Home Office gives extra £100m for plans to smash people-smuggling gangs
There will be more overtime for immigration compliance and enforcement teams as well as funding for interventions in transit countries across Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia.
Labour is seeking to deter smuggling gangs in a bid to bring down small boat crossings, which have topped 25,000 for the year so far – a record for this point in the year.
(PA Graphics)
The 'one in, one out' deal agreed last month means the UK will for the first time be able to send migrants back to France in exchange for asylum seekers with links to Britain.
Anyone who advertises small boat crossings or fake passports on social media could be face up to five years in prison under a new offence to be introduced under the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said Labour had set the foundations for a 'new and much stronger law enforcement approach' over the last year.
She said: '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.'
The NCA has 91 ongoing investigations into people-smuggling networks affecting the UK, the agency's director general of operations Rob Jones said.
The Conservatives criticised the funding announcement as a 'desperate grab for headlines which will make no real difference'.
Shadow home secretary Chris Philp said: 'Labour has failed and their laughable claim to smash the gangs lies in tatters. They have no serious plan, just excuses, while ruthless criminal gangs flood our borders with illegal immigrants.
'The British public deserves real action, not empty slogans and tinkering at the edges. The Conservative Deportation Bill is the only real solution. Immediate detention, rapid removal and shutting down these illegal networks for good.'
Nigel Farage said it was an effort to 'throw taxpayer money at the illegal immigration crisis and hope it will go away'.
'Another £100 million here or there won't move the needle. It won't stop the boats or the gangs,' the Reform UK leader wrote in The Daily Express.
A Reform UK spokesperson said: 'Until the Government gets serious about deporting every migrant that crosses the Channel, nothing will change. Only Reform will ensure the boats stop and every illegal that enters the country is sent home.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
BBC News
2 minutes ago
- BBC News
MP sets up A47 group after dualling near Peterborough is axed
An MP has set up a safety improvement group after plans to upgrade a dangerous section of the A47 to a dual carriageway were West Cambridgeshire Labour MP Sam Carling said the group, which includes parish councils, will push for average speed cameras and better infrastructure for cyclists in a bid to reduce accidents between Wansford and Sutton, near Secretary Heidi Alexander axed the £100m scheme in July, accusing the previous Conservative government of promising infrastructure projects with "no plan to pay for them".Mr Carling said, the group hoped to bring a "more deliverable set of safety interventions that could be implemented quickly". As part of the safety scheme, the group is reviewing a range of possible measures, including safer junction layouts, overtaking restrictions and speed reductions, and lay-by closures and redesigns. Mr Carling said: "I have made it clear that something needs to be done to make this stretch of the A47 safer, and I'm glad to be bringing partners together to get a better plan in place."People have waited long enough. We now have a chance to deliver real, practical safety improvements – and I'm determined we make the most of it." The dualling scheme had been paused for several years due to planning complications, heritage concerns and rising costs, and the absence of upgrades at the A1 latest decision to axe the 1.6-mile (2.5km) project was met with Beuttell, a Conservative member of Huntingdonshire District Council, said she was "devastated" by the news.A public consultation is expected later this year to gather views from residents on the new safety group's recommendations before a proposal is put to the government. Follow Peterborough news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
South Wales Guardian
10 minutes ago
- South Wales Guardian
Artificial intelligence rollout for police forces to investigate grooming gangs
Officers across all 43 forces in England and Wales will gain access to the investigative technology as part of a £426,000 funding boost for the Tackling Organised Exploitation (TOEX) programme. The intelligence and technical experts support forces investigating complex cases such as organised exploitation of modern slavery, county lines and child sex abuse. Some 13 forces currently have access to their apps, which are said to have been used 12,500 times – saving more than £20 million and 16,000 hours for investigators. The expansion, announced by the Home Office, comes after Baroness Casey recommended a national police operation to review cold cases, in her rapid audit on grooming gangs published in June. Operation Beaconport has since been established, led by the National Crime Agency, and will be reviewing more than 1,200 closed cases of child sexual exploitation. Safeguarding minister Jess Phillips 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. '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.' The technology being rolled out can translate large amounts of text in foreign languages from mobile phones seized by police, and analyse a mass of digital data to find patterns and relationships between suspects. NCA director general Graeme Biggar said providing reassurance to victims and their families has been a main focus of the national policing operation since June. He added: '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.' The Home Secretary has also written to police forces to make sure they are collecting ethnicity data as recommended by Baroness Casey. The crossbench peer's report found the lack of data showing the ethnicity and nationality of sex offenders in grooming gangs is 'a major failing over the last decade or more'. The audit found that officials had dodged the issue of ethnicity among the groups of sex offenders for fear of being called racist, but there were enough convictions of Asian men 'to have warranted closer examination'. The Government has launched a national inquiry into the abuse and further details are expected to be announced in the coming weeks.
The Herald Scotland
22 minutes ago
- The Herald Scotland
Water boss accused of negotiating pay for just 15 minutes
Mr Plant earns £483,000 - £100,000 more than his predecessor. [[Scottish Water]] did not confirm the length of time spent in negotiations by Mr Plant, but told The Herald the boss had been "fully engaged" in the process. Labour's Central Scotland MSP Monica Lennon has accused the water body of failing to "negotiate in good faith" with trade unions. Strikes by Scottish Water workers concluded after an improved offer was accepted by unions. The pay deal for 2024-25 and 2025-26 financial years is worth a minimum of £2,850 for members on salary bands one to six. Staff on band seven salaries will receive an additional £3,030 while band eight workers gain another £3,771. There were 10 days of strike action this year after the employer initially offered a pay rise of £1,050 for the lowest grade salaries. This, and a later 7% increase over two years, had been rejected by staff. Read more: Despite the strikes being called off, unions remain unhappy and have urged the company to reduce its reliance on contractors and agency staff, with approximately £3 million spent during this year's strikes. In a letter to the First Minister, seen exclusively by The Herald, Ms Lennon condemned the "unacceptable" situation which has led to Scottish Water executives being exempt from public sector pay policy. "I have seen clear evidence that Scottish Water failed to negotiate in good faith with unions of the past year to settle this dispute," Ms Lennon wrote. "Senior managers appeared to take a 'hands-off' approach and there was little engagement with staff. "I have been told chief executive Alex Plant attended just 15 minutes of talks. To put that into perspective, Unison's branch secretary Tricia McArthur logged 200 hours of work on the issue." While Mr Swinney has previously expressed support for public ownership, Ms Lennon warned the water firm appeared to be "drifting towards a completely different model". "The company has made significant decisions on how services are delivered without any involvement from unions, including a major transformation programme," she added. Read more: "Due to the direct impact on staff, those changes deserve detailed scrutiny." The Labour MSP, whose parliamentary register of interests state she is a member of the GMB and Unite the Union, told the First Minister: "It is time for the Scottish Government to act. Ministers must remind [[Scottish Water]] that it is publicly owned - and must operate in the interest of staff and the wider public." The Herald revealed the Scottish Water boss's pay rise in February, despite public sector pay rules stating he was expected to receive a 10% cut. The increase was a record in recent years with performance bonuses and benefits amounting to £170,000 on top of a £246,000 basic salary. A Scottish Water spokesperson said: 'The trade union members who work at Scottish Water voted strongly in favour of our recent pay deal. 'The more than 7.5% increase over two years builds on a decade where pay deals have kept well ahead of inflation, reflecting the company's commitment to its people and fair work principles. 'Alex Plant, our chief executive, was fully engaged in decision making with negotiations led by Peter Farrer, our chief operating officer, and Lynne Highway, our director for people, as part of the consultation and negotiating structure agreed by the Joint Trade Unions. Each dedicated significant amounts of time to pay talks over many months. 'Publicly owned Scottish Water is the UK's top performing water company with 94% customer satisfaction and one of the most trusted utilities in the UK, according to the Institute of Customer Service. 'Scotland's bathing waters have also recently achieved new quality records with 87% rated 'good' or better according to the independent regulator, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA). The UK Government's Independent Water Commission also recently noted 'Scotland has a greater number of water bodies achieving 'good' status compared to England and Wales''. Ms Lennon's letter warns the First Minister that the public are at risk of losing trust in the water industry following a spending scandal at regulator Water Industry Commission for Scotland (Wics). The regulator spent £77,000 on a Harvard Business School course for a senior executive, as well as a number of meals and gift cards for staff which exceeded gift value limits. Climate Action Secretary Gillian Martin admitted "shortcomings" in how the government handled the spending saga. Ms Martin said: "Following the recent week long strike, I wanted to ensure a positive way forward which fell within the spirit of the Government's public sector pay policy; was affordable to Scottish Water's employees and minimised the impact on customers. "The Scottish Government has been assured that Scottish Water's pay negotiations with the Unions was transparent and in line with fair work principles and aligned with the appropriate standards for a public corporation. "There are no plans to privatise Scottish Water. Scottish Water is performing extremely well as a publicly owned corporation, matching the levels of service provided by companies in England and Wales whilst ensuring that households in Scotland pay less than in the rest of the UK. "All profits go back into improving the service, never to shareholders and that is the way it will stay under this government."
