Tag: Home Office

The press release issued by the Home Office on 13 August 2025.

Named and contactable neighbourhood police officers will also be in place in every community.

Every neighbourhood across England and Wales now has named, contactable officers in place to tackle issues blighting their communities, marking a major milestone in the government’s Plan for Change.

As part of the Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee to put 13,000 more officers into communities by 2029, the public will have consistent direct links to their local force, with dedicated anti-social behaviour leads and new visible patrols in town centres.

In addition to bolstering police presence in communities, the Home Office is announcing the rollout of 10 new Live Facial Recognition (LFR) vans to seven forces across the country, equipping officers with targeted, cutting-edge technology to catch high-harm criminals.

The new vans will operate according to strict rules, which ensure they are only deployed when there is specific intelligence. The College of Policing has clear guidance on how the technology should be used.

These vehicles enable law enforcement to target and locate wanted criminals and suspects for the most serious crimes including sex offences, violent assaults, homicide and serious and organised crime. Forces already using LFR have used it to arrest rape, domestic abuse, knife crime and robbery suspects as well as sex offenders breaching their conditions. The technology has also been used to maintain safety at big public events.

Existing safeguards require checks only to be done against police watchlists of wanted criminals, suspects and those subject to bail or court order conditions like sex offenders. Watchlists are bespoke to every deployment, with officers following strict guidance from the College of Policing guidance when composing a list.

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said:

Neighbourhood policing has been decimated over the last 15 years, but through our Plan for Change we are turning the corner, starting with town and city centres.

Within the next year, we will have 3,000 new neighbourhood officers and PCSOs in place, which is a big shift. We also want them to have more powers to tackle off-road bikes, shop theft, street theft and other crimes that have blighted some of our town and city centres, so everyone can feel safe in their own town.

And we will provide police with the tools they need to do their jobs. Facial recognition will be used in a targeted way to identify sex offenders or people wanted for the most serious crimes who the police have not been able to find.

That’s why we’re funding 10 vans and also drawing up a new legal framework, so we’ve got proper safeguards and checks in place so that we can use the technology to go after the most dangerous criminals.

Police forces including the Metropolitan Police and South Wales have already seen success with their own live facial recognition deployments. The Met reported that in 12 months they made 580 arrests using LFR for offences including, rape, domestic abuse, knife crime, GBH and robbery, including 52 registered sex offenders arrested for breaching their conditions.

Alongside the roll out of the 10 vans, the government will simultaneously consult on how the technology should be used and what appropriate safeguards and oversight are needed to ensure transparency and public confidence, in turn helping the government to shape a new legal framework for its use.

They also need to follow the College of Policing’s guidance on how the technology is used – measuring faces from a live feed only against police watchlists to try to determine matches – and comply with the surveillance camera code of practice.

Every van is manned by trained officers who check every match made by the technology. The algorithm being used in the vans has been independently tested and will only be operated in specific circumstances and with robust oversight.

The facial recognition algorithm used in the new vans has been independently tested for bias by the National Physical Laboratory (NPL). The testing found that the algorithm is accurate and there is no bias for ethnicity, age or gender at the settings used by the police.

The 10 new units will be deployed to forces in Greater Manchester, West Yorkshire, Bedfordshire, Surrey and Sussex (jointly), and Thames Valley and Hampshire (jointly).

The consultation announced today will launch in the autumn to seek views on when and how the technology should be used, appropriate safeguards and oversight, to ensure transparency and public confidence, and will help the government to shape a new legal framework.

The mobile units will be distributed in the coming weeks, with the rollout being coordinated by the National Police Chiefs Council and South Wales Police. It will be for individual forces to determine how and when they are deployed in their respective areas, operating within the College of Policing guidance, but with clear monitoring of their use and effectiveness in order to feed into the consultation.

Lindsey Chiswick, NPCC lead for facial recognition, said:

The police have a duty to prevent crime and keep the public safe. Live Facial Recognition supports effective policing, enabling officers to locate suspects quickly and accurately.

The increased access to Live Facial Recognition vehicles to forces that previously did not have the capability is an excellent opportunity for policing. Each Live Facial Recognition deployment will be targeted, intelligence-led, within a set geographical location and for defined period of time, ensuring deployments are proportionate, lawful and necessary.

Live Facial Recognition has already been used in policing to great success, locating thousands of wanted offenders, or others breaching their bail conditions.

I am confident that the increased use of this technology will continue to support the safety of communities across the country moving forward.

South Wales Police has been a national leader in facial recognition deployment, with no false alerts reported since August 2019 and multiple arrests linked to LFR use.

Chief Superintendent Tim Morgan, of South Wales Police, said:

Our priority is to keep the public safe and this technology continues to help us achieve that.

We understand the concerns which are raised about the use of live facial recognition technology and we use any new technology ethically and spend time and effort making sure it’s deployed in line with all legislation and guidance.

It is important to remember that use of this has never resulted in a wrongful arrest in South Wales and there have been no false alerts for several years as the technology and our understanding has evolved.

The level of oversight and independent scrutiny means that we are now in a stronger position than ever before to be able to demonstrate that our use of facial recognition technology is fair, legitimate, ethical and proportionate.

John Hayward-Cripps, Chief Executive, Neighbourhood Watch said:

The Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee reflects what many Neighbourhood Watch members want: responsive policing that prioritises local relationships. This is so important because people stop reporting issues when they don’t have confidence that something will be done.

We know that successful community policing takes time. Having named and contactable officers is an extremely positive step, the most effective neighbourhood policing models combine targeted approaches with genuine community engagement.

Working with communities as partners rather than passive recipients should deliver the visible, community-based policing that not only keeps people safer, but builds confidence and encourages all of us to play an active role in our communities.

The announcement forms part of the government’s Safer Streets Mission and follows the launch of the Safer Streets Summer initiative, which is delivering increased patrols and enforcement in over 500 town centres nationwide.

The press release issued by the Home Office on 10 August 2025.

‘Deport Now Appeal Later’ scheme nearly trebled to 23 countries, with more to follow in the future.

More foreign criminals will have their appeals heard from abroad, preventing them from gaming the system to delay their deportation from the UK, in the latest step to restore order to the UK’s immigration system as part of the Government’s Plan for Change.

The scope of the ‘Deport Now Appeal Later’ scheme will be nearly trebled from eight countries to 23, with foreign nationals from those countries (listed below) now expected to be deported to their home countries before they can appeal against that decision, increasing the UK’s ability to remove foreign criminals at the earliest opportunity, and easing pressure on the detention and prison estate.

Under the expanded scheme, foreign nationals who have had their human rights claim refused will be removed from the UK to their home country before they can appeal the decision. Individuals can then take part in their UK appeal hearing from overseas using video technology.

Previously, offenders from the countries in question could remain in the UK for months or years while their cases were worked through the appeals system, placing a burden on the taxpayer even beyond the end of their prison sentence. The Government is in continuous discussions with a range of other countries about joining the scheme.

This represents the Government’s latest tool in its comprehensive approach to scaling up our ability to remove foreign criminals. This has seen almost 5,200 removed since July 2024 – an increase of 14% compared to the same 12 months prior and builds on wider action to deliver on the British public’s priorities for safer streets and secure borders through our Plan for Change.

On Sunday, further measures were announced to allow foreign national offenders to be deported immediately after sentencing, saving taxpayer money by removing more foreign criminals directly from our prisons.

In addition, the Home Office is legislating to ensure that asylum seekers who commit notifiable sex offences can be stripped of their right to claim refugee protections under new powers in the Borders Security, Asylum & Immigration Bill.

We have also invested £5 million for the deployment of specialist staff to almost 80 jails with one clear mission – speeding up removals.

Home Secretary, Yvette Cooper said:

For far too long, foreign criminals have been exploiting our immigration system, remaining in the UK for months or even years while their appeals drag on. That has to end. Those who commit crimes in our country cannot be allowed to manipulate the system, which is why we are restoring control and sending a clear message that our laws must be respected and will be enforced.

Foreign Secretary, David Lammy, said:

We are leading diplomatic efforts to increase the number of countries where foreign criminals can be swiftly returned, and if they want to appeal, they can do so safely from their home country. Under this scheme, we’re investing in international partnerships that uphold our security and make our streets safer.

In addition to the measures set out above, the government’s Immigration White Paper in May has also set out new plans to tighten the rules around how Article 8 of the Human Rights Act – the ‘right to a family life’ – may be used when appealing against deportation orders or the rejection of asylum claims, to ensure that the UK’s immigration rules are no longer abused.

These measures support the Government’s Plan for Change mission to secure borders through systematic immigration reform. The approach includes returning 35,000 people with no right to remain since July 2024, surging illegal working raids and arrests by 50%, and increasing asylum decision-making by more than 116%.

The press release issued by the Home Office on 9 August 2025.

Illegal workers arrested in nationwide enforcement surge as part of government’s drive to crack down on immigration crime.

Hundreds of arrests have been made across the UK following a week-long crackdown on riders working illegally for delivery firms.

Under Operation Equalize, the Home Office’s Immigration Enforcement teams launched a nationwide intensification week of activity targeting illegal working hotspots, with a focus on the gig economy and migrants working as delivery riders.

Between 20 and 27 July 2025, a total of 1,780 individuals were stopped and spoken to, leading to 280 arrests for illegal working activity.

As a direct result of this operation, 53 individuals are now having their asylum support reviewed, which could result in their support being suspended or withdrawn.

This follows warnings from ministers last month that anyone caught flagrantly abusing the immigration system could face having their asylum support ceased, such as entitlement to accommodation or payments. Those caught working illegally face removal from the UK.

The results come as the Home Office confirms today (9 August) that Immigration Enforcement teams will receive a £5 million funding boost to ramp up illegal working intensification activity even further.

The cash injection, to be drawn from the £100 million investment for border security announced earlier this week, will contribute to a major surge in enforcement visits over the coming months.

It will allow officers to revisit and re-attend illegal working hotspots more frequently and increase enforcement teams’ intelligence gathering capabilities to support frontline enforcement activity.

The results of Operation Equalize come just weeks after the Home Office announced a new agreement with top food delivery firms that will see Deliveroo, Uber Eats and Just Eat receive new information concerning the location of asylum hotels to help better target people working illegally.

Minister for Border Security and Asylum, Dame Angela Eagle said:

Illegal working undermines our border security and we’re cracking down hard on it.

That’s why we have intensified our enforcement activity right across the UK to crack down on those who think they can evade immigration and employment laws in the UK.

This government is making sure rules are respected and enforced – this operation is just one example of our relentless efforts to bear down on organised immigration crime at every level in our communities.

In addition to the arrests made as part of Operation Equalize, 51 businesses, including car washes, restaurants and retail premises, were issued with Civil Penalty Referral Notices. This could see them face hefty fines if they are found to have employed illegal workers and failed to conduct relevant pre-employment checks.

The operation was also supported by police forces across the UK, with officers seizing 71 vehicles throughout the week, including 58 e-bikes, as well as £8,000 in cash under the Proceeds of Crime Act and around £460,000 in illicit cigarettes.

During one Operation Equalize visit on Tuesday 22 July, officers in West London arrested 7 Indian nationals in Hillingdon, with 5 detained as a result.

Meanwhile, Immigration Enforcement Officers made 3 arrests in Dumfries, Scotland during a joint operation with police and Trading Standards on tobacco control.

And on Friday 25 July, 5 e-bikes were seized by police in Birmingham city centre where Immigration Officers arrested 2 riders of Bangladeshi and Ethiopian nationality for illegal working offences.

Eddy Montgomery, Director of Enforcement, Compliance and Crime at the Home Office, said:

We continue to intensify our activity against those who think they can get away with working illegally.

My teams have been taking action around the clock, all across the country and I thank them for their hard work, co-operation and skill in dealing with this challenging issue.

I welcome the additional funding which will allow us to strengthen our enforcement efforts against illegal working further, to ensure those fuelling it are caught.

The government is also tightening the law by making it a legal requirement for all companies, including the gig economy, to check that anyone working for them has the legal right to do so. This will end the abuse of flexible working arrangements. The new measures will be introduced through the landmark Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill.

These measures form a key part of a whole system approach to tackling illegal migration from every angle, by removing the false promise of jobs used by smuggling gangs to sell spaces on small boats.

Just this week, the Home Office announced the latest step towards dismantling the criminal trade in small boat crossings as the UK-France treaty to target illegal crossings came into force. The groundbreaking agreement means anyone entering the UK on a small boat can be detained immediately on arrival and returned to France by the UK government, with detentions having already begun.

On top of this, a wider £100 million investment in border security, confirmed earlier this week, will drive a major new crackdown by funding up to 300 extra National Crime Agency Officers and state of the art technology to smash the networks putting lives at risk in the Channel.

Since coming into power a year ago, the government has also returned 35,000 people with no right to be in the UK, including failed asylum seekers, immigration and foreign national offenders. Since the election, there are now fewer asylum hotels open, saving millions of taxpayers’ money.

The press release issued by the Home Office on 7 August 2025.

First illegal immigrants detained under the groundbreaking UK-France treaty.

Immigrants who arrived in the UK on a small boat have been detained under the UK-France treaty, which is now operational.

Detentions began for those who arrived in the UK on a small boat yesterday lunchtime (August 6). They will be held in immigration removal centres pending their removal. The UK will make referrals to France within 3 days, and the French authorities will be expected to respond within 14 days. Those detained will be briefed on the procedure through which their return to France will take place, and the next operational phase of preparing each individual for removal will be activated.

Today (August 7) the reciprocal process to allow migrants to submit an expression of interest to come the UK has also begun. Applicants must satisfy the eligibility and suitability criteria, including uploading a passport or other identity documents as well as a recent photograph. For those selected, they will have to pass further stringent security checks and biometric controls, meaning that only those individuals that the UK Government has approved for entry will be allowed through the new route.

As the one-in, one-out pilot scheme continues into its implementation phase, the Home Office is also working to communicate information about the new treaty to any migrants in Northern France and beyond who are considering making a dangerous small boat crossing, with a hard-hitting campaign warning them not to risk their money or their life, to be promoted in the coming days across multiple channels.

Border Force, Immigration Enforcement and Home Office officials will continue to work round the clock over the coming weeks to identify and detain individuals under the treaty, and undertake the necessary processes to prepare them for their return to France. Both the UK and French authorities will also be keeping the operation of the scheme under constant review in these initial weeks to deal with any emerging issues, as well as seeking to ramp up the pace and scale of returns as the agreement progresses.

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said:

Yesterday, under the terms of this groundbreaking new treaty, the first group of people to cross the Channel were detained after their arrival at Western Jet Foil and will now be held in detention until they can be returned to France. That sends a message to every migrant currently thinking of paying organised crime gangs to go to the UK that they will be risking their lives and throwing away their money if they get into a small boat.

No one should be making this illegal and dangerous journey that undermines our border security and lines the pockets of the criminal gangs.

Criminal gangs have spent 7 years embedding themselves along our border and it will take time to unravel them, but these detentions are an important step towards undermining their business model and unravelling the false promises they make. These are the early days for this pilot scheme, and it will develop over time. But we are on track to do what no other government has done since this crisis first started – sending small boat arrivals back to France and strengthening our borders through the Plan for Change.

Returns to other countries and immigration enforcement work will continue alongside the treaty. In its first year in office, this government returned more than 35,000 people with no right to be in the UK – a 28% increase in returns of failed asylum seekers and a 13% increase in overall returns compared to the previous year. The government also ramped up activity against illegal working, with over 9,000 raids since July 2024, resulting in 6,410 arrests – up 48% and 51% on the previous year.

The press release issued by the Home Office on 6 August 2025.

Access to AI-enabled investigation tools expanded to all police forces in England and Wales, helping officers identify, expose and take down criminal networks.

Children, young people and vulnerable adults across England and Wales will be better protected from grooming gangs and other vile organised exploitation, as all police forces gain access to leading-edge investigative technology. The government is injecting £426,000 of new funding into the Tackling Organised Exploitation (TOEX) Programme so it can extend access to its Capabilities Environment, a suite of state-of-the-art investigative apps and tools, to every police force in England and Wales, building on the 13 which currently have access.

The TOEX Capabilities Environment expansion supports the first phase of Operation Beaconport, the new national policing operation announced following Baroness Casey’s National Audit on Group-based Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse. Police officers will be able to access the tools to assist with any criminal investigation in their force. To date, these tools have been used 12,500 times by the 13 forces which have access to them, saving over £20 million and 16,000 investigator hours. This is expected to increase exponentially with the funded expansion.

Led by the National Crime Agency in collaboration with the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC), the Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE) Taskforce and the TOEX Programme, Operation Beaconport will, for the first time, bring together the full strength of policing to address past failures, deliver justice, and ensure complex cases of group-based child sexual exploitation – including grooming gangs – are enhanced to ensure offenders are pursued and vulnerable members of our communities are protected.

Operation Beaconport has already begun work that will lead to the review of more than 1,200 closed cases of group-based child sexual exploitation cases that were not progressed to prosecution. Following this initial review, recommendations will be made to forces to reinvestigate cases that have been improperly closed, and to the Crown Prosecution Service to review a previous charging decision when it appears to be incorrect.

Jess Phillips, Minister for Safeguarding and Violence Against Women and Girls, said:

The sexual exploitation of children by grooming gangs is one of the most horrific crimes and we must punish perpetrators, provide justice for victims and survivors, and protect today’s children from harm.

In June, this government responded to Baroness Casey’s report by announcing a national inquiry to direct targeted local reviews, alongside a new national police operation – measures that will deliver real results – and we’ve wasted no time in making these happen.

Baroness Casey flagged the need to upgrade police information systems to improve investigations and safeguard children at risk. Today we are investing in these critical tools.

Part of the Home Office-funded CSE Taskforce, the TOEX Programme provides dedicated intelligence, analytical, and technical expertise to support forces undertaking complex investigations into organised exploitation crimes such as modern slavery, county lines, and child sexual abuse and exploitation, including grooming gangs.

The TOEX Capabilities Environment is already available in all nine regional organised crime units and is being used by 13 forces. With today’s announcement of new funding, all police investigators in England and Wales will have access to the full array of TOEX’s AI-enabled, time-saving tools. These include the Data Analysis and Review Tool, which analyses large amounts of digital data to identify communications patterns and relationships between suspects; and TOEX Translate, a tool for the bulk translation of foreign language text from seized mobile devices.

Deputy Chief Constables Becky Riggs, NPCC lead for child protection and abuse investigation and Dave McLaren, NPCC lead for the national intelligence portfolio, said:

This funding gives every force access to proven tools that make a real difference in our ability to investigate complex crimes, safeguard victims, and pursue offenders more effectively.

The TOEX Programme is a powerful example of what we can achieve when we combine operational insight with innovative technology. The national rollout of these tools will improve outcomes for victims and deliver a more consistent, intelligence-led approach across the country.

The Home Secretary has also written to all police forces urging them to make sure they are fulfilling their obligation to collect suspect ethnicity data as part of the government’s commitment to transparency and accountability.

As part of the Plan for Change mission to create safer streets by increasing public confidence in policing and the criminal justice system, the government is committed to ensuring forces have the tools they need to protect communities.

Further details on the national inquiry and Operation Beaconport will be announced in the coming weeks as the government continues to prioritise protecting children, pursuing perpetrators and supporting victims and survivors.

Graeme Biggar, National Crime Agency Director General, said:

Following the publication of Baroness Casey’s report in June, we have been working with policing partners to develop and implement a national operation, in response to recommendation 2 of the report – to establish a comprehensive national response to group-based CSE across England and Wales.

Providing reassurance to victims, survivors and their families is our main focus. We must and will ensure their voices are heard and collectively, we will restore confidence that the law enforcement response to child sexual exploitation is without fear or favour, is evidence based and not undermined by fears of inflaming community tensions.

We are working closely with stakeholders from across many sectors to define the scope and delivery model of the operation and will provide further updates when we are able to.

Vicki Green, CEO, Marie Collins Foundation, said:

We welcome the Home Office’s investment in technology that helps detect offenders and protect children. The use of AI tools to support faster investigations, identify victims earlier, and bring offenders to justice is a vital step forward. Technology used to safeguard children and ensure perpetrators have nowhere to hide is something we wholeheartedly applaud.

Gabrielle Shaw, Chief Executive of the National Association for People Abused in Childhood (NAPAC), said:

NAPAC welcomes this step towards a more intelligence-driven and trauma-informed policing response. As part of the CSE Taskforce, we have seen how technology can reveal complex patterns of abuse – its true value lies in how it is applied and whether it leads to meaningful action that survivors can trust. Drawing on over 27 years of insight from supporting adult survivors, NAPAC knows how important it is to recognise patterns early and respond with consistency and care. The expanded use of TOEX tools across all police forces is a positive move that could help deliver stronger outcomes for those affected by organised exploitation.

The press release issued by the Home Office on 4 August 2025.

The treaty provides a legal basis for the groundbreaking UK-France ‘one-in, one-out’ pilot scheme.

The latest step towards dismantling the criminal trade in small boat crossings was taken today by the ratification of a treaty between the UK and France to help prevent dangerous journeys at sea.

The agreement means that anyone entering the UK on a small boat can be detained immediately on arrival and returned to France by the UK government – with detentions expected to begin within days. Under the ‘one-in, one-out’ scheme, an equal number of migrants will be eligible to come to the UK through a new route if they have not attempted an illegal crossing before – subject to full documentation and security and eligibility checks.

Today’s ratification follows Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron’s announcement of the landmark pilot scheme just under 4 weeks ago. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper and French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau signed the final text last week. The EU Commission, Germany and other partners have given the green light on this innovative approach to deter illegal migration and prevent criminal smuggling networks operating across Europe.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said:

This government has been fixing the foundations of the broken asylum system we inherited and today we send a clear message – if you come here illegally on a small boat you will face being sent back to France.

This is the product of months of grown-up diplomacy delivering real results for British people as we broker deals no government has been able to achieve and strike at the heart of these vile gangs’ business model.

The days of gimmicks and broken promises are over – we will restore order to our borders with the seriousness and competence the British people deserve.

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said:

For the first time, under this groundbreaking new treaty, people who undertake illegal, dangerous journeys to the UK – putting lives at risk and fuelling organised crime – can be returned to France. In return, we will take people who apply legally with appropriate documentation to be transferred to the UK, subject to clear eligibility criteria and stringent security checks.

This is an important step towards undermining the business model of the organised crime gangs that are behind these crossings – undermining their claims that those who travel to the UK illegally can’t be returned to France. Now, as part of our Plan for Change, they can be.

It is also right to make clear that – while the UK will always be ready to play its part alongside other countries in helping those fleeing persecution and conflict – this must be done in a controlled and managed legal way, not through dangerous, illegal and uncontrolled routes.

We will develop the pilot step by step and will trial different approaches as part of it, and alongside this scheme, we will continue to take action at every level to dismantle the criminal enterprise behind this vile trade, boosted by the £100 million in new investment announced this week to support increased enforcement against the gangs.

Under the new UK-France returns treaty, any adult migrant who crosses the Channel will now be at risk of return under the pilot scheme if their claim for asylum is considered inadmissible. Immigration Enforcement have set aside space at Immigration Removal Centres, while Border Force have an operational strategy ready to identify and process groups of inadmissible migrants for removal.

Learning the lessons from the lengthy legal challenges affecting the Migration and Economic Development Partnership with Rwanda, the UK government is also prepared to robustly defend any legal challenges to removal within the initial trial phase, as we look to ramp up both the pace and scale of returns over the course of the pilot scheme.

The treaty governing the pilot scheme will remain in force until June 2026, and over this period both countries have committed to continually review and improve the process and effectiveness of this innovative approach, pending decisions on the long-term future of the arrangements after June 2026.

Returns to other countries and immigration enforcement work will continue alongside the treaty. In its first year in office, this government returned more than 35,000 people with no right to be in the UK – a 28% increase in returns of failed asylum seekers and a 13% increase in overall returns compared to the previous year. The government also ramped up activity against illegal working, with over 9,000 raids since July 2024, resulting in 6,410 arrests – up 48% and 51% on the previous year.

The French authorities are also increasing their enforcement activity to prevent small boat crossings, disrupt supplies of equipment to the French coast and arrest members of the criminal groups behind the trade.

A new ‘Compagnie de Marche’ of specialist enforcement officers, supported by increased local policing, has been put in place; a specialist intelligence and judicial police unit has been established in Dunkirk to speed up the arrest and prosecution of people-smugglers; and a review of the French maritime approach has been undertaken to allow greater interception of boats in shallow waters.

For migrants in France wanting to come to the UK legally, they will be able to submit an Expression of Interest application for the new legal route online and the Home Office will make a decision. They will need to satisfactorily establish their identity and nationality and will be subject to strict security and eligibility checks.

Anyone who arrives by small boat and is returned to France will not be eligible for the legal route to the UK, while anyone who tries to re-enter the UK having already been returned to France once will be returned again as a matter of priority.

The press release issued by the Home Office on 3 August 2025.

Criminal networks smuggling migrants on dangerous small boats to be targeted with £100m funding boost.

Dangerous criminal gangs profiting from deadly small boats crossings will face a major new crackdown following a £100 million investment in border security.

The funding will pay for up to 300 extra National Crime Agency officers (NCA), state-of-the art detection technology and new equipment to smash the networks putting lives at risk in the Channel.

The investment will see the Border Security Command, the NCA, the police and other law enforcement agency partners receive a significant cash injection to strengthen investigations targeting smuggling kingpins and disrupt their operations across Europe, the Middle East, Africa and beyond.

The package of up to £100 million will boost existing law enforcement operations and allow more intelligence to be gathered on organised immigration crime gang members, support upstream capacity building, purchase sophisticated technology and equipment to strengthen UK border security and disrupt the people-smuggling gangs.

The investment will build on the recent successes under existing funding, including the arrest and prosecution of major smuggling gang kingpins, the seizure of over 600 small boats and engines, and the disruption of a further 351 criminal gangs through the work of the NCA.

It comes as the NCA announced their biggest people-smuggling raid and seizure of boat engines in Bulgaria last week – showing the impact increased international law enforcement operations can have.

The comprehensive funding package will include:

• Funding to support the new pilot of the ‘one-in, one-out’ returns agreement between the UK and France, which for the first time will see migrants who arrive illegally on small boats returned to France.
• An uplift in NCA staff of up to 300 personnel focused on intelligence targeting crime gang members.
• New state-of-the-art technology and equipment for the detection and disruption of organised immigration crime, including hi-tech surveillance capabilities, and AI-assisted intelligence and data analysis tools.
• Funding to support the implementation of extended police powers to seize and download digital devices to gather evidence and intelligence, announced under the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill.
• Funding for the recently-established Organised Immigration Crime Domestic Taskforce, which is driving law enforcement operations targeting the elements of organised immigration crime activity operating out of the UK, from the facilitation of boat crossings to the running of modern slavery networks.
• Funding to intensify illegal working enforcement by increasing overtime for ICE teams, enabling more premium-time deployments, funding redeployment of officers to high-risk regions, boosting intelligence generation, and supporting sanctions teams to target non-compliant employers—delivering rapid operational uplift without requiring new permanent staff.
• And funding to support a series of interventions upstream as well as intensified efforts in transit countries across Europe, Middle East, Africa and Asia to target organised immigration crime, disrupt human trafficking and the supply of dangerous small boat equipment, while also continuing to correct the lies peddled by criminal gangs to would-be migrants.

The investment will also support the new powers that will be introduced when the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill becomes law, which will include the introduction of a UK-wide offence to criminalise the creation and publication of online material that promotes a breach of immigration law, such as the advertisement of small boat crossings on social media.

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said:

For six years, the small boat smuggling gangs were allowed to embed their criminal trade along our coast, and have shown a ruthless ability to adapt their tactics and maximise their profits, no matter how many lives they put at risk. They must not be allowed to get away with this vile crime.

That is why this government has developed a serious and comprehensive plan to dismantle their business model, from disrupting their supply chains across the European continent to clamping down on their illegal working operations here in the UK.

In the last twelve months, we have set the foundations for this new and much stronger law enforcement approach – establishing the new Border Security Command, strengthening the National Crime Agency and UK police operations, increasing Immigration Enforcement, introducing new counter terror style powers in our Border Security Bill, and establishing cooperation agreements with Europol and other countries.

Now this additional funding will strengthen every aspect of our plan, and will turbo-charge the ability of our law enforcement agencies to track the gangs and bring them down, working with our partners overseas, and using state-of-the-art technology and equipment. Alongside our new agreements with France, this will help us drive forward our Plan for Change commitments to protect the UK’s border security and restore order to our immigration system.

National Crime Agency Director General of Operations Rob Jones said:

The NCA focuses on making the biggest impact on organised crime groups behind these lethal crossings.

We currently have 91 investigations ongoing into the most dangerous people smuggling networks impacting the UK, and are working with partners at home and abroad to target, disrupt and dismantle them.

This additional funding will help boost our capacity and capability, enabling us to target more offenders.

The NCA has reported that, in the 2024/25 financial year, it achieved 351 NCA-led disruptions of organised immigration crime networks and activity – its highest level on record – and a 40 percent increase on the previous financial year. That included 56 high-impact NCA-led disruptions, which meant that those particular investigations led to the prosecution and disruption of those directly responsible for committing the crimes, and resulted in a significant and/or long term impact on the capability of the organised crime group involved.

These new measures fall within government’s Plan for Change. The government is restoring order to the immigration system, including the introduction of new legislation under the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill, tougher enforcement powers, ramping up returns to their highest levels for more than half a decade and a major crackdown on illegal working to end the false promise of jobs used by gangs to sell spaces on boats.

It builds on the work this government has already undertaken to restore order to the immigration system, surging enforcement action against illegal migration, with a 50% increase in arrests of those caught working illegally, returning 35,000 people with no right to be in the UK, and imposing tougher sanctions against gang ring leaders, key intermediaries and suppliers of people-smuggling equipment.

The press release issued by the Home Office on 2 August 2025.

New offence to target criminal gangs promoting dangerous journeys like Channel crossings to the UK on social media.

In a blow to the people smugglers’ business model, the government has outlined new measures through its Plan for Change to crack down on social media content which promotes small boat crossings and fuels organised immigration crime.

Under a new amendment to the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill currently going through Parliament, a new, UK-wide offence will be introduced to criminalise the creation of material for publication online, which promotes or offers services facilitating a breach of UK immigration law. This could include small boat crossings, the creation of fake travel documents like passports or visas, or explicitly promising illegal working opportunities in the UK.

While facilitating illegal migration is already a crime, the proposed changes would add another string to law enforcement’s bow, better enabling them to disrupt the gangs while they are publicising people-smuggling activities and provide an additional tool when building a case against those peddling this content.

Home Office analysis shows that approximately 80% of migrants arriving via small boats told officials that they used social media during their illegal journey to the UK, including to locate or communicate with an agent or facilitator associated with an organised crime group.

Many people who come to the UK and end up working illegally are often sold a false narrative about their ability to live and work here, creating a draw for people to risk their lives by crossing the Channel in a small boat. That’s why this offence will also crack down on content which explicitly promises illegal work which clearly breaches UK immigration laws.

The proposed measure will also make it a crime to post online content that encourages someone to break UK immigration law in exchange for financial incentives. An example of this would be someone being paid by a people smuggler to post content on social media which promotes illegal journeys to the UK.

Individuals caught by the offence could receive a prison sentence of up to 5 years and a large fine.

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said:

Selling the false promise of a safe journey to the UK and a life in this country – whether on or offline – simply to make money, is nothing short of immoral.

These criminals have no issue with leading migrants to life-threatening situations using brazen tactics on social media. We are determined to do everything we can to stop them – wherever they operate.

We have to stay one step ahead of the ever-evolving tactics of people-smuggling gangs and this move, part of our Plan for Change to boost border security, will empower law enforcement to disable these tactics faster and more effectively, ensuring people face proper penalties.

National Crime Agency Director General (Operations), Rob Jones, said:

We know many of the people-smuggling networks risking lives transporting people to the UK promote their services to migrants using social media.

The majority of migrants arriving in the UK will have engaged with smugglers in this way. This is why we work with social media companies to target smugglers’ accounts, and we’ve increased the pace of takedowns.

These proposed new powers will offer UK law enforcement additional options to target criminal gangs and their business models as they use online platforms for their criminality.

Joanne Jakymec, a Chief Crown Prosecutor for the Crown Prosecution Service, said:

We have been working with the Home Office on this standalone offence to provide our expertise on how best to shape its inclusion in the Border Security Bill to impact people smugglers.

Once it’s in force, the CPS won’t hesitate to charge cases where we have evidence of suspects using social media to advertise small boat crossings, fake travel documents, or illegal working opportunities.

We will also use the additional money allocated to us this year to recruit specialist lawyers to prosecute immigration crime cases referred to us by law enforcement agencies.

Online adverts for people-smuggling services are part of the business model for organised crime groups that everyone in the Border Security Command is working tirelessly to disrupt and stop.

The National Crime Agency (NCA) has taken action against a number of people-smuggling organised crime groups where social media accounts have been used to promote crossings, including a South Wales-based gang who were convicted in November 2024 and smuggled thousands of migrants across Europe. Social media videos posted by those who had been successful were used to promote the service they offered.

Another network operated by Preston-based smuggler Amanj Hasan Zada, later jailed for 17 years, also posted videos of migrants thanking him for helping them.

Cases of Albanian people smugglers who have used social media platforms to promote £12,000 ‘package deals’ to Britain including accommodation and employment upon arrival would also be within scope under the new measure.

Since December 2021, the NCA has worked closely with social media companies to remove around 22,000 posts promoting organised immigration crime, with more than 8,000 removed in 2024 – a 40% increase on the previous year. The new measure will bolster efforts by the NCA and other law enforcement to build cases against those who facilitate organised immigration crime in this way.

Combined with the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill’s new counter-terror style powers, the new legislation will ensure law enforcement are able to investigate, disable and bring people-smuggling gangs to justice faster.

In many cases, people smugglers who post content on social media also help facilitate journeys, for example by sourcing boats and exchanging information. That is why the bill will also make it a crime to supply or handle items suspected of being used to assist illegal entry into the UK, such as small boat parts – which could lead to a prison sentence of up to 14 years. It will further introduce an offence to collect information to be used by organised immigration crime gangs, such as small boat crossing departure points and timings.

Collectively, the measures will allow law enforcement to intervene in people-smuggling activity at a much earlier stage, disrupting their work before crossings can take place.

On top of this robust new legislation, the government has surged enforcement action against illegal migration, with a 50% increase in arrests of those caught working illegally, returning 35,000 people with no right to be in the UK, and imposing tougher sanctions against gang ring leaders, key intermediaries and suppliers of people-smuggling equipment.

And last month the Prime Minister agreed a groundbreaking new returns deal with the French. The pilot scheme will see small boat arrivals being returned to France, then an equal number of migrants will be able to come to the UK from France through a new legal route.

The agreement is intended to prevent illegal migrant journeys across Europe to the UK and prevent dangerous small boat crossings, helping to undermine the business model of organised gangs profiting from people’s misery by showing others these journeys could result in them being returned to France – ultimately saving lives.

The press release issued by the Home Office on 1 August 2025.

Government confirms 4.2% pay increase for all police ranks up to chief superintendents. Pay boost will be backed by £120 million funding from the Home Office.

Police officers across England and Wales are set to receive an above-inflation 4.2% pay rise, the government has announced.

The increase, which applies to all ranks up to and including chief superintendents, forms part of a wider effort to support frontline policing and public protection – one of the key missions of the government’s Plan for Change.

The pay increase will mean the starting salary for a police constable will be £31,163, an increase of £1,256. The typical salary for a constable who has been in post 6 years will be £50,257 and the average earning for a chief superintendent will be £98,500. In addition to the headline pay rise, the government is also increasing on-call, away from home, and hardship allowances by £10.

The pay boost reflects the bravery, professionalism and tireless dedication of officers who protect the public, and will be supported by £120 million from the Home Office to help protect police force budgets.

London weighting will be boosted by 4.2%, reflecting the demands placed on officers in the capital.

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said:

Our brave police officers work day and night, often making enormous sacrifices, to keep us safe. This government is proud to back them in doing so and today’s pay award is a clear signal of our gratitude, and our determination, to ensure they are properly rewarded for their service.

Policing is the bedrock of a secure Britain and our Plan for Change. We are committed to investing in the frontline and supporting officers who work every day to tackle crime, keep our streets safe and protect our communities.

The pay rise underscores the Home Secretary’s commitment to investing in the frontline and supporting officers, and delivering the Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee. A key part of the government’s Plan for Change, this will keep our streets safe and restore public confidence through visible, community-focused policing.

Measures in the guarantee include:

• restoring neighbourhood policing to cut crime in our communities and keep our streets safe
• named, contactable officers for every neighbourhood
• guaranteed police patrols in busy areas at peak times, such as town centres
• new career pathways and standards from the College of Policing

Making good on this commitment, the government has already provided funding of up to £1.2 billion to police forces this year, including £200 million to put an additional 3,000 neighbourhood officers by next spring.

The press release issued by the Home Office on 1 August 2025.

Communities hit hardest by knife crime see a drop in offences and more weapons removed from the streets.

The number of robberies involving a knife – or the threat of one – have dropped after months of targeted police action in seven highest risk areas, according to new data published by government today.

After seeing a stark rise in knife-enabled robbery in the year to June 2024, driven by a 14% increase across seven police forces, the Home Secretary set up a dedicated police taskforce last October and after just nine months of activity, there has been a 6% overall reduction compared with the previous year across those highest risk areas – with places like the West Midlands seeing a substantial annual drop of 25%.

The reduction has been driven by intense police efforts and a range of tactics, including upping visible patrols, using drones, knife arches and detection dogs to support police on the ground, and deploying plain clothes officers.

Home Secretary, Yvette Cooper:

Since day one we have acted with urgency to turn the tide on knife crime, which destroys lives and devastates communities.

When we came to office, knife-enabled robbery was increasing at a concerning rate, but we have now started to drive numbers of those offences down through the work of our dedicated taskforces, and as a result, we have also seen the first small reduction in overall knife crime for four years.

The drop in knife enabled robbery in key problem areas shows the impact that our strong new action on knife crime is having, but we now need to supercharge these efforts through more smart and targeted interventions. Anyone can be a victim of knife crime, but new ‘hex mapping’ technology shows that the vast majority of knife crime is concentrated in a relatively small, hyper concentrated number of areas.

As part of the Plan for Change, we will use that new technology to support our mission to halve knife crime over the next decade. In the 2020s, the way to be ‘tough on crime and tough on the causes of crime’ is also to be smart on crime, using the latest technology to target criminals and problem areas, and keep the country safe.

The announcement comes as a ban on ninja swords come into force today – the first part of the government’s manifesto commitment to introduce Ronan’s Law, and latest step under the pledge to halve knife crime in the next decade.

Ahead of the ban, at least a thousand deadly weapons have been handed in following the country’s largest weapons surrender scheme.

Launched in June, the Home Office developed this scheme with members of the Coalition to Tackle Knife Crime to provide a broader range of ways the public could surrender weapons outside of police stations. This saw Faron Paul, CEO of FazAmnesty, driving a custom built and fully secure surrender van, across London, Greater Manchester and the West Midlands, and Words4Weapons supplying 37 new surrender bins, all funded by the Home Office. The surrender van will also be deployed at this year’s Notting Hill Carnival.

Pooja Kanda, knife crime campaigner and mother to Ronan said:

Ronan was just 16 years old when his life was stolen by a 22-inch ninja sword that should never have been so easy to buy. Ronan’s Law is not only a step towards justice for my son, but for every parent who wants to see their child come home safely.

This law is about saving lives, closing dangerous loopholes, and holding those responsible to account.

The government’s knife surrender scheme has been a sign of commitment to tackling the scourge of knife crime. While there is still much more to do, these are significant steps in the right direction.

Sandra Campbell, CEO of Word 4 Weapons said:

For over 16 years, Word 4 Weapons has played a leading role in the UK’s national weapon surrender schemes, enabling thousands of knives and dangerous items to be taken off the streets through our network of secure and accessible surrender bins.

These initiatives are designed to help save lives, raise awareness, and give communities a practical way to reduce harm.

We therefore welcome the government’s decision to ban dangerous weapons like ninja swords, a move that reinforces the importance of community-led approaches to tackling knife and weapon-related violence. We remain committed to supporting this work and expanding our efforts to build safer public spaces for all.

Ronan’s Law will also see the government bring in the toughest measures to date to tackle the sale of weapons online – requiring retailers to report bulk or suspicious knife orders to the police; put in place more stringent age verification checks and impose significant fines on tech executives whose platforms fail to prevent illegal sales.

As part of the government’s mission to halve knife crime over the next decade the Home Office is also delivering a pilot using sophisticated new mapping technologies to target hyper concentrated knife crime hotspots, backed by up to £5 million this year.

This funding will be targeted towards 50 of the top 100 hyper local knife crime hotspots to trial targeted intervention tactics and prevent further offending. This could include using more facial recognition and advanced knife detection technology, or the use of police drones to support the increased presence of police officers in our communities – part of the government’s Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee.

These activities are taking place against the backdrop of the summer long Safer Streets Initiative launched by the Home Secretary to tackle town centre crime, which is delivering a smarter, more visible police and community operation across the country.