Home Office
The first duty of the government is to keep citizens safe and the country secure. The Home Office has been at the front line of this endeavour since 1782. As such, the Home Office plays a fundamental role in the security and economic prosperity of the United Kingdom.
Junior Shadow Ministers / Deputy Spokesperson
Conservative
Lord Davies of Gower (Con - Life peer)Shadow Minister (Home Office)
Lord Murray of Blidworth (Con - Life peer)
Shadow Minister (Home Office)
Junior Shadow Ministers / Deputy Spokesperson
Conservative
Alicia Kearns (Con - Rutland and Stamford)Shadow Parliamentary Under Secretary (Home Office)
Ministers of State
Angela Eagle (Lab - Wallasey)Minister of State (Home Office)
Diana Johnson (Lab - Kingston upon Hull North and Cottingham)
Minister of State (Home Office)
Dan Jarvis (Lab - Barnsley North)
Minister of State (Home Office)
Lord Hanson of Flint (Lab - Life peer)
Minister of State (Home Office)
Parliamentary Under-Secretaries of State
Lord Sharpe of Epsom (Con - Life peer)Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
Seema Malhotra (LAB - Feltham and Heston)
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
Jess Phillips (Lab - Birmingham Yardley)
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
09:01
Written Evidence
This short inquiry is aimed at influencing the content of the Government’s new VAWG strategy, which is expected later this …
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of …
This Order amends the Immigration (Passenger Transit Visa) Order 2014 (S.I. 2014/2702) which requires certain passengers to hold a transit …
A Bill to make provision about anti-social behaviour, offensive weapons, offences against people (including sexual offences), property offences, the criminal …
Home Office Commons Appearances
Oral Answers to Questions is a regularly scheduled appearance where the Secretary of State and junior minister will answer at the Dispatch Box questions from backbench MPs
Other Commons Chamber appearances can be:- Urgent Questions where the Speaker has selected a question to which a Minister must reply that day
- Adjornment Debates a 30 minute debate attended by a Minister that concludes the day in Parliament.
- Oral Statements informing the Commons of a significant development, where backbench MP's can then question the Minister making the statement.
Westminster Hall debates are performed in response to backbench MPs or e-petitions asking for a Minister to address a detailed issue
Written Statements are made when a current event is not sufficiently significant to require an Oral Statement, but the House is required to be informed.
Bills currently before Parliament
Home Office does not have Bills currently before Parliament
Acts of Parliament created in the 2024 Parliament
Home Office has not passed any Acts during the 2024 Parliament
Home Office - Secondary Legislation
Petitions
e-Petitions are administered by Parliament and allow members of the public to express support for a particular issue.
If an e-petition reaches 10,000 signatures the Government will issue a written response.
If an e-petition reaches 100,000 signatures the petition becomes eligible for a Parliamentary debate (usually Monday 4.30pm in Westminster Hall).
(8,070 in the last 7 days)
(2,716 in the last 7 days)
(2,424 in the last 7 days)
(2,189 in the last 7 days)
(2,089 in the last 7 days)
(2,089 in the last 7 days)
(2,716 in the last 7 days)
(8,070 in the last 7 days)
(95 in the last 7 days)
(193 in the last 7 days)
c. 1,710 added daily
230,379
(Estimated)
Close the borders! Suspend ALL immigration for 5 years!
Sign this petition Gov Responded - 17 Jan 2025closes in 2 months, 1 week
We believe our country is facing serious challenges both from legal and illegal migration, and think the only way to deal with this is to suspend all immigration temporarily for 5 years.
Departmental Select Committee
Home Affairs Committee
Commons Select Committees are a formally established cross-party group of backbench MPs tasked with holding a Government department to account.
At any time there will be number of ongoing investigations into the work of the Department, or issues which fall within the oversight of the Department. Witnesses can be summoned from within the Government and outside to assist in these inquiries.
Select Committee findings are reported to the Commons, printed, and published on the Parliament website. The government then usually has 60 days to reply to the committee's recommendations.
11 Members of the Home Affairs Committee
Home Affairs Committee Member since 11th September 2024
Home Affairs Committee Member since 21st October 2024
Home Affairs Committee Member since 21st October 2024
Home Affairs Committee Member since 21st October 2024
Home Affairs Committee Member since 21st October 2024
Home Affairs Committee Member since 21st October 2024
Home Affairs Committee Member since 21st October 2024
Home Affairs Committee Member since 21st October 2024
Home Affairs Committee Member since 21st October 2024
Home Affairs Committee Member since 28th October 2024
Home Affairs Committee Member since 28th October 2024
Home Affairs Committee: Upcoming Events
Asylum accommodation
18 Mar 2025, 2 p.m.
At 2:30pm: Oral evidence
Sachin Savur - Researcher at Institute for Government
Dr Lucy Mort - Senior Research Fellow at Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR)
Professor Jonathan Darling - Professor in Human Geography at Durham University
At 3:30pm: Oral evidence
David Bolt - Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration at Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration
View calendar - Save to Calendar
Home Affairs Committee: 10 Current Inquiries
Home Affairs Committee: Previous Inquiries
50 most recent Written Questions
(View all written questions)Article 492 of the Trade and Cooperation Agreement already provides for the UK and the EU provide for visa-free travel for short-term visits in respect of their nationals in accordance with their domestic law.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
Revenue generated from passport fees contribute to the recovery of the costs provided for under section 86 of the Immigration Act 2016: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2016/19/section/86.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
The Government routinely publishes the details and costs of its procurement contracts on the contract finder website.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
The 2025-26 final police funding settlement provides funding of up to £19.6 billion for the policing system in England and Wales. This is an overall increase of up to £1.1 billion when compared to the 2024-25 and represents a 6% cash increase and 3.5% real terms increase in funding.
The Government is committed to ensuring police forces are supported to effectively tackle crime. That is why we have committed £200 million to kickstart the recruitment of 13,000 additional neighbourhood police officers and PCSOs in communities across the country.
Minister of State (Home Office)
Between 2020 to 2024, the National Crime Agency (NCA) submitted two applications for unexplained wealth orders (UWOs) in 2023 with one being granted within the same year and the other being granted in 2024.
There are a number of variables which impact an operational decision to seek a UWO including: the ease with which evidence can be obtained from overseas; whether it would be proportionate to go to the High Court; and suitability of alternative investigatory powers.
The NCA has several other well-established powers under Part 8 of the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002, which they may use to compel information regarding the ownership of asset during an investigation such as Production Orders and Disclosure Orders. The NCA continues to review whether cases are suitable for a UWO.
The Government committed to report on the number of UWOs applied for and obtained each year under the Economic Crime Transparency and Enforcement Act 2022.
The report covering the 2023-24 period can be found at: Unexplained wealth orders: 2023 to 2024 annual report - GOV.UK
Minister of State (Home Office)
Significant improvements have been made to Prevent over the last few years and a further package of work to strengthen Prevent was announced by the Home Secretary in December 2024. New reforms include the creation for the first time of an independent Prevent Commissioner role. This dedicated permanent oversight function will provide continuous independent scrutiny of Prevent legislation, policy and delivery to maximise Prevent’s effectiveness. To begin this work swiftly, Lord David Anderson KC was announced as the interim Commissioner on 21 January.
In relation to the cases raised by the Rt Hon member, we have published the Prevent Learning Reviews into each case and tasked Lord Anderson with conducting a rapid review of both cases. Lord Anderson will identify whether there is further learning regarding the specific handling of each case; examine improvements made to Prevent since each case and determine whether they have sufficiently strengthened the Prevent system; and identify any remaining gaps or shortcomings that require further improvement. This review will be published and swift action will be taken to implement the findings.
The Home Secretary has already announced a public inquiry into the Southport attack. We are moving swiftly to set up the inquiry and we expect to announce further details later this month, after consultation with families and others most affected.
Minister of State (Home Office)
The types of firearms held by police forces are determined by individual chief constables in line with their assessment of threats and risks.
National capability is kept under constant review by individual police chiefs at a local level and by the National Armed Policing Lead and National Armed Policing Coordination Centre at a national level.
Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office does not collect data on the number or location of police stations, or the impact of their closure. Police stations are just one of the ways people can access their local police services, including reporting online and by phone 24/7.
It is up to Chief Constables and directly elected Police and Crime Commissioners (or equivalents) to make decisions on local resourcing and estates, including police stations. They are best placed to make these decisions based on their local knowledge and experience.
As part of the Safer Street Mission to reduce crime and increase public confidence in policing, the Government has introduced a Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee to transform neighbourhood policing. Each neighbourhood will have a named, contactable officer dealing with local issues.
We have also provided £200 million in FY 25/26 to support the first steps of delivering 13,000 more neighbourhood personnel. This increase in neighbourhood policing, alongside the Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee, will strengthen the connections between the police and the communities they serve.
Minister of State (Home Office)
Tackling anti-social behaviour is a top priority for this Government and a key part of our Safer Streets Mission.
On 25 February 2025, the Crime and Policing Bill was introduced in Parliament. The Bill includes proposals to give the police greater powers to clamp down on off-road bikes and other vehicles involved in anti-social behaviour, with officers no longer required to issue a warning before seizing vehicles.
This will allow the police to quickly remove anti-social vehicles and send a clear message to antisocial drivers that their behaviour will not be tolerated.
Minister of State (Home Office)
The Western Balkans is a notable transit route for third country nationals being trafficked to the UK, as well as being a route of concern for the trafficking of illicit commodities.
Since July 2024, this Government has sought to further cooperation across the region to target a range of threats from organised crime groups based in the Western Balkans. This has included agreeing a series of joint operational initiatives with Albania in December 2024 to further our work on preventing irregular migration and the smuggling of illicit commodities, and in November 2024 reaching new agreements with Kosovo and Serbia on preventing organised immigration crime, and with North Macedonia on working together to disrupt the activities of organised criminals who seek to undermine border security.
The UK is hosting the Berlin Process later this year, bringing together Western Balkan states and other European partners to discuss shared solutions to these issues.
Minister of State (Home Office)
Fire and Rescue Authorities have duties under the Civil Contingencies Act (2004) to prepare for emergencies, including major flooding. Fire Rescue Authorities also have discretionary powers to respond to incidents under their general powers in the Fire and Rescue Services Act (2004) and in response to the risks set out in their Community Risk Management Plans prepared under the National Framework.
The Home Office is undertaking further work alongside Defra, National Fire Chiefs Council and other relevant stakeholders to understand in more detail if there are gaps in the Fire and Rescue Services flooding response and resilience system.
Minister of State (Home Office)
All hate crimes, including those targeting the LGBT+ community, are completely unacceptable. This Government is determined to tackle these appalling crimes, and we back the police in taking strong action against the perpetrators of these offences.
We have already committed to ensuring parity of protection for LGBT+ and disabled people under the aggravated offences and will implement this change in an appropriate legislative vehicle in due course.
The Government funds an online hate crime reporting portal, True Vision, designed so victims of all types of hate crime - including transgender hate crime - do not have to visit a police station to report. We are also continuing to fund the National Online Hate Crime Hub, which supports individual local police forces in dealing specifically with online hate crime, providing expert advice to police to support them in investigating these abhorrent offences.
Minister of State (Home Office)
It is not possible from the available data to separate out the costs of policing these particular offences from other policing responsibilities, including in relation to other controlled substances.
Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office has committed to the creation of a new Young Futures Programme, which will establish a network of Young Futures Hubs and Young Futures Prevention Partnerships, to ensure at risk children and young people are supported in a more systematic way. The Government recognises the vital role community voices can play in the effective delivery of crime reduction initiatives.
This is why the Prevention Partnership model, and its associated functions will be designed in partnership with the communities it intends to support. As we continue to design the Young Futures Programme, we want to ensure that it learns from and builds on the work of the existing Violence Reduction Units in this regard. In 2025/26 we are investing £49.7m in Violence Reduction Units, including making over £4.3m available to the West Midlands this year, and £14.4m to Serious Violence Duty Partnerships nationally.
Violence Reduction Units and Serious Violence Duty partnerships bring together key partners, including the local community, to understand and tackle the drivers of serious violence in their area. As part of the 'whole system' approach to violence prevention, they are required to operate 'with and for' the community. This involves support for community-led and grass-roots organisations to deliver interventions that help to prevent violence, including knife crime.
The Prime Minister has also launched a Coalition to tackle the scourge of knife crime. The Coalition brings together key stakeholders, including community leaders, to help the Government develop an extensive understanding of what causes young people to be drawn into violence.
Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office has committed to the creation of a new Young Futures Programme, which will establish a network of Young Futures Hubs and Young Futures Prevention Partnerships, to ensure at risk children and young people are supported in a more systematic way. The Government recognises the vital role community voices can play in the effective delivery of crime reduction initiatives.
This is why the Prevention Partnership model, and its associated functions will be designed in partnership with the communities it intends to support. As we continue to design the Young Futures Programme, we want to ensure that it learns from and builds on the work of the existing Violence Reduction Units in this regard. In 2025/26 we are investing £49.7m in Violence Reduction Units, including making over £4.3m available to the West Midlands this year, and £14.4m to Serious Violence Duty Partnerships nationally.
Violence Reduction Units and Serious Violence Duty partnerships bring together key partners, including the local community, to understand and tackle the drivers of serious violence in their area. As part of the 'whole system' approach to violence prevention, they are required to operate 'with and for' the community. This involves support for community-led and grass-roots organisations to deliver interventions that help to prevent violence, including knife crime.
The Prime Minister has also launched a Coalition to tackle the scourge of knife crime. The Coalition brings together key stakeholders, including community leaders, to help the Government develop an extensive understanding of what causes young people to be drawn into violence.
Minister of State (Home Office)
Statelessness Determination training for caseworkers new to this work, consists of two weeks classroom training covering the Statelessness Convention and the relevant immigration rules and how these apply to statelessness casework with case studies.
After the initial classroom training, there is approximately nine weeks of mentoring where caseworkers complete statelessness casework with a mentor and are assessed with the aim to transition to independent case working.
After completing initial training and mentoring, caseworkers receive ongoing support and assessment through quality assurance from their technical specialist who is also available to assist with cases and casework queries. If new rules or legislation are introduced, training is delivered as and when required.
Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office employs a small team which covers the issue of statelessness applications, but also routinely covers different, or additional work, as business needs and priorities require.
Minister of State (Home Office)
The information requested is not available from published statistics and could only be collated and verified for the purposes of answering this question at disproportionate cost.
Minister of State (Home Office)
We have a range of powers at our disposal including prosecution, detention and removal and will not seek to hesitate to use those, as appropriate, against individuals who arrive here illegally and seek to threaten the security of our country.
Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office applies robust controls to the management of expenditure and performance in relation to all departmental contracts, including publishing on a quarterly basis the rating of the most important contracts against key performance indicators.
The specific information requested regarding a particular category of contracts is not centrally held, and could only be collected and verified for the purpose of answering this question at disproportionate cost.
Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office applies robust controls to the management of expenditure and performance in relation to all departmental contracts, including publishing on a quarterly basis the rating of the most important contracts against key performance indicators.
The specific information requested regarding a particular category of contracts is not centrally held, and could only be collected and verified for the purpose of answering this question at disproportionate cost.
Minister of State (Home Office)
The information requested is not available from published statistics and could only be collated and verified for the purposes of answering this question at disproportionate cost.
Minister of State (Home Office)
The Afghan Resettlement Programme (ARP) brings together existing Afghan resettlement ACRS & ARAP into a single, efficient pipeline.
Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP) was launched on 1 April 2021. The UK formally opened the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS) on 6 January 2022.
Statistics on individuals resettled or relocated under the Afghan schemes are available in the Immigration System Statistics release. For a summary of the data, see the resettlement section of the ‘How many people come to the UK via safe and legal (humanitarian) routes?’ chapter; for detailed data, see table Asy_D02 of the asylum and resettlement datasets.
Afghan Operational Data is published quarterly and is viewable at: Afghan Resettlement Programme: operational data - GOV.UK
The latest release was on the 27 February 2025.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
The Home Office publishes information on asylum and refugee expenditure on a regular basis in the Home Office Annual Report, available on gov.uk.
Minister of State (Home Office)
Applicants for the ARAP, including family member applicants, apply to the MoD for eligibility consideration. If found eligible, the MoD make an application for entry clearance to the Home Office on behalf of each eligible person, part of which requires the applicant to attend a visa application centre to submit their biometrics.
Suitability requirements are set out in Part 9 of the Immigration Rules: Immigration Rules - Immigration Rules part 9: grounds for refusal - Guidance - GOV.UK.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
Information on asylum expenditure is published on gov.uk in the Home Office Annual Report and Accounts.
Minister of State (Home Office)
Fees for immigration and nationality applications are kept under review.
However, there are no current plans to exempt the adult social care sector from the certificate of sponsorship fee increase.
A provisional estimate of the impact of increasing sponsorship fees is a less than 0.2% increase in the cost of hiring an average skilled worker.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
The Ministry of Justice publishes information which includes the number of foreign national offenders (FNOs), in the Offender management statistics quarterly - GOV.UK release, within the latest release of which covers the period up to 31 December 2024 data release.
The Home Office publishes the number of FNOs subject to deportation and living in the community within its Immigration Enforcement quarterly transparency release. The latest release can be found at: Immigration Enforcement data: Q4 2024 - GOV.UK.
The Home Office works tirelessly to clear legal barriers, secure documentation or overcome other impediments to a return, and between 5 July 2024 and 31 January 2025, there were 2,925 enforced and voluntary returns of FNOs. This is an increase of 21% compared to 2,422 FNO returns in the same period 12 months prior.
The Home Office continues to work closely with HMPPS (HM Prisons and Probation Service) to focus on driving up the returns of FNOs direct from prison, delivering 1,557 early removal scheme (ERS) returns, which is a 26% increase compared to 1,231 in the same period 12 months prior.
Minister of State (Home Office)
The taskforce is in the process of agreeing deliverables. As part of this we will consider what it may be possible to publish noting the critical importance of safeguarding the integrity of operational activity.
Minister of State (Home Office)
I refer the Honourable Member to my response to Question 30479 dated 21st February 2025.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
I refer the Honourable Member to my response to Question 30479 dated 21st February 2025.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
I refer the Honourable Member to my response to Question 30479 dated 21st February 2025.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
I refer the Honourable Member to my response to Question 30479 dated 21st February 2025.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
I refer the Honourable Member to my response to Question 30479 dated 21st February 2025.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
I refer the Honourable Member to my response to Question 30479 dated 21st February 2025.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
I refer the Honourable Member to my response to Question 30479 dated 21st February 2025.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
I refer the Honourable Member to my response to Question 30479 dated 21st February 2025.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
I refer the Honourable Member to my response to Question 30479 dated 21st February 2025.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
This government inherited an asylum system under exceptional strain, with tens of thousands of people stuck in limbo without any prospect of having their claims processed. At their peak use under the previous government, in the autumn of 2023, more than 400 asylum hotels were being leased by the Home Office, at a cost of almost £9 million a day.
We took immediate action to resolve that exceptional strain by restarting asylum processing, establishing the new Border Security Command to tackle the people-smuggling gangs, cracking down on illegal working across the country, and increasing the return and removal of people with no right to be here. Inevitably, due to the size of the backlog we inherited, the Home Office has been forced to continue with the use of hotels for the time being.
It remains our absolute commitment to end the use of hotels over time, as part of our reduction in overall asylum accommodation costs. In the interim, we are also continuing to increase our operational activity against smuggling gangs and illegal working, and we have increased returns to their highest level since 2018, with almost 17,00 people removed between 5 July and 31 January 2025.
Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office’s financial figures for 2024-25 will be subject to a full and detailed independent external audit by the National Audit Office, after the accounts close on 31st March 2025. Only after the conclusion of this audit, can the financial schedules and full report be completed, signed off, laid before Parliament and then published.
Minister of State (Home Office)
The Ukraine Permission Extension Scheme opened to applications on 4 February 2025, which enables Ukrainians in the UK under the Ukraine visa schemes to apply for a further 18 months’ temporary permission to remain in the UK.
We recognise the Ukrainian government’s desire for the future return of its citizens to Ukraine to assist in the rebuilding of the country. It is important our approach respects these wishes.
This is why the temporary sanctuary Ukraine visa Schemes do not lead to settlement in the UK.
There are other routes available for those who wish to settle in the UK permanently, if they meet the requirements.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
There is no single age assessment technique, or combination of techniques, able to determine age with complete precision, but the Government continues to work to establish the best available processes and techniques to improve the accuracy of our age assessment results.
Minister of State (Home Office)
There is no single age assessment technique, or combination of techniques, able to determine age with complete precision, but the Government continues to work to establish the best available processes and techniques to improve the accuracy of our age assessment results.
Minister of State (Home Office)
HM Armed Forces personnel are exempt from immigration control in service. Those who do not naturalise as British during service, can apply for settlement under Appendix HM Armed Forces of the Immigration Rules on discharge when their exemption from immigration control ends, up to 18 weeks before their discharge, or for two years after.
HM Armed Forces personnel can be accompanied by their family members, and there are special Immigration Rules in place to ensure that those who serve, have served, or their family members are not disadvantaged due to that service. This takes into account the unique nature of their service, the Armed Forces Covenant, and the recruitment and retention of HM Armed Forces personnel in order to maintain national security.
A manifesto commitment was made to “strengthen support for our Armed Forces communities by putting Armed Forces Covenant fully into law”, and to “scrap visa fees for non-UK veterans who have served for four or more years, and their dependants.”.
We continue to keep this policy under review in the context of our wider considerations of various aspects of the immigration system.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
The Home Office continues to work closely with local authorities to manage all the pressures arising from the provision of asylum accommodation including the impact on wider LA obligations and plans.
Minister of State (Home Office)
The UK has a proud history of providing protection for those who need it through a number of safe and legal routes, including a route for British National Overseas (BNO) passport holders coming from Hong Kong. However, those non BNO passport holders who need international protection should claim asylum in the first safe country they reach – that is the fastest route to safety.
Minister of State (Home Office)
The information requested is not currently available from published statistics, and the relevant data could only be collated and verified for the purpose of answering this question at disproportionate cost.
Minister of State (Home Office)
The UK has a long history of providing protection through various resettlement routes to supporting the most vulnerable people in the world.
We keep all existing pathways under review and we are closely monitoring the events in Gaza,
Palestinians who wish to settle in the UK can do so via the existing routes available which allow a person to apply to work, study, settle or join family in the UK. Further information can be found on the GOV.UK website: Visas and immigration - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
Home Office Ministers and senior officials regularly meet with key stakeholders, including technology companies, legal experts and privacy advocates, on a range of policies and issues.
Details of Ministerial meetings are published on a quarterly basis on gov.uk.
Minister of State (Home Office)