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Tag: Press Release

  • PRESS RELEASE : Russia must immediately cease its bombardment of Ukrainian energy infrastructure: UK statement to the OSCE [April 2024]

    PRESS RELEASE : Russia must immediately cease its bombardment of Ukrainian energy infrastructure: UK statement to the OSCE [April 2024]

    The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 11 April 2024.

    Acting Ambassador Deirdre Brown condemns Russia’s aerial attacks across Ukraine which have impacted all major cities and resulted in the deaths of civilians.

    Thank you, Madam Chair. During the last Permanent Council, the United Kingdom condemned Russia’s aerial attacks across Ukraine, and since then these attacks have continued to intensify, including last night.

    Energy infrastructure has been targeted and extensively damaged, leaving millions of civilians without power and water. The widespread impact of these attacks could last for months. The UK calls on Russia to cease its bombardment of Ukrainian energy infrastructure.

    As a direct result of these aerial strikes, dozens of civilians have been injured or killed, including children. There has been further damage to civilian infrastructure including residential buildings. Multiple attacks have impacted health and education facilities.

    All major cities across Ukraine have been impacted by the recent attacks. Kharkiv has been badly damaged, where over the weekend at least nine high rise buildings were damaged, 10 civilians were killed and a further eight injured.

    Two years since the appalling discoveries made in Bucha, it is clear that Russia continues to use terrible tactics. Many of us previously condemned the double-tap strike at Odesa on 15 March which killed at least 20 civilians and injured more than 70. The first Russian missile hit residential buildings, and when emergency teams rushed to the scene, another missile struck the same location causing further causalities. Russia repeated the same tactic on 3 April in Kharkiv when Russian drones hit high-rise apartment blocks and private homes. Rescue workers were among the seven killed as the site of the attack was brutally targeted in a repeat assault.

    Russia also continues to endanger lives across the region through its illegal seizure of Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant. Everything possible must be done to reduce the risk of a nuclear incident. Ultimately, Russia must return full control of the Plant to the rightful sovereign owner to ensure safe and secure operation.

    The UK remains fully committed to supporting Ukraine so it can defend itself against Russia’s aerial attacks, with £2.5bn earmarked for further military support throughout 2024. This includes a recently announced £325m of bilateral support to provide more than 10,000 advanced drones, and £245m to continue to provide much-needed artillery ammunition.

    As part of the United Kingdom’s contribution to the international Air Capability Coalition for Ukraine, which will see allies and partners working together to bolster Ukraine’s air capabilities, 10 pilots received basic flying, ground school and language training in the UK. They will one day form the first line of defence in protecting Ukraine’s skies from President Putin’s forces. We are proud that the trainees join more than 60,000 Ukrainians who have received training in the UK since President Putin first ordered the invasion of Crimea in 2014.

    Every day since Russia invaded Ukraine, we have seen the tragic consequences of Russian aggression, but every day we have also been reminded of the courage and resilience of the Ukrainian people.

    The only path to peace is if Russia ceases its illegal war, withdraws all its forces and military equipment from Ukraine, and respects the will of the Ukrainian people for a wholly independent and democratic Ukraine. Thank you.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Net migration package delivered as family visa tightened [April 2024]

    PRESS RELEASE : Net migration package delivered as family visa tightened [April 2024]

    The press release issued by the Home Office on 11 April 2024.

    Income required to bring family to the UK increased as final measure of package to reduce legal migration comes into force.

    The Home Secretary has delivered on his promise to transform the UK’s immigration system, cut unsustainable and unfair levels of migration, and ensure those arriving here do not burden the taxpayer.

    The final measure in the Prime Minister and Home Secretary’s package to reduce legal migration will see the minimum income required to sponsor someone coming to the UK on a family visa increased from £18,600 to £29,000 from today (11 April) – an increase of more than 55%. By early 2025, this will have increased 2 more times, rising to £38,700 – to meet the new salary threshold for a Skilled Worker visa.

    Today’s change comes as the Home Secretary meets his commitment to implement his major package of reforms to the immigration system within weeks of announcing them – which came following the unveiling of measures to tighten the student visa route in May 2023. It means approximately 300,000 people arriving in the UK last year would no longer be able to.

    The full set of measures, which have all been implemented, include:

    • ending the ability of nearly all students to bring dependants to the UK
    • restricting care workers from bringing family members
    • requiring care providers to register with the Care Quality Commission if they are sponsoring migrant care workers
    • commissioning the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) to carry out a rapid review of the Graduate route for international students to prevent abuse, protect the integrity and quality of UK higher education and ensure it works in the best interests of the UK
    • increasing the minimum salary required for those arriving on the Skilled Worker visa, from £26,200 to £38,700
    • replacing the Shortage Occupation List with a new Immigration Salary List, with employers no longer able to pay migrants less than UK workers in shortage occupations

    Home Secretary, James Cleverly, said:

    We have reached a tipping point with mass migration. There is no simple solution or easy decision which cuts numbers to levels acceptable to the British people.

    Whether it was words unsupported by action, unfounded optimism or just plain wishful thinking that migration would fall on its own, indifference of any kind is never going to work – only determined action, backed by strong resolve, will deliver needed change.

    I promised action and we have delivered at remarkable speed. We’ve acted to cut unsustainable numbers, to protect British workers and their wages, to ensure those bringing family to the UK do not burden taxpayers, and to build an immigration system fit for the future – and one the public can rightly have confidence in.

    The staged approach to increasing the income requirement gives predictability to families, enabling them to plan accordingly, whilst ensuring that anyone coming to the UK to be with their family or loved ones is supported financially.

    The government has been clear that family life cannot be established in the UK at the expense of taxpayers, and migrants joining their family must integrate into society and play a full part in British life.

    The income requirement, which had remained unchanged for more than a decade, helps to ensure families are self-sufficient and not relying on public funds, whilst making a positive impact on the economy. The sponsoring family member, or in combination with the applicant if they are in the UK with permission to work, must now have an income of at least £29,000 earned in the UK. The requirement can be met in a number of ways, including through savings exclusively or in addition to a lower income.

    The government has been clear that current levels of immigration are too high – putting pressure on public services, housing, and undercutting British workers – which is why decisive action was taken in December. The government’s ambition for a high-skill, high-wage economy cannot rely on mass migration, and measures introduced as part of the package will protect British workers, encourage business to invest in, and recruit, workers domestically, while prioritising only the very best talent from abroad.

    Delivery of this comprehensive series of measures comes as the government cracks down on rising migration, both legally and illegally, and reforms the immigration system. The plan is working, with small boats crossings down by around a third last year. Work continues to tackle this global challenge and this includes stepped-up enforcement action with international partners to clamp down on criminal gangs.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Russia should release Kara-Murza immediately on humanitarian grounds: Foreign Secretary on the anniversary of Vladimir Kara-Murza’s arrest [April 2024]

    PRESS RELEASE : Russia should release Kara-Murza immediately on humanitarian grounds: Foreign Secretary on the anniversary of Vladimir Kara-Murza’s arrest [April 2024]

    The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 11 April 2024.

    Foreign Secretary David Cameron marks 2 years since the arrest of Vladimir Kara-Murza for opposing Russia’s illegal war in Ukraine.

    Foreign Secretary David Cameron said:

    Two years on from Vladimir Kara-Murza’s arrest on fabricated charges, I urge the Russian authorities to release him immediately on humanitarian grounds.

    A committed human rights activist striving for a democratic Russia, and an outspoken critic of the war in Ukraine, Mr Kara-Murza was considered a threat by the Kremlin. Putin locked him up in a bid to silence him.

    We must call out Russia’s callous disregard for his declining health. The victim of two separate poisoning attempts prior to his imprisonment, Mr Kara-Murza is now being subjected to degrading and inhumane conditions in prison, clearly designed to further damage his physical and mental well-being. He has been refused the urgent medical treatment he so desperately needs.

    Through diplomatic interventions at the highest levels, financial sanctions targeted at those behind his poisoning and imprisonment, and by raising his case on the international stage, we are sending a clear message that the UK will not stand for this abhorrent treatment of one of our citizens.

    Russia’s depraved treatment of political prisoners must end.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Update on passport application fees [April 2024]

    PRESS RELEASE : Update on passport application fees [April 2024]

    The press release issued by the Home Office on 11 April 2024.

    The passport fee increases came into force on 11 April 2024.

    The proposals, which are subject to parliamentary approval, will include the following:

    • a standard online application made from within the UK will rise to £88.50 for adults and £57.50 for children
    • a standard postal application will increase to £100.00 for adults and £69.00 for children
    • a standard online application when applying from overseas will rise to £101.00 for adults and £65.50 for children
    • a standard paper application when applying from overseas will increase to £112.50 for adults and £77.00 for children

    The new fees will help ensure that income from these applications better meets the cost of delivering passport and associated operations, reducing reliance on funding from general taxation. The government does not make any profit from the cost of passport applications.

    The fees contribute to the cost of processing passport applications, consular support overseas, including for lost or stolen passports, and the cost of processing British citizens at UK borders. The increase will also help enable the government to continue improving its services.

    The new fees include those newly applying or renewing their passport.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Change of British High Commissioner to India: Lindy Cameron [April 2024]

    PRESS RELEASE : Change of British High Commissioner to India: Lindy Cameron [April 2024]

    The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 11 April 2024.

    Ms Lindy Cameron CB OBE has been appointed British High Commissioner to the Republic of India in succession to Mr Alex Ellis CMG who will be transferring to another Diplomatic Service appointment.  Ms Cameron will take up her appointment during April 2024.

    Curriculum vitae

    Name: Lindy Cameron

    Date Role
    2020 to 2024 Chief Executive, National Cyber Security Centre
    2019 to 2020 Northern Ireland Office, Director-General
    2016 to 2019 DFID, Director-General Country Programmes
    2014 to 2015 DFID, Director Middle East, Humanitarian, Conflict & Security
    2012 to 2014 Joint MoD-FCO-DFID Stabilisation Unit, Director
    2011 to 2012 DFID, Deputy Director Middle East and North Africa
    2011 MoD, Royal College of Defence Studies
    2009 to 2010 Helmand, Head of Provincial Reconstruction Team and FCO Senior Representative in Southern Afghanistan
    2008 to 2009 Cabinet Office, Deputy Director
    1998 to 2007 DFID – various leadership roles including postings to Kabul and Baghdad.  Governance adviser roles including postings to Hanoi and Lagos, and regional work in the Balkans
  • PRESS RELEASE : Northern Irish business leaders need bigger role in UK’s public institutions [April 2024]

    PRESS RELEASE : Northern Irish business leaders need bigger role in UK’s public institutions [April 2024]

    The press release issued by the Cabinet Office on 11 April 2024.

    Business and community leaders based across Northern Ireland are being urged to apply for roles that run the UK’s public institutions.

    Baroness Neville-Rolfe, Minister of State at the Cabinet Office, is in Belfast today speaking to the business community about the expertise and skills they can bring to the public sector.

    There are over 300 public institutions in the UK that offer such roles. These include everything from the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission and the Office for Environmental Protection, to Honours Committees and the BBC.

    The UK Government makes over 1,000 public appointments per year across a range of sectors, with new roles going live every week.

    Current roles on offer include: Executive Chair of Innovate UK; Chair of the Geospatial Commission; Northern Ireland Chair of the Veterans Advisory and Pensions Committee; and Independent Member of the House of Lords Appointments Commission.

    Baroness Neville-Rolfe will speak to over 100 business and community leaders today who have signed up to the event at the Lagan Valley Island Conference Centre in Lisburn.

    She will highlight the strengths in Northern Ireland industry citing the health and social work sector, which employs nearly 150,000 people, and the value professionals from this sector could bring to health-related public appointments including on boards of NHS bodies.

    The Minister will also discuss the business community’s expertise in managing micro and small businesses, relevant to roughly 75,000 professionals across the country, which provides transferable skills for operating in small board teams.

    Belfast has also been chosen as the location of this event due to its key role in the UK Government’s levelling up agenda. Amongst other investments, the UK Government has awarded £120 million to projects in Northern Ireland through its levelling up fund.

    The Government will further support Northern Ireland to capitalise on its unique opportunities by providing £150 million to develop an Enhanced Investment Zone.

    Baroness Neville-Rolfe, Minister of State at the Cabinet Office, said:

    I am particularly keen to increase the number of successful candidates from across the UK including here in Northern Ireland.

    Public appointees get the chance to improve vital public services, get more involved with their communities, work with a wide range of talented people and make a difference to society. They are extremely rewarding roles and can help accelerate people’s careers.

    The skills and expertise here in Northern Ireland are highly transferable and can provide great value to the UK’s public institutions. I strongly encourage professionals in the area to consider applying for a position.

    Mukesh Sharma MBE DL, Chair of the National Lottery Heritage Fund in Northern Ireland and UK Trustee, said:

    One of the most rewarding things I have experienced in my own public appointments is having the opportunity to learn about different communities across the country.

    Through my previous role as member of The Northern Ireland Executive Commission on Flags, Identity, Culture and Tradition, and my current appointment to The National Lottery Heritage Fund, I have gained an insight into challenges faced by government and communities across the UK. These appointments have given me an opportunity to challenge and improve.

    If you are looking for a new experience to broaden your career and connect to communities, I would encourage you to apply to a public appointment.

    Also speaking at the event are Eileen Mullan – a founder of Boardroom Apprentice, a programme that aims to boost diversity in boardrooms – and Adriana Morvaiova, a former boardroom apprentice and current diversity, equity and inclusion specialist.

    Eileen said:

    For many people, their perceptions surrounding the makeup of boardroom members are often one of a number of determining factors which leads them not to apply.

    With 9 cohorts and 435 Boardroom Apprentices, we know the Boardroom Apprentice is working. The follow up tracker shows that 56% of the first five cohorts are actively involved on Boards 12 months following completion.

    When the Boardroom Apprentices go on to realise their aspiration and serve, I couldn’t be prouder – you know you are doing something right.

    Adriana said:

    The boardroom apprentice program has been a pivotal milestone in my journey, empowering me with crucial skills and affirming my inherent talents and passion. It taught me skills and knowledge I was able to transfer to all areas in my life. It equipped me with the knowledge and confidence to become a competent board member.

    Stepping into public appointments has myriad benefits. They offer opportunities to network, broaden perspectives, influence policies, and contribute meaningfully to society. Bringing business and innovation experience from the private sector across to the public sector, creates space for learning and positive change.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Business is blooming in East Africa – UK suspends tariff for flower exports [April 2024]

    PRESS RELEASE : Business is blooming in East Africa – UK suspends tariff for flower exports [April 2024]

    The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 11 April 2024.

    The UK has suspended the Global Tariff for cut flowers to increase trade and provide better value for consumers.

    Thursday 11 April – From today, the UK has temporarily removed export tariffs for cut flowers, with the aim of making trade with the UK easier and cheaper for growers in East Africa and beyond.

    Unlimited quantities of flowers can now be exported to the UK at 0% tariff, even if they transit via a third country. This is particularly important for East African flower growers who transport their blooms via third-countries or auction houses before they arrive in the UK.

    The move aims to increase trade and further strengthen the economic relationship between the UK and the region. UK consumers could win big too – on price, seasonality and variety.

    The suspension of 8% duty for cut flowers applies across the world but will be a big win for major flower growing regions in Kenya, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda. The duty suspension will remain in place for two years from 11 April 2024 to 30 June 2026.

    His Majesty’s Trade Commissioner for Africa, John Humphrey said:

    The UK’s relationship with East Africa is rooted in mutually beneficial trade. This additional flower power will allow trade to bloom. We go far when we go together… or in this case, we grow far when we grow together, further reinforcing the UK’s commitment to the expansion of trade in East Africa.

    In 2022, Kenya was ranked as the fourth biggest exporter of cut-flowers in the world, with 6% of global cut-flower exports. Ethiopia is the second largest cut flower producer in Africa, making up 23% of Sub-Saharan African exports. In 2023, the value of trade in cut flowers between the UK from Ethiopia was valued at £12.6m, Rwanda at £727,000, £839,000 from Tanzania, and £1.1m from Uganda.

    Notes to editors

    The UK Global Tariff (UKGT) on cut flowers will be suspended for two years from 11 April 2024 to 30 June 2026. It allows for unlimited quantities of flowers to enter the UK, particularly if they transit through a third country or the flower auctions in the Netherlands – where previously an 8% UKGT would apply.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Business Minister celebrates multibillion-pound green tech funding milestone for UK aerospace sector [April 2024]

    PRESS RELEASE : Business Minister celebrates multibillion-pound green tech funding milestone for UK aerospace sector [April 2024]

    The press release issued by the Department for Business and Trade on 11 April 2024.

    Business Minister Alan Mak celebrates the 10th anniversary of the Aerospace Technology Institute (ATI) and a landmark £3.6 billion funding milestone.

    • Business Minister Alan Mak celebrates landmark 10-year anniversary for joint government-industry funded Aerospace Technology Institute (ATI).
    • Historic milestone covers £3.6 billion in funding to deliver a long-term plan to produce more than 400 cutting-edge aerospace R&D projects across the UK in past decade, supporting thousands of jobs.
    • Aerospace industry leaders react to 10 years of crucial programme.

    Business Minister Alan Mak will celebrate a multibillion-pound funding milestone for cutting-edge green technology in the UK aerospace sector today (10 April).

    The Minister will join UK aerospace industry leaders at an event to mark the 10-year anniversary of the Aerospace Technology Institute (ATI), a joint government-industry funded organisation that drives world-class research in sustainable aviation.

    He will join Airbus, Rolls-Royce and a range of other leaders to celebrate the success of the ATI in making the UK a world leader in cleaner and greener air travel, with £3.6 billion of government and industry funding being allocated to more than 400 different aerospace R&D projects across the breadth of the UK over the past decade.

    This funding has helped deliver the long-term change our country needs to deliver a brighter future for Britain, and improve economic security and opportunity for everyone.

    These projects have pioneered new technologies which will help develop a new generation of zero-emission aircraft, supporting thousands of high-skilled jobs across the country.

    Business Minister Alan Mak said:

    Our world-class aerospace sector is a British success story, with government and industry coming together to provide billions of pounds in unprecedented support to help us lead the way on cleaner, greener air travel.

    Over the last decade the ATI has been crucial to this, helping our aerospace industry soar to new heights and supporting thousands of jobs while continuing to grow our economy.

    Over a decade ago, government joined together with industry through the Aerospace Growth Partnership to create the ATI, responding to calls for the UK to develop its own R&D programme for the aerospace sector.

    This has secured long-term planning and funding sources through the ATI Programme, with the £3.6 billion of joint government-industry funding for transformative technology projects in air transport so far.

    Furthering the aviation research agenda through developing cleaner, greener air travel is a principal aim of the ATI.

    Successes include:

    • over 400 cutting-edge R&D projects funded since the start of the ATI Programme
    • the Rolls-Royce UltraFan demonstrator aero engine technology ground demonstrator – the largest in the world, with greater fuel efficiency, lower emissions and greater sustainability
    • the Airbus-led Wing of Tomorrow programme – the next generation of carbon composite aircraft wings
    • Rolls-Royce seized the world-speed record for electric aircraft with its battery-powered Spirit of Innovation aircraft
    • SMEs such as ZeroAvia and Cranfield Aerospace developing new generation zero emission aircraft and propulsion systems
    • investment in research facilities from the Osney lab in Oxford to the new Whittle Lab in Cambridge and the National Centre for Combustion and Aerothermal Technology in Loughborough

    Aerospace funding is a key priority for the Government, with £200 million of joint government and industry funding dedicated to R&D projects announced in the recent Spring Budget, supporting the development of energy efficient and zero-carbon aircraft technology.

    This came after the Government announced £975 million in funding over five years from 2025 for the ATI programme in the 2023 Autumn Statement.

    Industry leaders and experts from across the sector have reacted to the ATI’s key milestone:

    ATI CEO Gary Elliott said:

    Since the ATI was created ten years ago, we have helped to transform the UK aerospace sector through the development of advanced and innovative technologies – setting the sector on the path to Net Zero 2050 with our Destination Zero strategy. The ATI Programme has helped secure jobs, support growth, return economic value to the UK and position the UK to capture market share in next-generation sustainable aircraft.

    All of this has been made possible through collaboration – between the ATI, the many organisations across the UK who have delivered over 400 projects and, of course, our partners in the Department for Business and Trade and Innovate UK. Looking ahead to the next ten years, I am confident that the ATI will play a critical role in making the UK the world’s most vibrant ecosystem for Net Zero aerospace technology.

    Airbus UK Chairman John Harrison said:

    For the last decade, the ATI has been instrumental in supporting Airbus’ technology developments that are improving our commercial aircraft and helicopters flying today and those for tomorrow. Technologies such as how we design and build aircraft wings and accelerate the development of hydrogen powered aircraft.

    We’re looking forward to another decade of pushing boundaries, boosting innovation and upskilling people right here in the UK to keep our industry ahead of the beat.”

    Rolls-Royce Group Director of Engineering, Technology and Safety Simon Burr said:

    The ATI is a fundamental part of keeping the UK at the forefront of aerospace innovation and technology. It has remained a strong and unifying force for the aerospace sector that has strengthened the UK’s offer.

    The ATI’s role in supporting our work to develop more sustainable aviation solutions has been particularly significant. This includes the development of our UltraFan demonstrator engine, confirmation of the compatibility of 100% sustainable aviation fuels with our current in-production engines, and ground-breaking research into hydrogen-capable aerospace technologies.

    The aerospace sector has dealt with multiple global challenges in the ten years the ATI has been in existence, such as supply-chain shocks, unprecedented increases in passenger numbers and global skills shortages.

    The research and innovation inspired and brought into existence by the programme has helped the UK maintain its position as a world-leader in aerospace manufacturing and, as a result, cleaner, greener, global aviation.

    Chief Executive Officer of ADS Kevin Craven said:

    The UK’s world-leading aerospace sector provides high-skilled jobs throughout the country and is renowned for excellence in innovation, technology and sustainable development. Set against a backdrop of increasing global competition, the Aerospace Technology Institute has been pivotal in attracting industry co-investment and driving continued UK leadership in innovation, making it a true partner for our industry for the last decade.

    ATI support has been invaluable to our industry – from the largest OEMs to the SMEs that are fundamental to our industrial ecosystem. Long may its investment continue!

    Russ Dunn, Chief Technology Officer, GKN Aerospace said:

    The Aerospace Technology Institute is the crown jewel of the UK’s aerospace ecosystem.  It represents the best of collaboration between Industry and Government and continues to demonstrate the UK’s ability to create the most innovative and impactful aerospace technology.

    GKN Aerospace, our technologies and our people, have benefitted greatly from ATI support. From our role on the Wing of Tomorrow programme, to our expanding hydrogen technology portfolio; incorporating H2GEAR and HYFIVE, the ATI continues to match our ambition and our drive at every turn.

    Truly sustainable aerospace is both a huge technical challenge and a huge economic opportunity for the UK; we believe zero emissions flight for the commercial market is achievable and that the ATI is a core partner in delivering that future.

    Founder and CEO of ZeroAvia Val Miftakhov said:

    The ATI’s impact in bringing zero-emission, hydrogen engines further up the industry agenda – directly via its funding of innovators like ourselves and through the seminal research of Fly Zero – is of huge importance to delivering a clean future for flight.

    The ATI is in many ways world-leading and it will help the UK capture more aerospace exports as the global industry becomes reliant on cleaner propulsion technologies.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Rishi Sunak call with Taoiseach Harris of Ireland [April 2024]

    PRESS RELEASE : Rishi Sunak call with Taoiseach Harris of Ireland [April 2024]

    The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 10 April 2024.

    The Prime Minister spoke to Ireland’s Taoiseach Simon Harris this afternoon, on the 26th anniversary since the signing of the Belfast (Good Friday Agreement), to congratulate him on his appointment.

    The Prime Minister and Taoiseach began by reflecting on the strong UK-Ireland bilateral relationship and the shared importance of stability in Northern Ireland. They agreed that the restoration of the devolved institutions underpinned and deepened the British-Irish bilateral relationship.

    They discussed the strengthening of the economic ties and growth in bilateral trade between the UK and Ireland as the closest of neighbours.

    Turning to the Middle East, they agreed that Hamas should unconditionally release the remaining hostages from the deplorable 7th of October attack on Israel and expressed their grave concern over the worsening humanitarian situation and the need for Israel to accelerate the scale of aid delivered to Gaza. The Prime Minister reiterated his position that a two-state solution provided the best basis for a political settlement.

    On Ukraine, the leaders agreed on the vital importance of supporting Ukraine against Russian aggression to defend Ukraine’s sovereignty and protect European security. The Prime Minister looked forward to working more closely with Taoiseach on this important shared priority.

    The leaders agreed to stay in contact in the coming months and the Prime Minister said he looked forward to welcoming the Taoiseach to the UK-hosted European Political Summit in July.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Twelve arrested after Home Office raid on bed factory [April 2024]

    PRESS RELEASE : Twelve arrested after Home Office raid on bed factory [April 2024]

    The press release issued by the Home Office on 10 April 2024.

    Twelve immigration offenders have been arrested following a Home Office raid on a bedding and mattress factory in the West Midlands.

    Immigration Enforcement officers descended on the business, acting on intelligence that illegal working was taking place on site.

    They arrested 7 men – all Indian nationals – for suspected illegal working.

    Four more Indian men were arrested at a nearby cake factory. They were found to be in breach of their visa conditions and one was also working illegally.

    An Indian woman was then arrested for immigration offences at a private home, with further raids planned throughout the afternoon.

    Four of the offenders were detained pending consideration for removal from the UK. The remaining 8 were bailed on the condition they report regularly to the Home Office.

    The 2 businesses could now face substantial fines if it is established they have employed illegal workers and have failed to conduct relevant pre-employment checks.

    In February this year, the Home Office tripled fines for employers who allow illegal migrants to work for them. For a first breach this has gone from £15,000 to £45,000 per illegal worker and for repeat breaches within 3 years the fines have increased from £20,000 to £60,000.

    Michael Tomlinson MP, Minister for Countering Illegal Migration, said:

    This operation is a clear example of the way we are stepping up immigration enforcement activity across the country.

    Employers found to be breaching the rules can expect significantly increased fines, and, if workers are found to have no right to live or work here, we will not hesitate to act and remove them from the country.

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

    Illegal working causes serious harm to communities, puts vulnerable people at risk and defrauds the public purse.

    The arrests send a clear message that we are clamping down on this dangerous practice.

    People smugglers sell migrants the lie that they can work in the UK. The reality is that they can’t – and those found to be working illegally or facilitating this crime will face the full weight of the law.

    More information on our increased fines can be found on GOV.UK