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Jan 13 2025

GPS-tagged asylum seeker trial ended with no benefit, Home Office says | UK News

A Home Office pilot scheme involving asylum seekers forced to wear ankle tags to track their locations “did not affect compliance” among them, a government report has concluded.

The trial, launched on 15 June 2022 and concluding on 15 December 2023, involved around 1,200 asylum seekers split into two groups.

Some 600 people were fitted with GPS monitors and told to continue regularly reporting to an immigration reporting centre, which was mostly fortnightly appointments.

The other group – also 600 asylum seekers – were not fitted with electronic tags and had their face-to-face meetings as normal.

Both groups were chosen to be largely young, male and Albanian – the most common profile of asylum seekers during this period.

The findings from the scheme, which have been released for the first time, showed just 16% of the asylum seekers forced to wear electronic monitoring tags absconded and were either unable to be located by the Home Office, had their asylum claim rejected or left the country.

This compared with 14% of the asylum seekers who were not fitted with tags and was deemed a “statistically insignificant” difference by government analysts.

Two-thirds of those tagged either did not keep it charged, a battery breach, or tried to remove it, a strap tamper.

One person had 81 battery breaches – the average per person was six.

The greatest number of strap tampers committed by one person was three but on average was one.

Battery breaches were stated to be mostly accidental – asylum seekers complained the battery was not lasting for as long as advised, and the supplied cable was no long enough for them to sit comfortably while charging the device.

In total, 316 asylum seekers had their tag “ceased” during the pilot – either due to legal or medical challenges or removing their tag and absconding.

One asylum seeker faked a hospital letter saying that the tag was too tight and could no longer be worn.

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The findings also concluded that asylum seekers hopeful that their claims would be successful were more compliant with Home Office officials, and people receiving asylum support were 79% less likely to stop contact with immigration officials.

In March 2024, the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) found the scheme broke data protection laws.

John Edwards, the UK information commissioner said it “was not legally compliant”, calling the GPS tags “highly intrusive” and highlighting that asylum seekers “might not even be aware that they have [privacy and data protection] rights”.

The ICO’s formal warning said any further attempts to monitor asylum seekers would be met with enforcement action.

The Home Office would not confirm how much the scheme cost, or if there were plans to re-run another trial.

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Jan 1 2025

Post Office targets £100m-plus fee hike from banking deal | Money News

The Post Office is proposing a big hike in the fees that banks pay to allow their customers to access its network as it attempts to secure additional funding to boost postmasters’ pay.

Sky News understands that more than two dozen banks and building societies are considering a proposal submitted to them recently by the Post Office that would see the next banking framework costing them between £350m and £400m annually – up from about £250m-a-year under the current deal.

Banking sources said the roughly 30 high street lenders were due to respond to the Post Office’s proposal in the early part of the spring.

A deal costing the banks at least £350m a year is expected to be finalised by the autumn, the sources added.

The additional proceeds from the next agreement, which expires at the end of this year, will be used in part to strengthen the new deal for sub-postmasters unveiled by Post Office chairman Nigel Railton in November.

Under the banking framework agreement, the 30 banks and mutuals’ customers can access the Post Office’s 11,500 branches for a range of services, including depositing and withdrawing cash.

The service is particularly valuable to those who still rely on physical cash after a decade in which 6,000 bank branches have been closed across Britain.

In 2023, more than £10bn worth of cash was withdrawn over the counter and £29bn in cash was deposited over the counter, the Post Office said last year.

A new agreement with the banks will come at a critical time for the Post Office, whose new leadership team is trying to place it on a sustainable long-term footing.

Reliant on an annual government subsidy, the reputation of the network’s previous management team was left in tatters by the Horizon IT scandal and the wrongful conviction of hundreds of sub-postmasters.

A Post Office spokesperson said: “Our partnership with 30 banks and building societies ensures that no one who relies on cash is left behind, made possible by our postmasters in almost every community of the country.

“We do not comment on ongoing negotiations.”

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Dec 11 2024

‘Dozens of people’ being investigated over Post Office scandal, police chief reveals | UK News

Police are investigating “dozens of people” at the Post Office and Fujitsu, the head of a nationwide operation has announced.

A team of 100 officers nationwide are looking at potential suspects and their involvement in the Post Office scandal.

Hundreds of sub-postmasters were wrongly prosecuted for stealing from their branches between 1999 and 2015 after faulty Horizon software caused accounting errors.

Last month, Sky News exclusively revealed that at least four suspects were being investigated and the offences being considered were those of perverting the course of justice and perjury.

A meeting has been held between senior Metropolitan Police officers and victims, including Sir Alan Bates.

They were informed that officers are currently sifting through at least 1.5 million documents involving thousands of victims.

Commander Stephen Clayman, leading Operation Olympos, said “dozens” of people at the Post Office and Fujitsu were being investigated.

He added: “We will go where the evidence takes us… our ongoing goal is the pursuit of justice”.

Three people have been interviewed under caution so far, with plans to question more suspects in 2025.

If the Criminal Prosecution Service decides that the evidence standard is met, any potential trial would not be until at least 2027.

Former sub-postmistress Jess Kaur was wrongly accused of 36 counts of theft from her Post Office in Aldridge in the West Midlands.

She suffered a mental breakdown and attempted to take her own life as a result.

Ms Kaur said it was “quite disgusting” that any trial would be years away but said she understood that the police need time to properly investigate.

“There’s not just one or two of them [to investigate] so it will take time,” she told Sky News. “I hope they do a good job, we don’t want to rush them.”

She added, however, that “hundreds were put behind bars straight away” when they were falsely accused of stealing from the Post Office.

“We will never know what was going on behind the scenes but it’s all coming out,” she said.

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Officers from police forces across the UK and the National Crime Agency are working together to investigate potential crimes.

Commander Stephen Clayman described former sub-postmasters and their families as being “at the heart of this investigation”.

“The scale of the task ahead is unprecedented,” he said, adding that officers are being supported by “cutting-edge technology” to help work through evidence in documents.

“I cannot make promises that this will be a fast process. An investigation of this size must continue to be undertaken meticulously and methodically and will take time.

“However, I speak on behalf of our whole team when I say we will approach it with independence, precision and integrity.”

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Dec 9 2024

Home Office pauses decisions on Syrian asylum claims following fall of Bashar al Assad | Politics News

The government has paused all decisions on Syrian asylum claims following the rapid fall of the Assad regime over the weekend.

The Home Office said the move had been made “whilst we assess the current situation”.

“The Home Office has paused decisions on Syrian asylum claims whilst we assess the current situation,” a statement said.

“We keep all country guidance relating to asylum claims under constant review so we can respond to emerging issues.”

The move comes after Germany, Greece and Austria also paused asylum applications for thousands of Syrians.

The war in Syria had forced millions of people to flee the country, with the majority heading to Turkey and other neighbouring nations.

Home Office statistics show Syrians generated the fifth largest amount of asylum claims in the year ending September 2024 – behind Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran and Bangladesh.

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Some 99% of claims were granted at initial decision.

Earlier today Sir Keir Starmer announced a further £11m in humanitarian aid for the most vulnerable in Syria, including the hundreds of thousands who have been displaced in the conflict.

In the Commons today, Dame Priti Patel, the shadow foreign secretary, asked her counterpart David Lammy whether the government could ensure there will be “no asylum claims from former members of the Assad regime in this country”.

She told MPs: “The Conservative government called for President Assad to go over a decade ago, and few will shed any tears at this vile tyrant’s removal from office.

“While Assad may have sought sanctuary in Russia, we look to the foreign secretary to explain what steps will be taken to gather evidence of the crimes his reprehensible regime is responsible for, and the actions being taken to bring him to face justice.

“Can he confirm that despite Assad fleeing to Russia to claim asylum, there will be no asylum claims from former members of the Assad regime in this country, many of whom will be associated with human rights abuses?”

Europe debates what to do about Syrian refugees

Elsewhere in Europe today, the German interior ministry announced all asylum applications from Syrian nationals would be put on hold until there was more clarity on the political situation in the war-torn nation.

That impacts around 47,000 people, according to DPA news agency. Even before the official announcement, politicians of various stripes were jostling to make their views on asylum clear.

Some senior leaders of Germany’s opposition, the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), suggested encouraging Syrians to return home, drawing criticism from politicians from the chancellor’s party who said it was inappropriate to be having a domestic debate a day and a half after the Assad regime fell.

A snap election is expected early next year with the conservative CDU and far-right Alternative for Germany party (AfD) projected to get the most votes.

A poll on Friday showed that migration is the second-biggest worry for Germans.

In neighbouring Austria, where a backlash against an influx of refugees continues to fuel far-right and conservative parties, the caretaker government ordered a halt to processing Syrian asylum applications.”

Family reunification, a policy where refugees families can join them, is also on hold.

Mr Lammy said it was “premature” to discuss resettlement schemes for Syrian refugees and that the government was working to record human rights offences carried out by the Assad regime.

“We have not got a diplomatic presence in Syria at this time, and indeed, the Syrians do not have a diplomatic presence here in the UK.

“So recording these actions is not straightforward, but of course, we continue to work, as she would expect, with NGOs and civil society to support them in their efforts.”

He added: “She raises the issue of Syrian resettlement. Let me just say that that is premature. This House, on a cross-party basis, has sought to support the humanitarian needs of Syrians.

“We recognise the displacement next door in Lebanon, in Jordan, in Turkey and in Iraq and neighbouring countries, and of course, we will continue to support people in those refugee camps and through the humanitarian aid that we support in the country at this time.”

The successful offensive against the Assad regime that culminated in its downfall was led by Hayat Tahrir al Sham (HTS), a Syrian rebel group, that is currently proscribed as a terrorist organisation by the UK government.

Bashar al Assad, who took over from his father to rule Syria for 24 years, fled to Russia after the events of the weekend and is reportedly now in Moscow.

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Alongside the US and other Western allies, the UK is currently considering whether to remove HTS from its proscribed list of terrorist organisations.

HTS used to be a wing of al Qaeda known as the Nusra Front and has long been designated a terrorist group by the US, UK and Russia.

Its founder, Abu Mohammed al Jolani, cut ties with al Qaeda in 2016 in an effort to appear moderate and in 2021 he said he had no desire to wage war against Western countries.

The prime minister has said it is “too early” to decide whether to remove HTS from the list and that “no decision is pending on this”.

He was echoed by Mr Lammy, who said the government would “judge HTS by their actions”.

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Dec 4 2024

Met Office issues weather warnings for heavy rain and gusts of up to 80mph across UK | UK News

Weather warnings have been issued across the UK for strong winds of up to 80mph and heavy rain over the next few days.

A Met Office yellow warning for gusty conditions – 65-75mph in places – begins from 4pm today in north and northwest Scotland until Thursday morning.

That is followed by a second warning for strong and gusty winds on Thursday and Friday with “disruption possible” on the roads and railways.

It covers an area across the UK from Northern Ireland, extending across parts of Scotland, north Wales, northern England, the north Midlands and East Anglia.

Inland gusts could hit between 40-50 mph but along exposed coasts through the North Channel and Irish Sea it might reach 60-70 mph.

Forecasters also predict heavy showers at times.

The Met Office advises, those on the coast, to “stay safe during stormy weather by being aware of large waves”.

A third warning for strong winds and heavy rain also comes into force – for England and Wales – from Friday afternoon.

Forecasters are predicting these winds “may quite widely gust to around 40-50mph” but “perhaps locally nearer 80mph”.

This could cause difficult driving conditions, travel disruption and flooding in places, it has warned.

Around 15-25mm (0.6-1in) of rain may fall quite widely, but “exposed higher ground in the north and west – particularly parts of Wales – could see closer to 50-70mm (2-2.7in) and are at risk of flooding.

The Met Office said there is a slight chance of damage to buildings, homes and businesses being flooded, difficult driving conditions, road closures and power cuts.

Some snow on higher ground above about 200m (656ft) is also predicted.

Around the UK, shipping areas have been warned of intense winds.

Two areas – Faeroes and Bailey – are on alert for storm force 10 and the risk of violent storm force 11, which involves gusts of 69 knots (79mph).

That would be ranked as the second highest level, just below hurricane force.

This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly.

Please refresh the page for the fullest version.

You can receive Breaking News alerts on a smartphone or tablet via the Sky News App. You can also follow @SkyNews on X or subscribe to our YouTube channel to keep up with the latest news.

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Nov 26 2024

Met Office says it is ‘committed to learning the lessons’ of Storm Bert after criticism but defends forecasts | UK News

The Met Office has said it is “committed to learning the lessons from Storm Bert” after criticism of its weather forecasts.

The weather service also defended itself, pointing out that “observed rainfall totals were broadly in line with the forecast and the severe weather warnings issued in advance”.

Check forecast in your area

Through the end of last week and into the weekend, the storm brought torrential rain and winds over 80mph to parts of the UK.

At least four people have died since Storm Bert began, leaving communities badly flooded and turning roads into rivers.

It brought a month’s worth of rain in one weekend to parts of the UK, with the hills of South Wales the worst hit.

‘Incompetence’

In the House of Commons, on Monday, ministers were told that “incompetence” at the Met Office led to an underestimation of the storm.

Labour MP for Cardiff West Alex Barros-Curtis claimed warnings should have been “amber or red”.

He said: “Can I ask that the secretary of state [Environment Secretary Steve Reed] speak to his Department for Science, Innovation and Technology colleagues to carefully look into the role of the Met Office here?

“It is clear that their response was slow and that there was a clear underestimation of the impact of Storm Bert.

“They put it yellow rather than amber or red. Our constituents have been let down by this incompetence before, and it cannot keep happening.”

However, in response to this and other criticism, Met Office services director Simon Brown said that rainfall levels were “within the expected range of that forecast”.

He added that the warnings in place also highlighted the danger from the floods and outlined how “many factors” play a role in their warning strategy.

Mr Brown continued: “I’m committed to learning the lessons from Storm Bert to support even greater preparedness and we will be reviewing our warning strategy and how this linked to flood models in the coming weeks and days.

“Today my team and I have been working with stakeholder, partners and customers to start to review Storm Bert.”

Weather forecast

Extreme weather events like Storm Bert are becoming more common with human-induced climate change, studies show.

Provisional statistics show that White Barrow, in Devon, experienced the most rainfall during Storm Bert with 175.7mm (6.91″) between 23 November and midnight 25 November.

Treherbert, Tyn-Y-Waun in South Wales recorded 171.6mm (6.76″) at a Natural Resources Wales rain gauge over the same period and winds of 82mph were recorded in Capel Curig, Gwynedd.

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Storm Bert will slowly “pull away” from the UK on Tuesday, the Met Office said, but the risk of flooding may remain.

It is expected to be largely drier and sunnier – with some showers in Northern Ireland, northern England and on western coasts.

However, on Wednesday, an area of low pressure is set to move into southern parts of the UK bringing back more heavy rain.

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Nov 22 2024

Post Office scandal: At least 8 convictions may be linked to second IT system used by Post Office | UK News

At least eight convictions predating the Horizon Post Office scandal are being looked at by the body investigating potential miscarriages of justice, Sky News has learned.

The Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) has confirmed it is examining multiple cases of former sub-postmasters affected by Capture software.

The computer accounting system was used in the early 1990s, prior to Horizon being introduced to Post Office branches from 1999 onwards.

Horizon was at the centre of the Post Office scandal and saw hundreds of sub-postmasters wrongly convicted of stealing from their branches.

The Kroll report, commissioned by the government earlier this year, found that Capture had bugs and glitches and there was a reasonable likelihood it had caused cash shortfalls too.

Lord Beamish, the former Labour MP Kevan Jones, has been supporting victims and is calling for the government to extend current legislation to automatically quash convictions.

The Post Office (Horizon System) Offences Act was passed in May but does not include Capture victims.

Lord Beamish told Sky News he has raised the issue with the Justice Secretary and called for a House of Lords debate.

“The government are going to have to take this seriously,” he said. “We can’t have a situation where we have a two-tier system where people get exonerated from Horizon and the Capture cases are either forgotten or have to go through a very lengthy legal process to get their names cleared.”

He added he had “little faith” in the CCRC’s “ability to deal with cases”, after multiple Horizon cases were referred to the body years ago.

“The problem with these cases is the lack of evidence… that has been destroyed or lost so actually proving some of these cases through that process will be very difficult.

“Therefore I think a blanket exoneration like we had with Horizon I think has got to be discussed and considered for these cases.”

The CCRC told Sky News it has five cases under review “in which the Capture IT system could be a factor”.

It also said it is “seeking further information” on eight cases referenced in the Kroll report.

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The CCRC added that the time taken for a case review to be completed was dependent on the “complexity” of each case “and how readily available information about it is”. In a statement, it admitted: “The availability of information can be a particular hurdle in older cases.”

Chris Roberts’ mother, Liz Roberts, was convicted in 1999 of stealing £46,000 from the Post Office and spent 13 months behind bars.

Liz, who was in the advanced stages of Alzheimer’s disease, passed away earlier this year.

Chris said she was jailed four days before he turned 17, and he used to have “nightmares” that she was “going to die in there”.

“There was no evidence of any financial gain because they went through everything. And obviously the money wasn’t in our accounts because it didn’t exist,” he added.

Despite being offered “three deals” by the Post Office to plead guilty, Liz refused and was sent to prison.

Chris believes that the 2019 High Court win by Horizon victims was a missed opportunity for the Post Office to look back at Capture cases.

“It would have been worth something then because my mum would have died knowing that everybody else knew she was innocent,” he said.

“My dad would have died knowing that the love of his life wasn’t vilified as a criminal.”

Chris wants his mother exonerated and “those actively responsible” to “stand up in court… and justify themselves”.

A Department for Business and Trade spokesperson said: “We were horrified to learn about the issues with the Capture system and are working closely across government to thoroughly examine Kroll’s independent report and consider what action should be taken.

“We continue to listen to postmasters and others who have been sharing their views on the report’s findings since its publication last month.”

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Oct 11 2024

Post Office boss Nick Read admits attempts to get pay rise look ‘very poor’ | Business News

Post Office boss Nick Read has admitted his attempts to get a pay rise while victims were still waiting for compensation “looks very poor”.

Giving evidence on his third and final day at the inquiry into the Horizon scandal, the outgoing chief executive denied trying to get more money “interfered” with his ability to carry out his role.

“I don’t believe that to be the case,” he told Sam Stein KC. “I am very aware of the furore around my pay and remuneration, I’m not in any way deaf to that.”

He continued: “It looks very poor in light of the victims who are still waiting for their compensation and I very much regret the furore that has exploded and as a consequence of that has been a distraction for everybody.”

Henry Staunton, former chair of the Post Office, previously told the inquiry he had asked the government twice to double Mr Read’s pay and said the chief executive had threatened to resign over it.

Speaking to Sky News afterwards, Mr Staunton said: “It was taking up a disproportionate [amount of] time without question… it must have been taking a disproportionate amount of his energy I think.”

Mr Read was also asked about a letter he sent to the Lord Chancellor on 9 January this year after the ITV drama about the scandal was shown.

A note provided by the Post Office’s legal counsel was attached stating it was “highly likely that the vast majority of people who have not yet appealed were, in fact, guilty as charged and were safely convicted”.

Mr Read denied it had been intended to persuade the government against introducing a mass exoneration of sub-postmasters.

The letter and note were published on the Post Office website.

When asked if that was the “view of the general executive”, Mr Read said he did not believe that was the case but agreed publishing the letter and note “looks pretty appalling”.

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Mr Read was also asked where sub-postmasters’ money, used to pay non-existent shortfalls in their branches, had gone.

He said a number of external forensic accountants had been “trying to assess what it is that has gone and where it has gone”.

The accountants have identified a figure of “somewhere in the region of £36m between 1999 and 2015,” he said – the years during which hundreds of sub-postmasters were wrongly accused of stealing.

“It’s our best endeavour in terms of where we’ve got to,” Mr Read added.

Mr Read joined the Post Office in 2019 and is due to stand down from the role in March 2025.

The final phase of the Post Office inquiry is due to end in mid-November.

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Sep 28 2024

UK weather: Wind warning issued by Met Office after week of heavy rain and floods | UK News

A weather warning for wind has been issued for Wales and southwest England on Sunday after rain battered parts of the UK this week.

The yellow warning covers Cardiff and West Wales, as well as most of the South West from Weston Super Mare in the north and Swanage in the south to Penzance, Cornwall.

According to the Met Office, it begins at 9am on Sunday and lasts until midnight.

The latest weather forecast for your area

They said in the warning Sunday will start dry and clear for most of the country, but wind and rain will then move in from the South West.

Wind speeds are set to get up to 55mph in affected areas, and possibly reach 60mph in exposed coastal regions.

Gusts will be accompanied by outbreaks of rain, which could lead to surface water on roads and public transport delays, according to the Met Office.

Winds will then gradually ease across Wales and inland parts of southwest England throughout Sunday evening, but the weather agency warned it may remain fairly windy along some coasts overnight.

In their outlook for Monday to Wednesday, the Met Office said “unsettled” conditions will remain for the start of the next week, “with heavy rain and brisk winds and temperature on the cool side”.

It added conditions will be “slowly brightening up from the west as we head through Tuesday and into Wednesday”.

It comes after heavy rain and flooding struck across the UK this week, with an amber warning issued by the Met Office.

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As a result of the downpours, central and southern counties in England have already experienced more than 250% of their average September rainfall.

The Environment Agency said around 650 properties were flooded in Bedfordshire, Northamptonshire and the Home Counties.

Areas affected by the heavy rain included Milton Keynes, Oxfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Leicestershire and the West Midlands, which were hit by flash floods.

The Met Office said the regions could have had 30-40mm of rainfall within three hours.

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Sep 23 2024

UK weather: Met Office amber warning for heavy rain in force for millions in England | UK News

An amber weather warning is in force for millions of people, with more than a month’s worth of rain set to fall in some areas today.

The warning for heavy rain came into force at 5am and will last until 9pm, sweeping over Worcester, Birmingham, Nottingham and Hull.

Many places could see between 60mm and 80m (2.36in and 3.15in) – with up to 120mm (4.72in) possible in a few locations, according to the Met Office.

Forecasters are warning of potential flooding, difficult driving conditions and delays on public transport – and the chance of outbreaks of lightning.

Power cuts to some homes and businesses are likely and there is a possibility some communities will be cut off by flooded roads, the Met Office said.

A larger but less severe yellow rain warning is also in place until midnight in Wales, the south of England, North West England and up to the Middlesbrough area.

The Met Office said some areas were at particular risk because the land is already sodden from storms in recent days.

It said a month’s-worth of rain fell in some areas on Sunday, with Woburn in Bedfordshire getting 108.8mm (4.29in).

Even before the warnings took effect, Bedfordshire Police said it was aware of “multiple issues” caused by the weather and urged people to only contact them if “there is an immediate threat to life or crime in progress”.

“All emergency services and council teams are working as quickly as possible to help those affected but our priority will be the vulnerable,” it said.

“Please stay clear of flooded roads and affected areas.”

See the Sky News forecast for your area

Many places have basked in higher than average temperatures over the last few weeks – but that was probably summer’s last hurrah as autumn beds in.

Met Office forecaster Jonathan Vautrey warned below-average temperatures are on the way as northerly winds push in.

“All of us will start to see temperatures dropping below average for the time of year as we head towards the end of the week,” he said.

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As of 5am, 13 flood warnings – meaning flooding is expected – were issued for England by the Environment Agency.

Areas affected by the flood warnings include Atherstone in Warwickshire, Leighton Buzzard and Luton in Bedfordshire and parts of London including Wimbledon and South Ruislip.

Monday’s downpours are forecast to ease overnight into Tuesday, but the rain is set to be persistent for many this week.

“Through Wednesday and Thursday, unsettled weather is set to return as frontal systems move in from the Atlantic, bringing showers or longer spells of rain to many parts of the UK,” said Met Office deputy chief meteorologist David Oliver.

Meanwhile, Sunday also marked the autumnal equinox – when the day and night are the same length.

Astronomers regard it as the start of the season but weather forecasters generally count the season as beginning on 1 September.

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