Home Office

No civil servants will lose their jobs as a result of the decision. The Home Office will work with Offices of Police and Crime Commissioners and local authorities on local transition arrangements, including any impact on local staffing, ahead of implementation in 2028. Following the approach taken for previous transfers of police governance in mayoral areas, costs of transition are expected to be met locally through existing budgets.

It will be for local areas to determine the staffing they need under these new arrangements and no decisions have yet been taken on this. We expect new arrangements to be lower cost as a result of rationalising support arrangements and joining up local service delivery, which can fund more neighbourhood police on the beat across the country.

Taser provides specially trained officers with an important tactical option to protect the public and save lives.

The deployment of Taser, including Taser 10, remains an operational decision for Chief Officers in line with their Strategic Threats and Risk Assessments.

The information requested is not currently available from published statistics.

Under the Online Safety Act, the largest social media and search services will soon be required to address fraudulent adverts on their platforms. Ofcom are due to consult on these duties next year.

Companies in the sector are also working with the government through the Online Advertising Taskforce, to enhance voluntarily initiatives to tackle the drivers of illegal advertising.

Anyone who re-enters illegally may face immediate detention and, where appropriate, we will seek to expedite removal. This will not count as a new removal in the reciprocal scheme.

The system is working: two individuals who returned to the UK having already been removed were detected, detained, and their cases were expedited for return.

We continue close cooperation with France to strengthen border security and disrupt criminal smuggling gangs. Our ongoing partnership with French law enforcement has prevented over 21,000 crossing attempts to the UK this year.

The Honourable Member will receive a response shortly.

This Government is committed to protecting the right of individuals to freely practise their religion at their chosen place of worship, and to making our streets and communities safer.

In 2025/26, up to £70.9 million is available to protect faith communities. This includes additional emergency funding of £10 million each this year to support the safety, security and peace of mind for both Jewish and Muslim communities.

The Government and police work closely together to review threats and strengthen protections for communities against terrorism and hate crime. The Home Office continuously reviews the adequacy of its protective security schemes for faith communities through evaluating information provided by policing and intelligence partners on threat levels, monitoring data on uptake of the schemes, and reviewing feedback from faith communities and other stakeholders.

The Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act, also known as Martyn’s Law, received Royal Assent on 3 April 2025.

An implementation period of at least 24 months is now underway, giving those responsible for premises and events sufficient time and support to meet their new obligations. It will also allow time for the Security Industry Authority (SIA) to establish its new regulatory function.

The Act is intended to improve protective security and organisational preparedness across the UK. It will require certain premises and events to ensure steps have been taken to prepare for potential terrorist attacks. Larger premises and events will be required to consider and, where appropriate, implement steps to reduce their vulnerability to acts of terrorism.

Statutory guidance will be published during the implementation period to help those responsible to understand the requirements set out in the legislation. The guidance is being designed to be easy to follow, requiring no specialist expertise or the use of third-party products or services.

The Home Office continues to engage with businesses and organisations, including through attendance at industry events and a nationwide webinar series to raise awareness and understanding for sectors in scope of the Act, and regularly issues communications and updates via ProtectUK, Gov.uk, SIA.gov.uk and the Home Office and SIA social media channels.

It is a long-standing policy that the Home Office does not comment on specific cases.

Regardless of the worldview it draws from, if an ideology is causing harm by radicalising others into hatred, violence and extremism we will take action to prevent this and to safeguard susceptible individuals.

Prevent aims to limit exposure to radicalising narratives, both online and offline, and to create an environment where radicalising ideologies are challenged and are not permitted to flourish.

The Prevent Duty Guidance sets out how local partners should address this issue by identifying and considering opportunities to disrupt those who use extremist narratives to spread hatred and division and radicalise others to terrorism.

This includes information sharing, risk assessment, and developing operational plans to proactively address the influences and narratives that may foster permissive environments within the community.

The UK operates a robust and effective visa system, which is an important part of securing the UK border and a vital tool for the UK in reducing illegal immigration, tackling organised crime and protecting national security. A requirement to obtain a visa prior to travelling to the UK means that we can assess, based on a visa application and following background checks, whether an individual will comply with the Immigration Rules on arrival. It allows us to intervene and, where necessary, refuse a visa before the individual travels to the UK.

This Government will not stop at anything to protect border and national security, and the UK keeps its visa system under regular review. This is conducted on the basis of a range of factors including security, compliance and returns arrangements. However, it would not be appropriate to comment in detail on specific operational security matters.

The UK operates a robust and effective visa system, which is an important part of securing the UK border and a vital tool for the UK in reducing illegal immigration, tackling organised crime and protecting national security. A requirement to obtain a visa prior to travelling to the UK means that we can assess, based on a visa application and following background checks, whether an individual will comply with the Immigration Rules on arrival. It allows us to intervene and, where necessary, refuse a visa before the individual travels to the UK.

This Government will not stop at anything to protect border and national security, and the UK keeps its visa system under regular review. This is conducted on the basis of a range of factors including security, compliance and returns arrangements. However, it would not be appropriate to comment in detail on specific operational security matters.

The UK operates a robust and effective visa system, which is an important part of securing the UK border and a vital tool for the UK in reducing illegal immigration, tackling organised crime and protecting national security. A requirement to obtain a visa prior to travelling to the UK means that we can assess, based on a visa application and following background checks, whether an individual will comply with the Immigration Rules on arrival. It allows us to intervene and, where necessary, refuse a visa before the individual travels to the UK.

This Government will not stop at anything to protect border and national security, and the UK keeps its visa system under regular review. This is conducted on the basis of a range of factors including security, compliance and returns arrangements. However, it would not be appropriate to comment in detail on specific operational security matters.

The earned settlement model, proposed in A Fairer Pathway to Settlement, is currently subject to a public consultation, running until 12 February 2026. Details of the earned settlement scheme, including any transitional arrangements for those already in the UK, will be finalised following that consultation.

i) Individuals referred to the Prevent programme

Prevent aims to stop people from becoming terrorists or supporting terrorism. It works to ensure that people who are susceptible to radicalisation are offered appropriate interventions and support, and that communities are protected against radicalising influences.

The Home Office publishes statistics annually on individuals referred into Prevent, which can be found here.

Links to the data on individuals referred in by the type of concern, or ideology, can be found below.

ii) Years 2024-2025, broken down by ideology. Table 16.

iii) Years 2023-2024, broken down by ideology. Table 6.

iv) Years 2022-2023, broken down by ideology. Table 6.

v) Years 2021-2022, broken down by ideology. Table 6.

vi) Years 2020-2021, broken down by ideology. Table 6.

The Home Office has not made an estimate of the potential number of refugees who may enter the UK on work or study visas over the next five years.

Student visa applications are rigorously assessed, and any indication of non-genuine intent, such as using the route for purposes other than study, will lead to refusal.

While anyone in the UK has the right to claim asylum, asylum and human rights claims are carefully considered on their individual merits in accordance with our international obligations.

The earned settlement model, proposed in A Fairer Pathway to Settlement, is currently subject to a public consultation, running until 12 February 2026. Details of the earned settlement scheme, including any transitional arrangements for those already in the UK, will be finalised following that consultation.

The consultation directly seeks views on retaining the current treatment of children and young adults who have grown up in the UK without an immigration status, allowing them to settle 5 years after regularising their status.

A Fairer Pathway to Settlement, as well as the May 2025 Immigration White Paper preceding it, have also both committed to retaining a five-year route to settlement for the spouses and children of British nationals.

The earned settlement model, proposed in A Fairer Pathway to Settlement, is currently subject to a public consultation, running until 12 February 2026. Details of the earned settlement scheme, including any transitional arrangements for those already in the UK, will be finalised following that consultation.

The consultation directly seeks views on retaining the current treatment of children and young adults who have grown up in the UK without an immigration status, allowing them to settle 5 years after regularising their status.

A Fairer Pathway to Settlement, as well as the May 2025 Immigration White Paper preceding it, have also both committed to retaining a five-year route to settlement for the spouses and children of British nationals.

The Prevent duty requires specified authorities such as education, health, local authorities, police and criminal justice agencies (prisons and probation) to help prevent the risk of people becoming terrorists or supporting terrorism which includes the need to reduce permissive environments.

It sits alongside long-established safeguarding duties on professionals to protect people from a range of other harms, such as substance abuse, involvement in gangs, and physical and sexual exploitation.

The duty helps to ensure that people who are susceptible to radicalisation are supported as they would be under safeguarding processes.

Improving mainstream political engagement can have a positive impact on reducing vulnerability to extremism. It is so important that an all-party approach is taken to address the incredibly important issue of extremism. We are exploring options to improve our response to extremism.

This Government takes extremism seriously. Efforts to counter extremism span a broad range of Government and law enforcement activity and we must persist in our efforts to challenge extremist narratives, disrupt the activity of radicalising groups, and directly tackle the causes of radicalisation.

Fraud is the most experienced crime in England and Wales according to the Office of National Statistics’ (ONS) Crime Survey of England and Wales (CSEW). It accounts for 44% of all estimated surveyed crime committed in England and Wales in the year ending June 2025. The CSEW also estimates that approximately 50% of fraud is cyber-enabled.

A month-by-month breakdown of the number of individuals who have experienced online, and offline fraud is not available. However, the ONS provides quarterly figures, the latest of which is available below:

www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/crimeandjustice/bulletins/crimeinenglandandwales/yearendingjune2025

The Home Office does not collect or hold data on individuals convicted of terrorism-related offences who previously had free school meal eligibility. The Home Office collects and publishes official statistics on the individuals convicted of terrorism-related offences in the UK in the quarterly statistical release titled Operation of Police Powers under the Terrorism Act 2000 and subsequent legislation which is published on GOV.UK: Operation of police powers under the Terrorism Act 2000 statistics - GOV.UK.

This includes detailed quarterly and annual data tables for Great Britain, covering a range of individual and offence-related characteristics, such as age and the principal offence those individuals are convicted under terrorism legislation. The latest statistical release is available for the year ending June 2025: Operation of police powers under TACT 2000, to June 2025 - GOV.UK.

Data regarding how many people in the UK are subject to the ‘no recourse to public funds’ condition (NRPF) is currently in development and not ready for release. We will continue to explore what further information on NRPF can be produced. We are unable at this time to provide a specific timeframe for data publication or indeed confirm what will be published.

The earned settlement model is currently subject to a public consultation, running until 12 February 2026. Details of the earned settlement scheme will be finalised following that consultation.

The consultation seeks views on whether there should be transitional arrangements for those already on a pathway to settlement. Consideration will then be given, if appropriate, to how transitional arrangements may be designed to ease the impact of policy change, especially for individuals or groups already afforded permissions by the previous system.

The final model will also be subject to equality impact assessment, which the government has committed to publish in due course.

Free school meals are not classed as a 'public fund' for immigration purposes. It is the Department for Education who set the eligibility criteria for who can access free school meals.

Data regarding how many people in the UK are subject to the ‘no recourse to public funds’ condition (NRPF) is currently in development and not ready for release. We will continue to explore what further information on NRPF can be produced. We are unable at this time to provide a specific timeframe for data publication or indeed confirm what will be published.

The earned settlement model is currently subject to a public consultation, running until 12 February 2026. Details of the earned settlement scheme will be finalised following that consultation.

The consultation seeks views on whether there should be transitional arrangements for those already on a pathway to settlement. Consideration will then be given, if appropriate, to how transitional arrangements may be designed to ease the impact of policy change, especially for individuals or groups already afforded permissions by the previous system.

The final model will also be subject to equality impact assessment, which the government has committed to publish in due course.

Free school meals are not classed as a 'public fund' for immigration purposes. It is the Department for Education who set the eligibility criteria for who can access free school meals.

eGates provide a safe, secure and efficient method of crossing the UK border for millions of passengers each year. All technology deployed at the border is rigorously tested to ensure it is resilient and effective.

We are moving into the next phase of our vision to use technology to make visible changes to security, flow and the passenger experience. In October this year we conducted a short Contactless Travel pilot which aims to increase passenger flow whilst maintain security. We will provide further details in due course.

Border Force work closely with partners to minimise passenger wait times and deploy officers flexibly and when required to meet demand and support passengers.

We have introduced ePassport Gates to Paris Gare Du Nord station in two waves, the last being timed to ensure that we had maximum gate coverage within the allotted space provided to us by SNCF prior to the Paris Olympics.

Since eGate deployment, we have lowered the age of people able to use eGates and the number of nationalities that are also able to use them. We have also installed new front desk technology that is quicker and more robust than its predecessor.

We are also prioritising the deployment of new eGates to Paris and other parts of the rail network when they become available which will help streamline increased passenger fluidity during peak times.

Border Force enjoys a strong operational relationship with Eurostar which has allowed us to successfully plan and deploy our resources at peak times – evidenced by the successful recent operational deliveries of the Paris Olympics in the summer of 2024, and both the Easter bank holiday and summer holiday periods in 2025 that were equally as challenging from a passenger flow perspective.

The Home Office does not hold complete data on the time taken to resolve police complaints.

As overseers of the police complaints system in England and Wales, the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) collect and publish data on public complaints, including information on the time taken to finalise complaint allegations.

Published information can be found at:

https://www.policeconduct.gov.uk/our-work/research-and-statistics/police-complaints-statistics

Breakdowns of timeliness by allegation type (nature of allegation) are not published.

Tackling anti-social behaviour and the harm it causes is a top priority for this Government and a key part of our Safer Streets Mission.

The police have a suite of powers available to them to tackle the illegal use of e-bikes and e-scooters and we expect police to deploy them appropriately.

The Crime and Policing Bill will give police greater powers to clamp down on anti-social behaviour involving vehicles including e-bikes and e-scooters, with officers no longer required to issue a warning before seizure. This will allow police to put an immediate stop to offending.

The Government also recently consulted on proposals to allow the police to dispose of seized vehicles quicker, including e-bikes and privately owned e-scooters, which have been used anti-socially or illegally.

These combined measures will help tackle the scourge of e-bikes and e-scooters ridden anti-socially or illegally and will send a clear message to would-be offenders and local communities that this behaviour will not be tolerated.

Enforcement of road traffic law, including in relation to the illegal use of e-bikes and e-scooters, are operational matter for Chief Constables in partnership with Police and Crime Commissioners who decide how to deploy available resources, taking into account any specific local problems and demands.

We consistently monitor the transition to eVisas, and encourage people to report any issues so they can be addressed. We listen to feedback from visa holders, stakeholders and MPs and address concerns, such as introducing greater flexibility for carriers to accept BRPs that expired on 31 December 2024 until 1 June 2025, to smooth the transition for those travelling internationally without compromising on border security.

We have considered the3Million report ‘The Digital Status Crisis’. We welcome feedback, but do not recognise the picture that the3Million report presents regarding the eVisa transition or the figures they present. In total, we have issued over 10 million digital IDs in the form of eVisas. Over 4.5m online (UKVI) accounts were created between March 2024 and July 2025, enabling people to access their eVisa.

We recognise that some people will be anxious about switching to and navigating a digital system, or may encounter an issue. We are committed to ensuring that accessing and using eVisas is as straightforward as possible for all status holders. We are providing clear guidance and direct support for vulnerable, and less digitally confident people to help them.

The Home Office has a robust support model in place that strives to ensure that all people, including the most vulnerable, are properly supported to access their eVisa and use the View and Prove service. People who need support can contact the UKVI Resolution Centre, which provides support via email and webchat to those creating their UKVI account, and telephone support to those using the online immigration status services. This includes supporting users through the online journey by:

o helping them to access or recover their account

o helping them to update their personal details

o sharing status on behalf of users if they are unable to do so themselves

Employers and landlords in England can use the Employer Checking Service (ECS) and Landlord Checking Service (LCS) to check the status of people who cannot currently provide digital status evidence.

Status holders can also get help to access their eVisa from Grant Funded Organisations or Local Authorities, or through the Assisted Digital Service if they are digitally excluded.

We have increased the number of support services available to vulnerable people and have delivered £4m of grant funding to 72 voluntary and community sector organisations across the UK.

An Equality Impact Assessment (EIA) was completed on the first phase of the roll out of eVisas to EEA nationals on 9 November 2020, which built on the Policy Equality Statement (PES) for the EUSS which was produced in 2017 and published on the gov.uk website on 18 November 2020:

Policy equality statement: EU Settlement Scheme (accessible version) - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).(opens in a new tab)

A separate EIA considering equalities issues in relation to the use of digital only right to work and rent checks was published on gov.uk in June 2022:

Digital only right to work and rent checks: equality impact assessment (accessible) - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)(opens in a new tab)

We are also in the process of reviewing our eVisas EIA, setting out further analysis of the equalities issues to reflect the current stage in the roll out of eVisas, and we will continue to keep the issue under review.

The Department publishes a range of data on its digital status programme and will be, in due course, publishing management information on the volumes of eVisa error corrections webforms received.

All our digital status online services are designed to be compliant with relevant accessibility legislation. The design and development of the View and Prove service was completed and tested in line with accessibility standards within WCAG 2.2 (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines), and the accessibility statement is linked on the service. It is currently compliant in 53 of 57 categories, and work is ongoing to meet the remaining criteria early in 2026, whereupon the Accessibility Statement will also be refreshed. View and Prove itself is not assessed against the UK Digital Identity & Attributes Trust Framework, but the underlying services follow the principles of the framework.

The accessibility statements for the employer and landlord checking services are available here:

Accessibility statement for Employer’s Checking Service – Employer checking service – GOV.UK

Accessibility statement for Request a Home Office right to rent check – Request a right to rent check – GOV.UK

The View and Prove service is part of the wider delivery of the Government’s eVisa strategy within the Future Borders and Immigration System Programme. It is one of many Digital Status Services, and the Programme is still delivering significant new functionality in support of all these services, which is why it is currently in a Beta phase. We aim to move the View and Prove service from Beta into Live status once these enhancements have been delivered in mid/late 2026.

We consistently monitor the transition to eVisas, and encourage people to report any issues so they can be addressed. We listen to feedback from visa holders, stakeholders and MPs and address concerns, such as introducing greater flexibility for carriers to accept BRPs that expired on 31 December 2024 until 1 June 2025, to smooth the transition for those travelling internationally without compromising on border security.

We have considered the3Million report ‘The Digital Status Crisis’. We welcome feedback, but do not recognise the picture that the3Million report presents regarding the eVisa transition or the figures they present. In total, we have issued over 10 million digital IDs in the form of eVisas. Over 4.5m online (UKVI) accounts were created between March 2024 and July 2025, enabling people to access their eVisa.

We recognise that some people will be anxious about switching to and navigating a digital system, or may encounter an issue. We are committed to ensuring that accessing and using eVisas is as straightforward as possible for all status holders. We are providing clear guidance and direct support for vulnerable, and less digitally confident people to help them.

The Home Office has a robust support model in place that strives to ensure that all people, including the most vulnerable, are properly supported to access their eVisa and use the View and Prove service. People who need support can contact the UKVI Resolution Centre, which provides support via email and webchat to those creating their UKVI account, and telephone support to those using the online immigration status services. This includes supporting users through the online journey by:

o helping them to access or recover their account

o helping them to update their personal details

o sharing status on behalf of users if they are unable to do so themselves

Employers and landlords in England can use the Employer Checking Service (ECS) and Landlord Checking Service (LCS) to check the status of people who cannot currently provide digital status evidence.

Status holders can also get help to access their eVisa from Grant Funded Organisations or Local Authorities, or through the Assisted Digital Service if they are digitally excluded.

We have increased the number of support services available to vulnerable people and have delivered £4m of grant funding to 72 voluntary and community sector organisations across the UK.

An Equality Impact Assessment (EIA) was completed on the first phase of the roll out of eVisas to EEA nationals on 9 November 2020, which built on the Policy Equality Statement (PES) for the EUSS which was produced in 2017 and published on the gov.uk website on 18 November 2020:

Policy equality statement: EU Settlement Scheme (accessible version) - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).(opens in a new tab)

A separate EIA considering equalities issues in relation to the use of digital only right to work and rent checks was published on gov.uk in June 2022:

Digital only right to work and rent checks: equality impact assessment (accessible) - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)(opens in a new tab)

We are also in the process of reviewing our eVisas EIA, setting out further analysis of the equalities issues to reflect the current stage in the roll out of eVisas, and we will continue to keep the issue under review.

The Department publishes a range of data on its digital status programme and will be, in due course, publishing management information on the volumes of eVisa error corrections webforms received.

All our digital status online services are designed to be compliant with relevant accessibility legislation. The design and development of the View and Prove service was completed and tested in line with accessibility standards within WCAG 2.2 (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines), and the accessibility statement is linked on the service. It is currently compliant in 53 of 57 categories, and work is ongoing to meet the remaining criteria early in 2026, whereupon the Accessibility Statement will also be refreshed. View and Prove itself is not assessed against the UK Digital Identity & Attributes Trust Framework, but the underlying services follow the principles of the framework.

The accessibility statements for the employer and landlord checking services are available here:

Accessibility statement for Employer’s Checking Service – Employer checking service – GOV.UK

Accessibility statement for Request a Home Office right to rent check – Request a right to rent check – GOV.UK

The View and Prove service is part of the wider delivery of the Government’s eVisa strategy within the Future Borders and Immigration System Programme. It is one of many Digital Status Services, and the Programme is still delivering significant new functionality in support of all these services, which is why it is currently in a Beta phase. We aim to move the View and Prove service from Beta into Live status once these enhancements have been delivered in mid/late 2026.

We consistently monitor the transition to eVisas, and encourage people to report any issues so they can be addressed. We listen to feedback from visa holders, stakeholders and MPs and address concerns, such as introducing greater flexibility for carriers to accept BRPs that expired on 31 December 2024 until 1 June 2025, to smooth the transition for those travelling internationally without compromising on border security.

We have considered the3Million report ‘The Digital Status Crisis’. We welcome feedback, but do not recognise the picture that the3Million report presents regarding the eVisa transition or the figures they present. In total, we have issued over 10 million digital IDs in the form of eVisas. Over 4.5m online (UKVI) accounts were created between March 2024 and July 2025, enabling people to access their eVisa.

We recognise that some people will be anxious about switching to and navigating a digital system, or may encounter an issue. We are committed to ensuring that accessing and using eVisas is as straightforward as possible for all status holders. We are providing clear guidance and direct support for vulnerable, and less digitally confident people to help them.

The Home Office has a robust support model in place that strives to ensure that all people, including the most vulnerable, are properly supported to access their eVisa and use the View and Prove service. People who need support can contact the UKVI Resolution Centre, which provides support via email and webchat to those creating their UKVI account, and telephone support to those using the online immigration status services. This includes supporting users through the online journey by:

o helping them to access or recover their account

o helping them to update their personal details

o sharing status on behalf of users if they are unable to do so themselves

Employers and landlords in England can use the Employer Checking Service (ECS) and Landlord Checking Service (LCS) to check the status of people who cannot currently provide digital status evidence.

Status holders can also get help to access their eVisa from Grant Funded Organisations or Local Authorities, or through the Assisted Digital Service if they are digitally excluded.

We have increased the number of support services available to vulnerable people and have delivered £4m of grant funding to 72 voluntary and community sector organisations across the UK.

An Equality Impact Assessment (EIA) was completed on the first phase of the roll out of eVisas to EEA nationals on 9 November 2020, which built on the Policy Equality Statement (PES) for the EUSS which was produced in 2017 and published on the gov.uk website on 18 November 2020:

Policy equality statement: EU Settlement Scheme (accessible version) - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).(opens in a new tab)

A separate EIA considering equalities issues in relation to the use of digital only right to work and rent checks was published on gov.uk in June 2022:

Digital only right to work and rent checks: equality impact assessment (accessible) - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)(opens in a new tab)

We are also in the process of reviewing our eVisas EIA, setting out further analysis of the equalities issues to reflect the current stage in the roll out of eVisas, and we will continue to keep the issue under review.

The Department publishes a range of data on its digital status programme and will be, in due course, publishing management information on the volumes of eVisa error corrections webforms received.

All our digital status online services are designed to be compliant with relevant accessibility legislation. The design and development of the View and Prove service was completed and tested in line with accessibility standards within WCAG 2.2 (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines), and the accessibility statement is linked on the service. It is currently compliant in 53 of 57 categories, and work is ongoing to meet the remaining criteria early in 2026, whereupon the Accessibility Statement will also be refreshed. View and Prove itself is not assessed against the UK Digital Identity & Attributes Trust Framework, but the underlying services follow the principles of the framework.

The accessibility statements for the employer and landlord checking services are available here:

Accessibility statement for Employer’s Checking Service – Employer checking service – GOV.UK

Accessibility statement for Request a Home Office right to rent check – Request a right to rent check – GOV.UK

The View and Prove service is part of the wider delivery of the Government’s eVisa strategy within the Future Borders and Immigration System Programme. It is one of many Digital Status Services, and the Programme is still delivering significant new functionality in support of all these services, which is why it is currently in a Beta phase. We aim to move the View and Prove service from Beta into Live status once these enhancements have been delivered in mid/late 2026.

We consistently monitor the transition to eVisas, and encourage people to report any issues so they can be addressed. We listen to feedback from visa holders, stakeholders and MPs and address concerns, such as introducing greater flexibility for carriers to accept BRPs that expired on 31 December 2024 until 1 June 2025, to smooth the transition for those travelling internationally without compromising on border security.

We have considered the3Million report ‘The Digital Status Crisis’. We welcome feedback, but do not recognise the picture that the3Million report presents regarding the eVisa transition or the figures they present. In total, we have issued over 10 million digital IDs in the form of eVisas. Over 4.5m online (UKVI) accounts were created between March 2024 and July 2025, enabling people to access their eVisa.

We recognise that some people will be anxious about switching to and navigating a digital system, or may encounter an issue. We are committed to ensuring that accessing and using eVisas is as straightforward as possible for all status holders. We are providing clear guidance and direct support for vulnerable, and less digitally confident people to help them.

The Home Office has a robust support model in place that strives to ensure that all people, including the most vulnerable, are properly supported to access their eVisa and use the View and Prove service. People who need support can contact the UKVI Resolution Centre, which provides support via email and webchat to those creating their UKVI account, and telephone support to those using the online immigration status services. This includes supporting users through the online journey by:

o helping them to access or recover their account

o helping them to update their personal details

o sharing status on behalf of users if they are unable to do so themselves

Employers and landlords in England can use the Employer Checking Service (ECS) and Landlord Checking Service (LCS) to check the status of people who cannot currently provide digital status evidence.

Status holders can also get help to access their eVisa from Grant Funded Organisations or Local Authorities, or through the Assisted Digital Service if they are digitally excluded.

We have increased the number of support services available to vulnerable people and have delivered £4m of grant funding to 72 voluntary and community sector organisations across the UK.

An Equality Impact Assessment (EIA) was completed on the first phase of the roll out of eVisas to EEA nationals on 9 November 2020, which built on the Policy Equality Statement (PES) for the EUSS which was produced in 2017 and published on the gov.uk website on 18 November 2020:

Policy equality statement: EU Settlement Scheme (accessible version) - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).(opens in a new tab)

A separate EIA considering equalities issues in relation to the use of digital only right to work and rent checks was published on gov.uk in June 2022:

Digital only right to work and rent checks: equality impact assessment (accessible) - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)(opens in a new tab)

We are also in the process of reviewing our eVisas EIA, setting out further analysis of the equalities issues to reflect the current stage in the roll out of eVisas, and we will continue to keep the issue under review.

The Department publishes a range of data on its digital status programme and will be, in due course, publishing management information on the volumes of eVisa error corrections webforms received.

All our digital status online services are designed to be compliant with relevant accessibility legislation. The design and development of the View and Prove service was completed and tested in line with accessibility standards within WCAG 2.2 (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines), and the accessibility statement is linked on the service. It is currently compliant in 53 of 57 categories, and work is ongoing to meet the remaining criteria early in 2026, whereupon the Accessibility Statement will also be refreshed. View and Prove itself is not assessed against the UK Digital Identity & Attributes Trust Framework, but the underlying services follow the principles of the framework.

The accessibility statements for the employer and landlord checking services are available here:

Accessibility statement for Employer’s Checking Service – Employer checking service – GOV.UK

Accessibility statement for Request a Home Office right to rent check – Request a right to rent check – GOV.UK

The View and Prove service is part of the wider delivery of the Government’s eVisa strategy within the Future Borders and Immigration System Programme. It is one of many Digital Status Services, and the Programme is still delivering significant new functionality in support of all these services, which is why it is currently in a Beta phase. We aim to move the View and Prove service from Beta into Live status once these enhancements have been delivered in mid/late 2026.

I refer the Hon. Member to the answer given to questions 71052, 71053 and 71054 on 4^th September.

I refer the Hon. Member to the answer given to questions 71052, 71053 and 71054 on 4^th September.

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.

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.

The Home Office engages regularly with Wealden District Council regarding Crowborough Training Camp. The department does not routinely publish minutes of such meetings.

We are continuing to assess the feasibility of the Crowborough site. No final decision has been made, and as such no arrival date for service users has been confirmed.

The Secretary of State for the Home Department has no plans to commission an independent review into the Department’s handling, recording, and disclosure of absconder data. The Department already undertakes:

• Regular internal audits and quality assurance checks to monitor data integrity and reporting standards.
• Compliance with legal and regulatory requirements, including data protection legislation and parliamentary accountability.
• Existing independent scrutiny mechanisms, such as oversight by the Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration and parliamentary committees, which provide assurance on operational performance and data handling.

The Department remains committed to maintaining robust and transparent processes, ensuring compliance with all relevant standards and obligations. It is also dedicated to continuous improvement and will review and strengthen its procedures whenever necessary.

The Government attaches great importance to the effective and timely handling of Written Parliamentary Questions. Departmental performance on Written Parliamentary Questions is published at the end of each session by the Procedure Committee and is therefore publicly available.

All Parliamentary Questions are reviewed and cleared by Ministers prior to publication including those referring to absconders.

The Secretary of State for the Home Department has no plans to commission an independent review into the Department’s handling, recording, and disclosure of absconder data. The Department already undertakes:

• Regular internal audits and quality assurance checks to monitor data integrity and reporting standards.
• Compliance with legal and regulatory requirements, including data protection legislation and parliamentary accountability.
• Existing independent scrutiny mechanisms, such as oversight by the Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration and parliamentary committees, which provide assurance on operational performance and data handling.

The Department remains committed to maintaining robust and transparent processes, ensuring compliance with all relevant standards and obligations. It is also dedicated to continuous improvement and will review and strengthen its procedures whenever necessary.

The Government attaches great importance to the effective and timely handling of Written Parliamentary Questions. Departmental performance on Written Parliamentary Questions is published at the end of each session by the Procedure Committee and is therefore publicly available.

All Parliamentary Questions are reviewed and cleared by Ministers prior to publication including those referring to absconders.

The Secretary of State for the Home Department has no plans to commission an independent review into the Department's handling, recording, and disclosure of absconder data. The Department already undertakes:

• Regular internal audits and quality assurance checks to monitor data integrity and reporting standards.
• Compliance with legal and regulatory requirements, including data protection legislation and parliamentary accountability.
• Existing independent scrutiny mechanisms, such as oversight by the Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration and parliamentary committees, which provide assurance on operational performance and data handling.

The Department remains committed to maintaining robust and transparent processes, ensuring compliance with all relevant standards and obligations. It is also dedicated to continuous improvement and will review and strengthen its procedures whenever necessary.

The Government attaches great importance to the effective and timely handling of Written Parliamentary Questions. Departmental performance on Written Parliamentary Questions is published at the end of each session by the Procedure Committee and is therefore publicly available.

All Parliamentary Questions are reviewed and cleared by Ministers prior to publication including those referring to absconders.

For the policies set out in both Restoring Order and Control and A Fairer Pathway to Settlement, legislative plans will be set out in due course. In the case of A Fairer Pathway to Settlement this will follow the current public consultation, which will allow for specific policy details to be finalised.

Three of the measures in ‘Restoring Order and Control’ will be subject to consultation. They are:

• Exploring a change to taxpayer-funded benefits to prioritise access for those who are making an economic contribution to the UK.

• The process for enforcing the removal of families, including children, and

• The implementation of the provisions of the Immigration Act 2016, which allow the removal of support from families who have exhausted all appeals and are not cooperating with the returns process, provided there is no genuine obstacle to their departure.

Other areas will involve engagement with relevant stakeholders.

Updates on these consultations will follow in due course.

His Majesty's Government does not set criteria for limiting the number of diplomatic staff accredited to the UK. However, as set out in the 1985 Government Report on the Review of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations of 1961, His Majesty's Government may limit the size of a mission in cases where there are issues relating to the nature of a mission's activities, or to take account of the size of the UK mission in the country concerned. Such considerations are made on a case-by-case basis.

Protecting the UK from cyber threats is a top priority for this Government. Ransomware measures are being considered as part of a wider all-of-Government approach to reduce cyber threats, alongside the Cyber Security and Resilience Bill by DSIT.

It is long-standing Government advice, and that of the National Cyber Security Centre, to not pay ransoms as there is no guarantee of a return to business-as-usual provision. .

We have consulted on this, and as published in the Government response to ransomware legislative proposals: reducing payments to cyber criminals and increasing incident reporting (accessible) - GOV.UK, there was split feedback regarding whether a targeted ban should have an exceptions(/exemptions) process. 43% of respondents agreed, 40% disagreed, 17% didn’t know. Qualitative responses cited national security and public safety as reasons for the need.

As with all feedback provided in the consultation response, the Government is considering the most appropriate and proportionate course of action and developing the policy in collaboration with industry and the relevant Government departments. No final decision has yet been made, and the Government is looking very carefully at all options.