Assistant Commissioner Matt Twist issued a statement last night updating on the significant policing operation taking place in London on Saturday:
This operation took place in unique circumstances, against a backdrop of conflict in the Middle East, on Armistice Day and following a week of intense debate about protest and policing. These all combined to increase community tensions.
The extreme violence from the right wing protestors towards the police today was extraordinary and deeply concerning.
They arrived early, stating they were there to protect monuments, but some were already intoxicated, aggressive and clearly looking for confrontation.
Abuse was directed at officers protecting the Cenotaph, including chants of “you’re not English any more”.
This group were largely football hooligans from across the UK and spent most of the day attacking or threatening officers who were seeking to prevent them being able to confront the main march.
Many in these groups were stopped and searched and weapons including a knife, a baton and knuckleduster were found as well as class A drugs.
Thanks to the considerable efforts of our officers, who put themselves in harm’s way, nobody was able to reach the Cenotaph, which was protected at all times.
Nine officers were injured during the day, two requiring hospital treatment with a fractured elbow and a suspected dislocated hip. Those officers were injured on Whitehall as they prevented a violent crowd getting to the Cenotaph while a remembrance service was taking place.
While the Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) march did not see the sort of physical violence carried out by the right wing, we know that for London’s Jewish communities whose fears and concerns we absolutely recognise, the impact of hate crime and in particular anti-Semitic offences is just as significant.
At the end of the PSC march, we once again saw breakaway groups behaving in an intimidating manner.
Officers intercepted a group of 150 who were wearing face coverings and firing fireworks. Arrests were made after some of the fireworks struck officers in the face.
There were also a number of serious offences identified in relation to hate crime and possible support for proscribed organisations during the protest that we are actively investigating.
Locating and intercepting suspects in a crowd of the size we saw today will always be challenging, but we were further limited in our ability to do so due to the number of officers we had to deploy, from early in the day, in response to violence from the right wing groups in central London.
We will soon publish images of some of those we suspect have committed these offences and as we have shown in recent weeks, we will pursue all available lines of enquiry to identify suspects and take action even after the conclusion of protests.
As I write, there are many officers still deployed across central London responding to any outbreaks of disorder and ensuring key sites are protected ahead of tomorrow’s remembrance events.
Many more are working in custody suites dealing with the 126 people who have been arrested so far.
I am extremely proud of what our officers have achieved in challenging circumstances, including the many officers who came from across the country to help us keep London safe.
PM statement on Armistice Day protests: 11 November 2023
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak also released a statement last night:
I condemn the violent, wholly unacceptable scenes we have seen today from the EDL and associated groups and Hamas sympathisers attending the National March for Palestine. The despicable actions of a minority of people undermine those who have chosen to express their views peacefully.
Remembrance weekend is a time for us to come together as a nation and remember those who fought and died for our freedoms. What we have seen today does not defend the honour of our Armed Forces, but utterly disrespects them.
That is true for EDL thugs attacking police officers and trespassing on the Cenotaph, and it is true for those singing antisemitic chants and brandishing pro-Hamas signs and clothing on today’s protest.
The fear and intimidation the Jewish Community have experienced over the weekend is deplorable.
All criminality must be met with the full and swift force of the law. That is what I told the Met Police Commissioner on Wednesday, that is what they are accountable for and that is what I expect.
I will be meeting the Met Police Commissioner in the coming days.
EDINBURGH’s tram service was suspended for two hours yesterday afternoon ‘due to a large protest in the city centre affecting trams in both directions’.
A public call for evidence has been launched to establish the scale of ‘sex for rent’ in the UK and ask if existing laws protect victims
A new law is being considered to crack down on predatory landlords exploiting vulnerable people for sex in return for free or discounted rent, the Home Secretary has announced.
The government is seeking views of victims, police and charities as part of a call for evidence launched yesterday (21 April) to better understand the scale and nature of the abhorrent ‘sex for rent’ exchange in the UK.
‘Sex for rent’ is an arrangement where landlords exchange accommodation for free or at a discount in return for sexual relations with their tenants. This is already illegal under the Sexual Offences Act, and landlords can already be prosecuted for attempting to engage in sex for rent.
The call for evidence will look at whether these laws go far enough, or if new measures are needed to tackle the issue and better protect vulnerable people from harm.
Home Secretary, Suella Braverman said: “It’s wholly unacceptable that vulnerable people, and particularly young women, are being exploited in ‘sex for rent’ arrangements. This is an abuse of power which puts people in desperate situations and has no place in our country.
“The launch of this public call for evidence brings us closer to ending this deeply harmful trend and better protecting victims.
“And it is another example of how this government will not stop in our efforts to bring more sexual and domestic abusers to justice.”
According to research by polling company YouGov, carried out on behalf of the housing charity Shelter, nearly 1 in 50 women in England have been propositioned for ‘sex for rent’ in the last five years.
The call for evidence, which will last for 10 weeks, seeks to gain the views of those who have been directly engaged in a ‘sex for rent’ arrangement, whether they were deceived, coerced, or compelled into it.
Among the charities expected to provide their views is National Ugly Mugs (NUM), an organisation which works to end all violence towards sex workers.
They work with numerous victims of ‘sex for rent’ abuse such as Alina*.
Case study
Alina* was struggling financially during the pandemic and was approached online by her landlord. He suggested a rental arrangement where she would provide sex and intimate photos in exchange for a reduction in her rent and utility bills.
At the time Alina wasn’t making enough money to find an alternative place to live, so she agreed. Her exploitative landlord often arrives at the property drunk and unannounced, expecting to have sex with her. He often refuses to leave and she is under constant threat of eviction and homelessness if she does not comply with his requests whenever he wants.
*This modified case study is based on a sex worker’s lived experiences as reported to the NUM research team. Personal details have been changed.
Safeguarding Minister, Sarah Dines said: “While advances in technology have brought us closer to family and friends, they can also make it easier for perpetrators to prey on vulnerable individuals, including through so-called ‘sex for rent’ arrangements.
“Our pioneering Online Safety Bill will ensure social media companies take greater action in order to protect their users – but we must continue to expand our understanding of these harmful practices and what more can be done to protect those who need it.”
Dr Raven Bowen, CEO of NUM said: “We welcome the ‘sex for rent’ call for evidence. As an organisation dedicated to supporting sex workers we have seen first hand the damage that this exploitative behaviour can have, especially on young women and mothers.
“We support action that will clamp down on predatory landlords and we hope that this is accompanied by wider action to combat the fundamental issue of poverty and unaffordable housing that make people vulnerable to this abuse.”
Deputy Chief Constable Dan Vajzovic, National Police Chiefs’ Council Lead for Prostitution and Sex Working, said: “This call for evidence is a welcome opportunity to hear from victims and stakeholders on the reality facing women. With many struggling to pay rent, they become vulnerable to predatory landlords, and it is vital we put an end to this.
“Violence against women and girls in all its forms is abhorrent. Policing is going after the violent and abusive men who commit these crimes. This call for evidence offers a first step towards helping vulnerable victims of this behaviour, please come forward.
“If you are ever in danger, please call 999, you will be listened to and taken seriously.”
Dan Wilson Craw, Deputy Director of Generation Rent said: “This call for evidence is vital. Research conducted by Generation Rent and Mumsnet estimates that over 200,000 women could be victims of ‘Sex for Rent’ in the United Kingdom.
“Four per cent of all respondents indicated that they had been offered free or discounted rent in return for sexual favours, with this rising to a shocking 1 in 10 respondents with a household income below £20,000.
“We know the vast majority of landlords abide by the law: seeking permission to enter and respecting their tenants’ privacy. However, given the unparalleled access landlords have to tenants’ personal spaces and lives, and the scale of the issue, this consultation is necessary in ensuring that everyone, especially the most vulnerable among us, has access to a safe and secure home, free from harassment and exploitation.”
Tackling sexual exploitation and violence against women and girls is a UK Government priority.
In July 2021 they published their new cross-government Tackling Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy to help ensure that women and girls are safe everywhere – at home, online, at work and on the streets.
The world-leading Online Safety Bill means that social media platforms will have to proactively tackle illegal content such as use of their sites to coerce and control women for sex. If they fail in these duties, they will be made to pay huge fines up to billions of pounds.
The Home Office is also working closely with Women’s Aid to provide £300,000 for one-off payments of £250 to victims of domestic abuse, rising to £500 where a victim is pregnant or has children.
The funding has been granted to support victims to leave abusive relationships, and will help victims to pay for essentials such as groceries, nappies, sanitary products and rent on their previous property whilst they are in a refuge, or it could be put towards a deposit on new accommodation when they leave a refuge.
The Home Secretary has hailed the strengthening of the partnership with Rwanda as both countries vow to step up efforts in dealing with global migration challenges.
Under the innovative Migration and Economic Development Partnership, people who make dangerous, unnecessary and illegal journeys to the UK, such as by small boat, will be relocated to Rwanda, where they will be supported to rebuild their lives.
Suella Braverman travelled to Kigali yesterday for official engagements with Rwandan President Paul Kagame and Rwandan Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation, Dr Vincent Biruta, this weekend (March 18 and 19).
The Home Secretary and Dr Biruta reiterated their desire to deliver the partnership, amid a global migration crisis that has seen 100 million people displaced and people smugglers cashing in on human misery.
They outlined the global leaders’ commitment to working on bold and innovative migration policies to redress the balance between legal and uncontrolled migration. The government of Rwanda reiterated the country’s readiness to receive thousands of individuals, process their claims and house them before they are moved to longer-term accommodation, with necessary support services including health and education provisions.
The Home Secretary and Dr Biruta also signed an update to the memorandum of understanding, expanding the partnership further to all categories of people who pass through safe countries and make illegal and dangerous journeys to the UK.
This will have the added benefit of preparing the UK to deliver on the measures proposed in the Illegal Migration Bill, as it will mean that anyone who comes to the UK illegally – who cannot be returned to their home country – will be in scope to be relocated to Rwanda.
The new bill, which was introduced to Parliament last week, will see people who come to the UK illegally face detention and be returned to their home country, or a safe third country such as Rwanda.
The scheme is uncapped and the government of Rwanda have confirmed they are able to take thousands of people eligible for relocation.
In December, the UK government secured an important victory in the High Court on the legality of the partnership and will continue to defend the policy against ongoing legal challenge, while working with Rwanda to ensure flights can operate as soon as there are no legal barriers.
Home Secretary Suella Braverman said: “We cannot continue to see people risking their lives crossing the Channel, which is why I am pleased to strengthen our agreement even further with the government of Rwanda so we can address the global migration crisis head on.
“The Migration and Economic Development Partnership is key to breaking the business model of people smugglers while ensuring those who genuinely need protection can be helped to rebuild their lives.
“Rwanda is a progressive, rapidly growing economy at the forefront of innovation – I have thoroughly enjoyed seeing first-hand the rich opportunities this country can provide to relocated people through our partnership.”
Rwanda’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Vincent Biruta said: “If we are to successfully tackle the global migration crisis, we need innovative, urgent action.
“This Partnership addresses the opportunity gap at the heart of the migration crisis, by investing in Rwanda’s capability to continue offering migrants the opportunity to build new lives in a safe, secure place, through accommodation, education, and vocational training.
“For these reasons, we are pleased to once again renew our commitment to our ground-breaking Partnership with the UK, which shares our determination to solve this crisis.”
On the visit, the Home Secretary will spend time meeting refugees, who have been supported by the government of Rwanda to rebuild their lives. She will also see new housing developments, which will be used to relocate people.
She also visited new modern, long-term accommodation that will support those who are relocated to settle in Rwanda.
The Home Secretary also met with investment start-ups and entrepreneurs to discuss the range of business and employment opportunities available to people in Rwanda.
The partnership with Rwanda is just one strand of the work the government is doing to tackle illegal migration. Last week the Prime Minister agreed a package with France which will see a new detention centre established in France as well as the deployment of more French personnel and enhanced technology to patrol beaches.
Laws include legal duty on the Home Secretary to remove anyone who enters the UK illegally
Earlier this year the Prime Minister made stopping the boats one of his 5 promises to the British people. The ‘Stop the Boats’ – or Illegal Migration – Bill will fulfil that promise by ending illegal entry as a route to asylum in the UK.
This will remove the incentive for people to risk their lives through these dangerous and unnecessary journeys and pull the rug from under the criminal gangs profiting from this misery once and for all.
People who arrive in the UK illegally will instead be detained and swiftly removed to their home country if safe, or another safe third country, such as Rwanda, where they will be supported to rebuild their lives.
Anyone illegally entering the UK will be prevented from accessing the UK’s world-leading modern slavery support or abusing these laws to block their removal. Any other challenges or human rights claims can also only be heard after removal, remotely.
By ending illegal immigration as a route to asylum, stopping the boats and taking back control of our borders the Bill will ensure the UK can better support people coming through fair, safe and legal routes.
The UK will always be a compassionate country, as demonstrated by the nation opening its hearts and homes to those from fleeing from Afghanistan and Ukraine, and under this Bill, Parliament will set an annual cap on the number of refugees settled via safe and legal routes, taking into account local authority capacity for housing, public services and the support communities rightly expect.
Home Secretary Suella Braverman said: “The British people rightly expect us to solve this crisis and that’s what myself and the Prime Minister fully intend to do. We must stop the boats.
“It is completely unfair that people who travel through a string of safe countries then come to the UK illegally and abuse our asylum laws to avoid removal.
“It has to stop. By bringing in new laws, I am making it absolutely clear that the only route to the UK is a safe and legal route. If you come here illegally, you won’t be able to claim asylum or build a life here.
“You will not be allowed to stay. You will be returned home if safe, or to a safe third country like Rwanda. It’s the only way to prevent people risking their lives and paying criminals thousands of pounds to get here.”
The Bill, introduced to Parliament yesterday (7 March 2023), will mean anyone who enters the UK illegally and who has passed through a safe country will be legally required to be removed and the Home Secretary will have the power to enforce it.
Migrants may be detained for 28 days with no recourse for bail or judicial review, and then for as long as there is a reasonable prospect of removal.
In exceptional circumstances if there is a risk that someone would suffer a real risk of serious and irreversible harm when they are relocated to that specific safe third country, they would not be removed until it was safe to do so. Even in these cases you will have a maximum 45 days to remain in the UK before your appeal is exhausted.
The annual number settled via safe and legal routes will be kept under review, and if there is a humanitarian crisis within the world that requires a response, then the UK will step up and offer sanctuary to those in need, as we have done for tens of thousands of Ukrainians and Afghans.
The Bill forms part of the action the UK Government is taking to stop small boat crossings and illegal migration as a whole. This includes:
an agreement with Albania that recognises their status as a safe country
a new dedicated unit to speed up the processing of Albanian cases – since the announcement in December we have returned over 3000 illegal migrants, including over 500 Albanians
ending the legacy backlog of asylum claims by the end of 2023 – we have already doubled decision makers and we will double the number again and we are changing the system to make it more productive
reducing the use of hotels, with the government currently spending £6.2 million a day, by moving asylum seekers to cheaper alternative accommodation
established the Small Boats Operational Command in December, enabling us from January to protect the resources of our Immigration Enforcement teams – as a direct result of this change, we have been able to significantly increase the numbers of immigration enforcement visits undertaken, deliver a 50% uplift in enforcement visits per month and have seen a corresponding increase in arrests
doubling the funding for Operation Invigor, which brings together the NCA, Home Office Intelligence and UK policing to disrupt organised crime groups who are smuggling people from source countries to the beaches of northern France
our joint work with France saw nearly 33,000 Channel crossings prevented in 2022, compared to just over 23,000 in 2021 – since the UK-France Joint Intelligence Cell (JIC) was established in July 2020, 59 organised criminal groups involved in small boats crossings
clamping down on people smugglers, with over 350 arrests made since the Nationality and Borders Act became law
welcoming current collaboration with the French to tackle illegal migration, which includes agreeing further action at the UK/FR Leaders’ Summit
Summary of Bill measures:
Duty to make arrangements for removal – the Home Secretary will have a legal duty to remove people who have entered the UK illegally.
Detention and bail – strengthening detention powers so people can only apply for bail from the Courts (First-tier Tribunal) after 28 days (although habeus corpus will remain).
Unaccompanied children – minors who come to the UK illegally will not be removed to a safe third country until adulthood, except in limited circumstances.
Entry, citizenship and settlement – people who come to the UK illegally will be prevented from settling in the country and will face a permanent ban from returning.
Asylum – people who come here illegally will have their asylum claims deemed inadmissible and considered in a safe third country.
Modern slavery – modern slavery referrals for those who come to the UK illegally will be disqualified under public order grounds under the terms of the international anti-trafficking treaty, ECAT.
Legal proceedings – limiting the circumstances in which legal challenges will prevent someone from being removed from the UK. Most legal challenges will be considered when someone has been successfully removed from the UK.
Expanding the list of countries that are considered safe in law – this will make it unquestionably clear when someone doesn’t need our protection because they are obviously not at risk of persecution in their home country.
Annual number of people using safe and legal routes – committing to resettling a specific number of refugees in the UK every year.
Today we are introducing new legislation to keep my promise to you – to stop the boats.
My policy is very simple, it is this country—and your government—who should decide who comes here, not criminal gangs.
The first step is understanding the nature—and scale—of what we are dealing with.
The number of people entering the UK illegally in small boats has more than quadrupled in the last two years.
Those illegally crossing the Channel are not directly fleeing a war-torn country… or persecution… or an imminent threat to life.
They have travelled through safe, European countries.
They are paying people smugglers huge sums to make this dangerous, and sometimes tragic, journey.
The reason that criminal gangs continue to bring small boats over here is because they know that our system can be exploited…
….that once here…illegal migrants can make a multitude of asylum, modern slavery and spurious human rights claims to frustrate their removal.
And the risk remains that those individuals just disappear into the black economy.
That is the reality we must deal with…
And with 100 million people displaced around the world…
….if we do not deal with it now, the situation will just get worse and worse.
People must know that if they come here illegally it will result in their detention and swift removal.
Once this happens – and they know it will happen – they will not come, and the boats will stop.
That is why today we are introducing legislation to make clear that if you come here illegally you can’t claim asylum…
…you can’t benefit from our modern slavery protections…
….you can’t make spurious human rights claims
…and you can’t stay.
We will detain those who come here illegally and then remove them in weeks, either to their own country if it is safe to do so, or to a safe third country like Rwanda.
And once you are removed, you will be banned—as you are in America and Australia—from ever re-entering our country.
This is how we will break the business model of the people smugglers; this is how we will take back control of our borders.
Now, this Bill provides the legal framework needed to deliver this in a way that no other legislation has done before.
This is tough but it is necessary and it is fair.
This legislation will be retrospective.
If you come on a small boat today, the measures in this bill will apply to you.
And this is just part of what we are doing.
I’ve always been clear this is a complex problem that can’t be solved overnight and will require us to use every tool at our disposal.
That’s why I’ve already secured the largest ever small boats deal with France.
And patrols on French beaches are already up 40 per cent.
I also promised progress on enforcement and we’ve increased raids on illegal working by 50 per cent.
I’ve also negotiated a new deal with Albania, which accounted for a third of all small boats arrivals.
And that’s already delivering. We’ve returned 500 illegal migrants to Albania and we are seeing far fewer come as a result.
This shows that there is nothing inevitable about illegal migration.
Deterrence works, and with will and determination, the government can get on top of it—and we will.
Now, this will always be a compassionate and generous country.
It is something that we’re all rightly proud of.
Just look at how we have welcomed Ukrainians, Syrians from refugee camps, and embraced Hong Kongers fleeing the Chinese clampdown.
But the current situation is neither moral nor sustainable. It cannot go on.
It’s completely unfair on the British people…
….who have opened their homes to genuine refugees…
….but are now having to spend nearly £6 million a day to put up illegal migrants in hotels.
It’s unfair on the people who have come to this country legally to see others skipping the queue.
And it’s devastatingly unfair on those who most need our help but can’t get it as our asylum system is being overwhelmed by those travelling illegally across the Channel.
If we can’t stop the boats, our ability to help genuine refugees in future will be constrained.
Full control of our borders will allow us to decide who to help, and to provide safe and legal routes for those most in need.
I understand there will be debate about the toughness of these measures… all I can say is that we have tried it every other way… and it has not worked.
So I say again: my policy is very simple, it is this country—and your government—who should decide who comes here, not criminal gangs.
And I will do whatever is necessary to achieve that.
