Tag: Home Office

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

The Home Office has launched a new Independent Examiner of Complaints (IEC) service for customers of the Department’s immigration services.

In doing so, the Home Office has fulfilled another of the recommendations in Wendy Williams’ Windrush Lessons Learned Review, published in March 2020.

Introducing an IEC service brings the Department in line with several other public service delivery departments such as the Department for Work and Pensions and His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs.

If customers are not satisfied with the final response to their complaints, they will have an opportunity to have their case reviewed independently by the IEC.

Although the IEC will not have any remit over immigration decisions, which remain subject to existing appeal processes, they will apply greater scrutiny and ultimately increase public confidence in the customer services delivered by the Home Office, as well as helping to manage reputational risk.

In making her original recommendation, Wendy Williams proposed that the new service should have the ability to identify systemic issues within the immigration system. The IEC will achieve that by using the data and insight from complaints to consider why particular issues might be arising and feed them back into the department to support the continuous improvement of services.

The Home Office is pleased to announce that, following a fair and open recruitment process, Moi Ali has been appointed as the new Independent Examiner of Complaints. She will be supported by an Office for the IEC, based in Stoke-on-Trent.

Ms Ali has a background in independent complaints review. For the last 4 years she has been the Independent Assessor of Complaints for the Crown Prosecution Service and she will continue in that role on a part-time basis. She is passionate about providing a genuinely independent service, and about helping organisations to identify learning and wider lessons from complaints in order to improve their service.

Her approach is to understand the complainant journey and perspective, and to support staff to provide a complainant-centric service.

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

The press release issued by the Home Office on 14 October 2022.

Measures to prevent disruptive and violent football fans subject to football banning orders in England and Wales from travelling to the World Cup in Qatar come into effect from today.

From 10 November the 1,308 people subject to a football banning order will be required to hand in their UK passports to the police until the end of the tournament, facing up to 6 months in prison and an unlimited fine if they fail to do so or attempt to travel to Qatar and neighbouring countries.

Passports will be returned to individuals after the final match of the tournament. If they wish to travel to other countries during this period, they will need to seek permission to hold on to their passports and will be subject to thorough checks.

As part of a targeted operation at ports, police will also be able to intercept known troublemakers who are likely to cause further disruption to stop them from attending the tournament. If they are caught attempting to travel, they will face a banning order court hearing within 24 hours.

Police officers in the UK and Qatar will gather intelligence during the tournament, with fans causing disruption during the World Cup risking arrest or being handed a football banning order on their return to the UK.

This is part of wider action the government has taken to crack down on violence and disorder at football matches, which includes extending football banning orders to cover the women’s domestic game and football-related online hate crime, and the imminent extension to Class A drug offences at matches.

The police also continue to take action, with over 2,100 arrests made and 516 new football banning orders issued in the 2021 to 2022 season.

The press release issued by the Home Office on 13 October 2022.

Claudia Sturt, Chief Executive of the Youth Justice Board (YJB), looks at the YJB’s activity over the past year.

Today we published our Annual Report and Accounts for 2021 to 2022. This was my first annual report as Chief Executive Officer of the Youth Justice Board (YJB), and I would like to place on record my thanks to all those who have helped produce this report and ensure its accuracy.

The opportunity to lead the Youth Justice Board as Chief Executive is enormously exciting, and there is nothing more important for me than improving the life chances of children. When I was working in adult prisons, I saw first-hand the consequences of failure and I believe, as a result, you will not find anyone more determined to ensure we are effective in keeping children out of the system and supporting them to live happy, safe, crime-free lives.

Our activity over the past year was yet again set against the backdrop of the pandemic. At the YJB, we continued to follow a fully remote operating model from March 2020 up to January 2022. Following consultation with our staff we subsequently developed a hybrid model, enabling our staff to return to face-to-face working, where appropriate, whilst allowing the organisation to attract and support diverse talent with an increase in national rather than London-based contracts.

Despite us seeing the easing of COVID-19 restrictions across England and Wales, the challenges for both children and the sector were still evident, and we have yet to see the full impact this has had on their lives and futures. Reduced access to education and other critical support services, increased trauma and mental illness, fewer opportunities for safeguarding and more opportunities for online exploitation all form a worrying reality for children and those across the sector.

Of course, we welcome the past year’s continued falls in the number of children entering the justice system and those who received a caution or sentence. Reoffending rates decreased again, and the youth custody population stands at an all-time low. But there is no room for complacency: as highlighted recently in a review by the National Audit Office, we have serious grounds to expect a worsening of this picture in the immediate future, with a potential doubling of children in custody by 2024. Long term impacts of the pandemic, combined with the economic shocks that have followed it, seem likely to make far more children far more at risk of coming into the criminal justice system. The YJB will grasp with both hands the challenge of ensuring that the gains made in recent years are sustained.

But, while I welcome these reductions, overwhelmingly I was saddened by yet more evidence of the shocking disparity for children from ethnic minorities. In particular, children with Black and Mixed ethnicities are significantly overrepresented at every stage in the youth justice system. We have undertaken a wide range of activity over the past year to tackle this issue which includes commissioning two research projects with a focus on disproportionality, sharing area level detail on disparity with Police and Crime Commissioners and taking forward an initiative to get children from ethnic minorities into employment. We have also continued to work with our partners, such as the Magistrates Association, to help tackle these disparities, including the development of a checklist for magistrates, to further guard against any potential bias in decision-making.

I was pleased to see that strong progress was made towards our vision of a Child First youth justice system. In essence, we want a system which treats children as children and supports them to become the best version of themselves.

We’ve never been under any illusions about how ambitious this goal is and recognise that it will take a concerted effort from us and all our partners. Nevertheless, we are up for the challenge and the potential benefits to children and our communities alike far exceed any drawbacks. Significant activity over the past year includes work in Wales to develop trauma informed approaches and services in support of its Youth Justice Blueprint. Also, across both England and Wales we commissioned a joint prevention and diversion project to help us increase our understanding and oversight of how this work is delivered by youth justice services.

This year we also took the opportunity to review the pathfinder model that was introduced in 2018. The review found that the pathfinder model was a worthwhile element of sector improvement work. It was also clear that the underlying principles of pathfinders were sound and the introduction of a formal selection process would improve the model further. All current pathfinders will continue as planned and we are designing the selection process for the next pathfinders. We are working to have the new approach in place ready for the 2023/24 financial year.

In December 2021, we secured Board approval for an exciting new initiative to maximise our impact, rebalance how we deliver our statutory functions and change our focus from being driven by risk to being driven by benefits. Known as our ‘new sense of purpose’, this change programme will allow a significant review of our current position and consider how we deploy our people, manage processes, provide advice and invest tax-payers money, including the youth justice grant.

Finally, I would like to thank YJB staff and our colleagues and partners across the system for the welcome shown to me as I started my new role. I remain in awe of your relentless determination to improve the lives of children in the youth justice system and all that you have achieved over the past year.

The press release issued by the Home Office on 5 October 2022.

The press release issued by the Home Office on 4 October 2022.

The press release issued by the Ministry of Justice on 3 October 2022.

Thousands of offenders will face compulsory drug testing after release from prison to help keep them clean and cut drug-fuelled crime.

From today (3 October 2022), offenders supervised in probation hostels, known as Approved Premises, will be randomly tested for 14 different types of drugs as part of a £1.2 million initiative to reduce reoffending.

Offenders whose drug habits are directly linked to their crimes, such as heroin addicts, will be legally required to take a urine test up to once a week to prevent their addiction from spiralling into further crimes. All other offenders will be tested at least twice whilst being supervised in Approved Premises.

New enhanced tests will also make it easier to spot a range of drugs including heroin, cocaine and synthetic substances like Spice, with around 30,000 tests being carried out each year.

Those who test positive will be required to undergo intensive drug treatment or face being recalled to prison.

These changes were first introduced as a Private Members Bill by Rob Butler MP, who recently became Prisons and Probation Minister.

Rob Butler, Prisons and Probation Minister, said:

I’ve seen first-hand how drug addiction is too often at the heart of criminal activity and I have campaigned to change that.

This mandatory testing will act as a deterrent to anyone tempted to abuse drugs again, help cut crime and make our communities safer.

Illegal drug use costs the taxpayer nearly £22 billion each year, including NHS, prison and police costs. Clamping down on drug use will help break the cycle of crime which addiction causes.

This type of testing has been successfully rolled out in dozens of Approved Premises in England and will now be expanded across the whole estate by spring 2023.

‘Ian’, an offender currently housed in an Approved Premise, said:

Before I got clean from drugs, my life was chaotic, and I would do anything to get my next hit.

Regular testing in Approved Premises will reduce drug deaths and give people something to focus on and work towards.

At first, I was worried about being tested for fear of being recalled to prison but it was an incentive for me to stay clean, rebuild broken trust with family and loved ones and start applying for jobs so I can look for my own place.

The initiative represents one of the largest expansions of drug testing in the Probation Service and supports the government’s wider 10-year Drugs Strategy which is backed by £900 million of extra investment.

As part of this, the government is investing £120 million to roll out three pilot substance misuse problem-solving courts in the community to make offenders face their addictions. The investment will help establish 18 new drug recovery wings ensuring prisoners tackle their addiction head-on or face tough consequences – including further time in jail where necessary.

Approved Premises are used by the Probation Service to closely supervise and support offenders after their release from prison.

The press release issued by the Home Office on 30 September 2022.

More than 500 foreign criminals and immigration offenders have been removed from the UK by the Home Office during September.

In total, 533 people were returned, including 105 to Albania on 3 dedicated charter flights and scheduled flights this month.

The Home Office also returned 26 Romanian nationals and 9 individuals to Zimbabwe on separate charter flights.

The foreign national offenders removed had received combined prison sentences of more than 337 years and were convicted of crimes including sexual and violent offences, supplying Class A drugs and facilitating illegal entry to the UK.

More than 300 people who had no right to remain in the UK, including 3 Albanian nationals who entered the UK illegally – 1 via small boat and 2 through other clandestine means – have also been removed.

Home Secretary, Suella Braverman said:

We are taking a zero-tolerance approach to anyone who comes to the UK and breaks our laws.

Returning such a high number of dangerous criminals sends a clear message that they are not welcome here.

We are also clamping down on those who come here illegally, and I am exploring every avenue to accelerate their removal.

Since signing our returns agreement with Albania in 2021, we have removed over 1,000 Albanian criminals and immigration offenders, including some who crossed the Channel illegally to come to the UK.

To date this year, the UK has removed 8,175 people via enforced, voluntary and other return types, including 2,250 foreign national offenders.

The Nationality and Borders Act will further deter illegal entry into the UK, breaking the business model of people-smuggling networks and speeding up the removal of those with no right to be in the UK.

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

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

The Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Bill will strengthen the UK’s reputation as a place where legitimate businesses can thrive while driving dirty money out of the UK. Through the reforms, anyone who registers a company in the UK will need to verify their identity, tackling the use of companies as a front for crime or foreign kleptocrats.

The reforms to Companies House – its biggest upgrade in 170 years – will also see the organisation armed with new powers to check, challenge and decline incorrect or fraudulent information, making it a more active gatekeeper over company creation. The investigation and enforcement powers of Companies House will also be upgraded, enabling the organisation to cross check data with public and private partners, as well as reporting suspicious activity to security agencies and law enforcement.

The Bill will also help prevent the abuse of limited partnerships – including those registered in Scotland, for money laundering and other nefarious purposes – by tightening registration and transparency requirements for these entities.

Law-abiding businesses and investors across the UK will benefit from simplified filing requirements and a more reliable companies register to inform business and lending decisions. The reforms will ensure that small business owners, consumers and the public are better protected from fraudulent use of their identities and addresses.

Business Secretary Jacob Rees-Mogg said:

We want the UK to be the best place in the world to invest and start a business, but we must not allow this openness to be exploited by fraudsters misusing the identities of innocent people, or corrupt elites attempting to disguise their dodgy dealings.

This historic Bill will equip Companies House and law enforcement with the tools they need to root out criminals attempting to hide their activities without burdening law-abiding companies with unnecessary bureaucracy. Above all, via strict enforcement measures, we are telling investors that the UK is open for legitimate business only.

Home Secretary Suella Braverman said:

The UK is no home for dirty money. The government has taken unprecedented action to prevent kleptocrats and organised criminals from abusing our open economy, and this Bill will go even further.

Through this Bill we are giving our law enforcement agencies greater powers and intelligence capabilities to stay one step ahead of the criminals intent on keeping their corrupt assets out of reach.

Security Minister Tom Tugendhat said:

As the former chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee, I commended the government on the swift legislative action it took on dirty money following the invasion of Ukraine, but I implored them to go even further.

I am delighted that today we are introducing reforms that will make it much harder for kleptocrats to shield their ill-gotten gains and treat the UK as their safe deposit box. As Security Minister, I am committed to delivering this vital piece of legislation to strengthen our fight against economic crime.

Law enforcement will also benefit from greater powers to compel businesses to hand over information which could be related to money laundering or terrorist financing. Red tape around confidentiality liability will be eased to enable businesses to share information to more proactively prevent and detect economic crime including fraud and sanctions evasion.

The new law will make it easier and quicker for law enforcement agencies such as the National Crime Agency to seize, freeze and recover cryptoassets – the digital currency increasingly used by organised criminals to launder profits from fraud, drugs and cybercrime.

The use of this digital currency has significantly increased in recent years, with the Metropolitan Police reporting a big rise in cryptocurrency seizures last year. Strengthening powers in the Proceeds of Crime Act will modernise the legislation to ensure agencies can keep pace with the rapid technological change and prevent assets from funding further criminality.

The package of measures will build upon the earlier Economic Crime (Transparency and Enforcement) Act, brought in following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The act has made it much quicker to impose tough sanctions on Putin’s cronies – freezing their UK assets and cutting off funds to the Kremlin’s war machine – as well as establishing the recently launched Register of Overseas Entities to root out corrupt oligarchs attempting to hide ill-gotten gains through UK property.

Director General of the National Crime Agency Graeme Biggar said:

Domestic and international criminals have for years laundered the proceeds of their crime and corruption by abusing UK company structures, and are increasingly using cryptocurrencies. These reforms – long awaited and much welcomed – will help us crack down on both.

Companies House Chief Executive Louise Smyth said:

We welcome the measures outlined in this Bill, which represent the most significant and far-reaching changes to the UK’s company register in over 170 years of history and will enable us to play a much stronger role in making the UK a great place to do business.

If agreed, these changes will allow us to actively improve and maintain the integrity of the register like never before; inspire greater trust in our data, crack down on economic crime and further drive confidence in the UK economy.

While the scale and scope of these changes should not be underestimated, the work already done through our wide-ranging and ongoing transformation programme puts us in a strong position to implement them as quickly and efficiently as possible.