logo
Home Office to share data on asylum hotel locations with food delivery firms

Home Office to share data on asylum hotel locations with food delivery firms

Currently delivery riders discovered to be sharing their accounts with asylum seekers have their profiles suspended.
The latest measures hope to crack down further on the practice.
The gig economy firms have also been increasing real-time identity and right to work checks which has led to thousands of workers being taken off the platforms, the Home Office said.
Shadow home secretary Chris Philp claimed last month to have found evidence of people working illegally for the food delivery firms during a visit to a hotel used to house asylum seekers.
Asylum seekers in the UK are normally barred from work while their claim is being processed, though permission can be applied for after a year of waiting.
Delivery firms met Home Office bosses earlier this month to discuss the concerns of abuse in the sector.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said: 'Illegal working undermines honest business, exploits vulnerable individuals and fuels organised immigration crime.
'By enhancing our data sharing with delivery companies, we are taking decisive action to close loopholes and increase enforcement.
'The changes come alongside a 50% increase in raids and arrests for illegal working under the Plan for Change, greater security measures and tough new legislation.'
The three delivery companies said they were fully committed to working with the Home Office and combatting illegal working.
Ministers promised a 'nationwide blitz' to target migrants working illegally as part of efforts to deter people from coming to the UK from France.
Officials hope to tackle the 'pull factors' attracting migrants to the UK alongside the deal struck by Sir Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron earlier this month to send some people who reach England in small boats back to France.
More than 23,500 migrants have arrived in the UK after crossing the English Channel so far in 2025, a record for this point in the year.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Starmer rejects calls for Palestinian statehood as Trump flies to the UK
Starmer rejects calls for Palestinian statehood as Trump flies to the UK

Western Telegraph

time29 minutes ago

  • Western Telegraph

Starmer rejects calls for Palestinian statehood as Trump flies to the UK

Some 221 MPs have signed a letter urging the British Government to recognise the state of Palestine at a meeting of the UN next week. The UK would follow in the footsteps of France if it did, though Mr Trump claimed French President Emmanuel Macron's announcement was 'not going to change anything' ahead of flying to the UK on Friday. The appalling scenes in Gaza are unrelenting. The UK will pull every lever we have to get food and lifesaving support to Palestinians, and we will evacuate children who need urgent medical assistance. This humanitarian catastrophe must end. — Keir Starmer (@Keir_Starmer) July 25, 2025 Sarah Champion, a senior Labour MP who co-ordinated the cross-party letter, said recognition 'would send a powerful symbolic message that we support the rights of the Palestinian people'. While the PM said he was 'unequivocal' about wanting to see a Palestinian state, he insisted this needed to be part of a 'wider plan which ultimately results in a two-state solution and lasting security for Palestinians and Israelis'. The UK and its allies must work together to broker a peace, he added, likening the effort to the coalition of the willing to support Ukraine. Sir Keir is expected to meet Mr Trump on Monday, as the US president stays in Scotland ahead of a full state visit later this year. President Donald Trump speaks to the media after he arrived at Prestwick Airport in Scotland (Jacquelyn Martin/AP) On Friday evening, amid mounting global anger over the starving population in Gaza, the Prime Minister also suggested the UK will play a role in dropping aid into Gaza by air. He welcomed that Israel said it would allow aid to be delivered by parachute to alleviate starvation in Gaza. The Prime Minister said the step had 'come far too late', but he insisted the UK will 'do everything we can to get aid in via this route'. I know the British people are sickened by what is happening. The images of starvation and desperation are utterly horrifying Sir Keir Starmer Britain is already working alongside Jordan to get aid onto planes, the PM signalled, also adding that children from Gaza in need of specialist medical care will be evacuated to the UK for treatment. In a video statement released on Friday, Sir Keir made plain his desire for a ceasefire. He said: 'I know the British people are sickened by what is happening. The images of starvation and desperation are utterly horrifying. 'The denial of aid to children and babies is completely unjustifiable, just as the continued captivity of hostages is completely unjustifiable.' An Israeli soldier stands beside humanitarian aid packages (AP) Meanwhile, in a statement released alongside German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and France's Mr Macron, the Prime Minister urged Israel to stop restricting the flow of aid into Gaza. A call between the three leaders was expected on Friday, but has been postponed until the weekend. US-led peace talks in Qatar were cut short on Thursday, with Washington's special envoy Steve Witkoff accusing Hamas of a 'lack of desire to reach a ceasefire'. The deal under discussion is expected to include a 60-day ceasefire, and aid supplies would be ramped up as negotiations on a lasting truce took place.

Government warns asylum seekers they may be made homeless if they refuse to move out of migrant hotels into alternative accommodation - as current bill costs taxpayers £5.7million per day
Government warns asylum seekers they may be made homeless if they refuse to move out of migrant hotels into alternative accommodation - as current bill costs taxpayers £5.7million per day

Daily Mail​

timean hour ago

  • Daily Mail​

Government warns asylum seekers they may be made homeless if they refuse to move out of migrant hotels into alternative accommodation - as current bill costs taxpayers £5.7million per day

Asylum seekers could be made homeless if they refuse Home Office demands to move accommodation, the Government has warned. In a bid to stop migrants rejecting alternative housing without a valid reason, ministers will bring in new rules to tackle non-compliance. A 'Failure to Travel' policy will ensure illegal migrants who are moved from hotels to other 'suitable' accommodation must take it. If they refuse they could lose their housing and support, the Home Office said. Around 100 asylum seekers refuse to move accommodation each week, the Mail understands, and ministers currently have no powers to force them. Under the Conservatives, the Government threatened to remove housing and support from those who refused to move to the Bibby Stockholm barge, which is no longer in use. Labour's new plan will mirror the Tory rules, but will be applied more widely to other forms of accommodation. The 'firm but fair' policy is part of the Government's drive to end the use of expensive hotels to house asylum seekers. Chancellor Rachel Reeves has vowed to put a stop to the practice by 2029 - in a move she says will save £1billion a year. Currently, taxpayers are forking out £5.7million per day to house asylum seekers in hotels - at an average cost of £118.87 per person per night. Other accommodation, such as shared houses, is estimated to cost just £15 per night. Ministers are looking to buy tower blocks and former student accommodation to house migrants in a bid to reduce the hotel bill. More than 106,000 asylum seekers were in receipt of taxpayer-funded support as of March this year, including 32,000 in hotels. Asylum seekers are given free accommodation and a weekly allowance if the Home Office believes they would otherwise be destitute. The majority of those arriving on small boats qualify. Minister for Border Security and Asylum, Dame Angela Eagle, said: 'We inherited an asylum system on the brink of collapse - mismanaged, under strain, and costing the public a fortune. We are getting a grip. 'We are working to close hotels, restore order, and put fairness and value for money at the heart of our asylum system. This government is making those necessary decisions to protect the taxpayer and uphold the integrity of our borders. 'These reforms to the Failure to Travel policy are another example of this government's action to transform the asylum accommodation system and crack down on those who abuse our system, so it operates fairly and saves the taxpayer money.' The Mail this week reported how asylum seekers are using taxpayer handouts to fund their gambling habits. Home Office data, released to the PoliticsHome website, showed pre-paid cards given out to pay for basics including food and clothing are being used in gambling venues such as bookmakers, amusement arcades and even casinos.

Lebanese thug who 'murdered' beauty queen has fled to Britain on a small boat... so will we EVER be able to deport him?
Lebanese thug who 'murdered' beauty queen has fled to Britain on a small boat... so will we EVER be able to deport him?

Daily Mail​

timean hour ago

  • Daily Mail​

Lebanese thug who 'murdered' beauty queen has fled to Britain on a small boat... so will we EVER be able to deport him?

A Lebanese man accused of murdering his beauty queen wife fled to Britain on a small boat, the Mail can reveal. Ibrahim Ghazal, 36, allegedly suffocated model Zeina Kanjo to death in Beirut and is subject to an Interpol red notice. But he was able to spend years zig-zagging across Europe before becoming one of the record 23,000 arrivals by small boat into Britain from France this year. The alleged killer was last week jailed for nine months for attempting to arrive without a valid entry clearance. But Government officials face a potential crisis over what to do with him once his sentence has expired. Ghazal has already successfully escaped extradition from Germany and Sweden under Human Rights laws by claiming he faced execution if returned home, and it is feared he could do the same to avoid leaving Britain. Shadow home secretary Chris Philp said the shocking case showed the Government had no control over the migrants entering Britain. 'And we know that the illegal immigrants arriving are from nationalities 24 times more likely to end up in prison, especially for sex offences,' he added. 'Every illegal immigrant should be immediately deported upon arrival - then the crossings would soon end.' Ms Kanjo's murder in January 2021 sparked outrage in Lebanon and ignited a national debate about domestic violence issues facing women in the middle eastern nation. The 33-year-old model, who represented her country in a beauty contest in Egypt the previous year, had filed domestic violence and fraud cases against her new husband and was trying to divorce him when he allegedly killed her. Just hours after her death, Ghazal fled to Turkey and Lebanese channel Al Jadeed broadcast an audio recording in which he appeared to admit responsibility. In a conversation with Ms Zeina's sister, he allegedly said: 'I didn't want to, I didn't want her to die, when she was screaming, I just put my hand on her mouth.' Ghazal embarked on a journey across Europe, travelling through countries including Greece, the Netherlands and Luxembourg. He evaded arrest until December 2022 when he was detained in Stockholm under Interpol's red notice. Extradition was denied due to Sweden's refusal to send a suspect to a country where they may face execution, and when Ghazal was arrested again in Germany the same thing happened, according to Ms Kanjo's lawyer, Ashraf Al-Moussawi. 'The Swedish and German authorities required amendments to these laws as a condition for extradition, which wasn't feasible,' Mr Al-Moussawi said. 'But in reality, Lebanon hasn't carried out an execution since 1994, so it shouldn't have been an obstacle. 'Following the government's refusal to amend the law and the expiration of his detention in Sweden, he submitted a humanitarian asylum request, which was under review when he was released. 'He then wandered Europe until his recent arrest in England.' Mr Al-Moussawi urged the British government to find a way to send Ghazal back to Lebanon to face justice. Ms Kanjo's heartbroken father, Mohammed, said he had little faith in the Lebanese justice system, however, and claimed that while on the run Ghazal had been able to sneak back into the country to attend his cousin's wedding a year after his daughter's death. 'After all this time, I'm left wondering if justice will ever be served,' he told the Mail. 'It's like something is missing from your body, something that is not replaceable. 'I honestly hope he's not handed over to Lebanese authorities only to be imprisoned and then released again. 'Perhaps the British legal system will find a way to properly punish him.' Barrister Toby Cadman, an international criminal law specialist, said Britain may be able to extradite an individual to a country that has the death penalty if there are assurances the suspect will not face execution. 'It would be the same as when we send someone back to the US, where the death penalty still applies in some states,' he said. 'We have to receive a proper assurance that the death penalty won't be applied, and that various other conditions are met.' Ghazal was detained by the Border Force and was jailed by judge Ian Lawrie KC at Gloucester Crown Court last Wednesday after admitting entering the country unlawfully. A Government spokesman said: 'The Home Office never comments on whether extradition requests have or have not been received, and it is also our longstanding policy not to comment on individual cases. 'However, we will always do everything in our power to remove serious foreign criminals from the UK so they are not left free on our streets after completing their sentence.' Shadow justice secretary Robert Jenrick said the case showed the Government needed to wake up to the crisis in the Channel. 'We have seen terror suspects, murderers, rapists and drug dealers saunter into the country and jeopardise the safety of the British people,' he said. 'This is nothing less than a national security emergency.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store