility and power to entice the world’s top talent through the new Scale-up visa, the government announced today (22 August).

UK businesses experiencing impressive success will be eligible to sponsor talented individuals, from scientists and engineers to architects and programmers, to support their growth and contribute to boosting the UK’s economy.

Unlike other sponsored visas, the Scale-up visa allows businesses to employ high-skilled individuals who will receive 2 years’ leave to remain in the UK without requiring further sponsorship or permission beyond the first 6 months.

This will further enhance the government’s overall offer to businesses through the points-based immigration system to hire eligible employees from anywhere in the world. The Scale-up visa will give them greater flexibility to hire, often in-demand, talent they need so they can go to the next level, while boosting the UK’s high-skilled pool.

Minister for Safe and Legal Migration Kevin Foster said:

“Rapidly growing businesses, like small enterprises, tech and financial services, need the right level of support to go to the next level. Through our Scale-up visa, we’re enabling businesses to focus on their growth and innovation by giving them more freedom to bring in the diverse skills and experience they need, making them more attractive on an international stage.

By supporting our high-growth tech, financial services and small businesses, we are ensuring the UK remains a global hub for emerging technologies and innovation while enhancing productivity across the economy – creating jobs, growth and prosperity across Britain.”

Irene Graham OBE, CEO of the ScaleUp Institute said:

“The ScaleUp Institute welcomes the launch of the Scale-up visa. This is something we have recommended since our inception and should provide a much-needed fast track service to enable local growth companies to access the talent they need more quickly.

Scaleups add over £1 trillion a year and more than 3 million jobs to the UK economy, and are present in every community, hiring people from at home and abroad, as they drive growth into their local areas and beyond.

The visa should help with the skills demands. We look forward to continuing to work with the government as this service evolves to ensure it fully addresses scaling business needs and works effectively.”

Scaling up is an important phase for high-growth businesses to continue growing and drive their international competitiveness. By bringing in sought-after expertise and skills, enterprises can boost their innovation and productivity and in turn keep contributing to the UK’s economy.

Companies, including small businesses and those in the tech and financial services sectors, that have achieved growth of 20% or more in either employment or turnover year-on-year for at least 3 years and employed a minimum of 10 people at the start of the 3 years will be eligible to sponsor talented individuals through the Scale-up visa.

Eligible businesses will be able to attract highly skilled talent including:

scientists
engineers
programmers
software developers
research and development professionals
economists
architects
technicians
financial and investment advisers

The press release issued by the Home Office on 20 August 2022.

The Home Secretary Priti Patel has visited Brentford’s Gtech Community Stadium to see the valuable work that football clubs, the police and sport bodies are doing to prevent antisocial behaviour and increase fans’ enjoyment of the game after disorder at matches last season.

The Home Office is working closely with the police and football bodies to ensure the matchday enjoyment of the majority of fans and families is not ruined by the selfishness of a few who invaded football pitches, threw flares, and abused players and fans at matches in England and Wales last season.

The Home Secretary met officials from the Premier League and Brentford Football Club, which came top of a recent Premier League survey for matchday fan experience, and saw the new safe standing areas within the Gtech Community Stadium for fans, toured the control room and spoke with the security team about the valuable work they do to ensure match days are positive experiences for spectators.

She also spoke with staff members who work on programmes such as Premier League Kicks, which has been working in local communities to inspire thousands of young people. Premier League Kicks started in 2006 – with Brentford one of 4 pilot clubs – and has a long history of using the power of football and the value of sports participation to help youngsters in some of the country’s most high-need areas.

The Home Secretary urged football fans across England and Wales to respect others’ enjoyment of the game, and the law, or risk receiving a football banning order (FBO) preventing them from attending home and away matches, including potentially the World Cup in Qatar, if they attack or abuse other fans, staff, players or managers.

Home Secretary, Priti Patel, said:

“There is no place for the ugly scenes we saw at some matches in England and Wales last season and it is good to see the positive work being done by clubs like Brentford to ensure our stadia are safe places for families and children to enjoy the beautiful game.

I am determined not to let a small minority ruin matches for true fans as the football season gets under way and we are working closely with the police and the football authorities to tackle antisocial and criminal behaviour.

I wholeheartedly support the extra measures all football bodies and clubs are bringing to keep fans safe and would encourage police and the courts to make full use of Football Banning Order legislation which we have recently extended to online abuse and will be shortly bringing in to root out class A drugs at matches.”

FBOs are a preventative behavioural order designed to prevent violence, disorder and harm and are imposed by a court, following an application or on conviction for a football-related offence.

Nearly 1,400 troublemakers have already been targeted by FBOs and banned by the courts.

In the last 12 months the government has significantly expanded the scope of FBOs in order to crack down on disorder by:

– adding football-related online hate crime to the list of offences for which a FBO can be imposed on conviction so that those who are convicted of online racism and other hate crimes connected to football can be banned from stadia, in the same way that violent offenders are barred from grounds

– committing to add football-related class A drugs crimes to the list of offences for which a FBO can be imposed on conviction, sending a strong signal to those who use class A drugs in and around football matches that their behaviour will not be tolerated and that they will no longer be able to attend games

In addition, FBOs have recently been extended to the women’s domestic game, showing that regardless of which games fans are attending, violence and hate will not be tolerated.

Recently the Football Association (FA), Premier League and English Football League (EFL) announced they were introducing new measures and stronger sanctions across the game to tackle the increased antisocial and criminal behaviours seen at football grounds last season and to underline the importance of a safe matchday environment. The football bodies are making it clear such acts are dangerous, illegal and have severe consequences.

From the start of season 2022 to 2023, all offenders will be reported by clubs to the police and prosecution could result in a permanent criminal record, which may affect their employment and education, and could result in a prison sentence. The FA will also be enforcing a tougher charging and sanctioning policy for clubs, which will reinforce these measures.

Furthermore, anyone who enters the pitch, and those carrying or using pyrotechnics or smoke bombs, will now receive an automatic club ban. These bans could also be extended to accompanying parents or guardians of children who take part in these activities.

Premier League Chief Executive, Richard Masters, said:

“Everyone should feel safe and able to enjoy a football match. In coming together with clubs and partners across football, we are making clear the type of incidents we saw last season must stop. If we don’t take collective and sustained action, it may only be a matter of time before someone is seriously injured, or worse.

The new measures introduced at the start of this season are a strong response to a significant increase in fan behaviour issues, but we know it is the minority who have behaved unacceptably and unlawfully.”

Premier League football should be a fantastic experience for everyone and we don’t want matches to be marred by these sorts of events.

Culture Secretary, Nadine Dorries, said:

“We are on the side of football fans and understand the passion and emotion that comes with supporting a team.

As the new season gets into full swing we want to remind people we will not tolerate antisocial behaviour and have strengthened the powers under our football banning order legislation to tackle drug use and hate crimes.

Together with the work being done by the football authorities, we are helping root out those who seek to disrupt match days so proper fans can enjoy a fantastic football experience.”

The press release issued by the Home Office on 18 August 2022.

The Home Secretary has sent out an urgent warning today (Thursday 18 August) to dangerous foreign criminals and immigration offenders in the UK that the government will not rest until they are removed and our streets are made safer.

The vow comes as new statistics show the Home Office has removed 1,741 foreign national offenders (FNO) from the UK since the start of 2022, including 487 Albanian FNOs. Almost 1,000 Albanians in total (FNOs and immigration offenders) have been returned.

The renewed focus on removals, part of the New Plan for Immigration, is fulfilling the government’s commitment to keep the British public safe and tackle illegal migration.

Yesterday (Wednesday 17 August) the Home Secretary agreed a landmark deal with Pakistan, to remove Pakistani nationals with no legal right to remain in the UK, including criminals, failed asylum seekers and immigration offenders.

Home Secretary Priti Patel said:

“This work shows we will stop at nothing to remove those with no right to be here and I am proud that we have removed almost 1,000 Albanian foreign national offenders and immigration offenders this year so far, including some who crossed the Channel illegally to come to the UK.

I want to be crystal clear though that this is just the beginning. I have tasked Home Office teams to renew their pursuit of dangerous criminals who devastate lives and communities and leave their victims and families to pick up the pieces. They must be swiftly removed so we can make our streets safer.

The British public rightly expect us to crack down hard on those abusing the system which is why our new Nationality and Borders Act will help end the cycle of last-minute claims and appeals that can delay removals.”

Today, Home Office statistics show:

the UK has removed 1,741 foreign national offenders since January 1, 2022

– 487 FNOs removed to Albania, including individuals convicted of rape, sexual offences, indecent assault of a minor, death by dangerous driving, facilitating illegal entry to the UK, trafficking, kidnap, robbery, carrying weapons, dealing Class A drugs, violence and burglary
the 487 criminals had 606 convictions between them

– in July 2022, 243 foreign national offenders were removed from the UK on both charter and scheduled flights
Albanian foreign national offenders returned this year include:

– an individual sentenced to 18 years for Class A (cocaine) drug supply worth more than £2 million, was returned on a charter flight in June

– an individual sentenced to 20 years’ imprisonment for intent to supply Class A drugs, was returned on a charter flight in July

– an individual sentenced to three years’ imprisonment for attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child and to meet a child following grooming, was returned on a charter flight in June

The UK also removed immigration offenders and illegal migrants who had entered the UK clandestinely – via small boats or hidden in lorries.

Immigration offenders and illegal migrants removed this year include:

– an individual first encountered in June 2022 following his arrest on suspicion of driving with excess drugs. He claimed to have entered the UK in the back of a lorry in 2021 but did not make himself known to authorities. The individual was detained for removal to Albania and agreed voluntarily to return in July 2022.

– an individual first encountered in July 2022 after arriving via a small boat crossing the Channel. He claimed to have come the UK for economic reasons.

– an individual who entered the UK concealed in a lorry in 2015. The person made no claims to the Home Office. He was encountered and detained on 23 April 2022. He returned voluntarily on a charter flight in May after 12 days in detention.

The individuals were removed via charter or scheduled returns.

The press release issued by the Home Office on 17 August 2022.

Home Secretary Priti Patel has signed a major new agreement which will return foreign criminals and immigration offenders from the UK to Pakistan.

This is the fifth returns agreement the Home Secretary has signed in 15 months delivering for the British public through the New Plan for Immigration.

Today (Wednesday 17 August) Priti Patel met with the Interior Secretary, Yousaf Naseem Khokhar and the Pakistan High Commissioner to the UK, Moazzam Ahmad Khan, to sign the reciprocal agreement.

Home Secretary Priti Patel said:

“I make no apology for removing dangerous foreign criminals and immigration offenders who have no right to remain in the UK. The British public have quite rightly had enough of people abusing our laws and gaming the system so we can’t remove them.

This agreement, which I am proud to have signed with our Pakistani friends, shows the New Plan for Immigration in action and the government delivering.

Our new Borders Act will go further and help end the cycle of last-minute claims and appeals that can delay removals.”

Pakistan nationals make up the seventh largest number of foreign criminals in prisons in England and Wales totalling nearly 3% of the foreign national offender population.

The agreement underlines both countries’ ongoing commitment to tackling the issue of illegal migration and the significant threats it poses to both nations. The agreement also includes ongoing work to improve and expand UK-Pakistani law enforcement cooperation.

Since January 2019 the UK has removed 10,741 foreign national offenders globally (to year ending December 2021).

The press release issued by the Home Office on 8 August 2022.

Total funding for policing in 2022 to 2023 is nearly £17 billion – the highest for over a decade. By April 2023 we will have invested over £3.5 billion in supporting the recruitment of 20,000 additional police officers through the Police Uplift Programme, of which 13,790 have been recruited so far.

It is therefore crucial that we deliver the best possible value for the public from this investment. This review will improve our understanding of effectiveness and productivity in policing, identifying the barriers and the most efficient operating models.

The review will also look at the scope for using new technology or streamlining processes and removing bureaucracy to drive efficiency and better outcomes.

The review will be led by Sir Stephen House, supported by an advisory board including Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Constabulary and Fire Service (HMICFRS), the chief executive of the College of Policing and Association of Police and Crime Commissioners (APCC). Terms of reference will published in due course, following agreement by the advisory board and Home Office. It is expected to report within 12 months and with interim findings in spring 2023.

National Police Chiefs’ Council Chair, Martin Hewitt, said:

“We want to provide the best possible policing to the public. This review, commissioned by the Home Office and led by the NPCC, will make recommendations on how to improve effectiveness and productivity in policing, identifying the barriers and the most efficient operating models.

In the coming weeks, we will work with Sir Steve to draw together an advisory board of policing partners and external experts to shape the terms of reference and put a review team in place.”