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Wikipedia

Home Office

December 15, 2023

For a working room or study in a domestic dwelling, see Study (room). For small businesses operated from home, see Small office/home office.
"Home Department" redirects here. For other uses, see Ministry of home affairs.

The Home Office (HO), also known (especially in official papers and when referred to in Parliament) as the Home Department,[2] is a ministerial department of the British Government, responsible for immigration, security, and law and order. As such, it is responsible for policing in England and Wales, fire and rescue services in England, visas and immigration, and the Security Service (MI5). It is also in charge of government policy on security-related issues such as drugs, counter-terrorism, and ID cards. It was formerly responsible for His Majesty's Prison Service and the National Probation Service, but these have been transferred to the Ministry of Justice.

Home Office
Logo

2 Marsham Street, Westminster
Department overview
Formed27 March 1782; 241 years ago (1782-03-27)
Preceding Department
JurisdictionGovernment of the United Kingdom
Headquarters2 Marsham Street, London, SW1P 4DF
Annual budget£10.8 billion (current) and £500 million (capital) in 2018–19[1]
Secretary of State responsible
Ministers of State (attending Cabinet) responsible
Department executive
Websitewww.gov.uk/government/organisations/home-office
A Home Office Immigration Enforcement vehicle in north London

The Cabinet minister responsible for the department is the Home Secretary,[3] a post considered one of the Great Offices of State; it has been held by James Cleverly since November 2023. The Home Office is managed from day to day by a civil servant, the Permanent Under-Secretary of State of the Home Office.

The expenditure, administration, and policy of the Home Office are scrutinised by the Home Affairs Select Committee.[4]

Organisation edit

The Home Office is headed by the Home Secretary, a Cabinet minister supported by the department's senior civil servant, the permanent secretary.

As of October 2014, the Home Office comprises the following organisations:[5]

Non-ministerial government departments edit

Inspectorates / accountability edit

Divisions edit

Non-departmental public bodies edit

Operations edit

A number of functions of the National Policing Improvement Agency were transferred to the Home Office in October 2012, ahead of the future abolition of the agency.[6]

These included:

Budget edit

Program Resource Funding
(in millions £) 		Capital Funding
(in millions £)
Science, Technology, Analysis, Research, and Strategy 214.2 84.6
Homeland Security 1,133.2 153.7
Public Safety 10,232.7 131.3
Migration and Borders 216.7 157.9
Immigration and Passports 541.9 43.3
Borders and Enforcement 702.1 154.2
Administration 1,277.3 39.7
Technology 290.3 60.2
Legal 10.6 0
Communications 16.1 0.5
Arm's Length Bodies 134.7 15.2
TOTAL 15,580.9 890.5

Contractors edit

The Home Office outsources to a number of contractors to handle specific duties relating to its mission.

Contractor Duty
G4S Administering Detention centres and Removals
Mitie Immigration Management
Sopra Steria Residence documents processing services
TLScontact Visa processing services
VFS Global

Home Office ministers edit

The Home Office ministers are as follows, with cabinet ministers in bold:[7]

Minister Portrait Office Portfolio
The Rt Hon. James Cleverly MP   Secretary of State for the Home Department Overall responsibility for the work of the department; overarching responsibility for the departmental portfolio and oversight of the ministerial team; cabinet; National Security Council (NSC); public appointments; oversight of the Security Service; overall responsibility for the Home Office response to COVID-19 including health measures at the border and police powers to enforce lockdown.
The Rt Hon. Tom Tugendhat MBE MP   Minister of State for Security Counter terrorism – Prepare, Prevent, Pursue, Protect; response to state threats; cyber security and crime; serious and organised crime; oversight of NCA; aviation and maritime security; economic security; economic crime (including anti-corruption and illicit finance); international criminality; fraud; countering extremism; extradition policy and operations; Special Cases Unit (exclusions, deprivations etc.); MP security and VIP protection; online safety; victims of terrorism.
Michael Tomlinson MP   Minister of State for Illegal Migration [8]
Tom Pursglove MP   Minister of State for Legal Migration and Delivery [9]
The Rt Hon. Chris Philp MP   Minister of State for Crime, Policing and Fire Policing; police accountability and efficiency; local policing response to organised crime; public order, major events and Public Order Bill; cutting crime; criminal justice system; drugs and county lines; unauthorised encampments; firearms; alcohol and licensing; anti-social behaviour; neighbourhood crime; policing elements of RASSO (and any wider policing elements of the safeguarding portfolio); civil contingencies; ESMCP; Police, Crime, Sentencing and the Courts Act; fire policy; Home Office elements of fire operations; Grenfell.
Laura Farris MP   Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Victims and Safeguarding Tackling violence against women and girls; domestic abuse; FGM and forced marriage; child sexual abuse and exploitation; Disclosure and Barring Service; Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority; sexual violence; Rape Review; prostitution; stalking; hate crime; crime prevention; early youth intervention; victim support; victims elements of RASSO; spiking.
Held jointly with the Ministry of Justice
The Rt Hon. The Lord Sharpe of Epsom OBE   Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department Home Office responsibilities: public safety and national security 'shadow' in the Lords; public safety and national security legislation. Cross-cutting: departmental reform and Transformation Programme; commercial; digital and technology; data and identity; analysis, science and research; programme portfolio; public appointments and sponsorship; inquiries; Better Regulation.

Priorities edit

The Department outlined its aims for this Parliament in its Business Plan, which was published in May 2011, and superseded its Structural Reform Plan.[10] The plan said the department will:

1. Empower the public to hold the police to account for their role in cutting crime
2. Free up the police to fight crime more effectively and efficiently
  • Cut police bureaucracy, end unnecessary central interference and overhaul police powers in order to cut crime, reduce costs and improve police value for money. Simplify national institutional structures and establish a National Crime Agency to strengthen the fight against organised crime (and replace the Serious Organised Crime Agency).
3. Create a more integrated criminal justice system
  • Help the police and other public services work together across the criminal justice system.
4. Secure our borders and reduce immigration
  • Deliver an improved migration system that commands public confidence and serves our economic interests. Limit non-EU economic migrants, and introduce new measures to reduce inflow and minimise abuse of all migration routes, for example the student route. Process asylum applications more quickly, and end the detention of children for immigration purposes.
5. Protect people's freedoms and civil liberties
  • Reverse state interference to ensure there is not disproportionate intrusion into people's lives.
6. Protect our citizens from terrorism
  • Keep people safe through the Government's approach to counter-terrorism.
7. Build a fairer and more equal society (through the Government Equalities Office)
  • Help create a fair and flexible labour market. Change culture and attitudes. Empower individuals and communities. Improve equality structures, frontline services and support; and help Government Departments and others to consider equality as a matter of course.

The Home Office publishes progress against the plan on the 10 Downing Street website.[11]

History edit

On 27 March 1782; 241 years ago (1782-03-27), the Home Office was formed by renaming the existing Southern Department, with all existing staff transferring. On the same day, the Northern Department was renamed the Foreign Office.

To match the new names, there was a transferring of responsibilities between the two Departments of State. All domestic responsibilities (including colonies) were moved to the Home Office, and all foreign matters became the concern of the Foreign Office.

Most subsequently created domestic departments (excluding, for instance, those dealing with education) have been formed by splitting responsibilities away from the Home Office.

The initial responsibilities were:

  • Answering petitions and addresses sent to the King
  • Advising the King on
  • Issuing instructions on behalf of the King to officers of The Crown, lords-lieutenant and magistrates, mainly concerning law and order
  • Operation of the secret service within the UK
  • Protecting the public
  • Safeguarding the rights and liberties of individuals
  • Colonial matters

Responsibilities were subsequently changed over the years that followed:[12]

The Home Office retains a variety of functions that have not found a home elsewhere and sit oddly with the main law-and-order focus of the department, such as regulation of British Summer Time.

Recent incidents edit

Union action edit

On 18 July 2012, the Public and Commercial Services Union announced that thousands of Home Office employees would go on strike over jobs, pay and other issues.[14] The union called off the strike; it claimed the department had, consequent to the threat of actions, announced 1,100 new border jobs.[15]

Windrush scandal edit

The first allegations about the targeting of pre-1973 Caribbean migrants started in 2013.[citation needed] In 2018, the allegations were put to the Home Secretary in the House of Commons, and resulted in the resignation of the then Home Secretary. The Windrush scandal resulted in some British citizens being wrongly deported, along with a further compensation scheme for those affected, and a wider debate on the Home Office hostile environment policy.[citation needed]

Aderonke Apata edit

Aderonke Apata, a Nigerian LGBT activist, made two asylum claims that were both rejected by the Home Office in 2014 and on 1 April 2015 respectively, due to her previously having been in a relationship with a man and having children with that man.[16][17][18][19][20] In 2014, Apata said that she would send an explicit video of herself to the Home Office to prove her sexuality.[16] This resulted in her asylum bid gaining widespread support, with multiple petitions created in response, which gained hundreds of thousands of signatures combined.[18]

On 8 August 2017, after a thirteen-year legal battle and after a new appeal from Apata was scheduled for late July, she was granted refugee status in the United Kingdom by the Home Office.[21]

 
The former Home Office building at 50 Queen Anne's Gate, London
 
Lunar House in Croydon, which holds the headquarters of UK Visas and Immigration

Location edit

Until 1978, the Home Office had its offices in what is now the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Main Building on King Charles Street, off Whitehall. From 1978 to 2004, the Home Office was then located at 50 Queen Anne's Gate, a Brutalist office block in Westminster designed by Sir Basil Spence, close to St James's Park tube station. Many functions, however, were devolved to offices in other parts of London, and the country, notably the headquarters of the Immigration and Nationality Directorate in Croydon.

In 2005, the Home Office moved to a new main office designed by Sir Terry Farrell at 2 Marsham Street, Westminster, on the site of the demolished Marsham Towers building of the Department of the Environment.[22]

For external shots of its fictional Home Office, the TV series Spooks uses an aerial shot of the Government Offices Great George Street instead, serving as stand-in to match the distinctly less modern appearance of the fictitious accommodation interiors the series uses.[23]

Research edit

To meet the UK's five-year science and technology strategy,[24] the Home Office sponsors research in police sciences, including:

  • Biometrics – including face and voice recognition
  • Cell type analysis – to determine the origin of cells (e.g. hair, skin)
  • Chemistry – new techniques to recover latent fingerprints
  • DNA – identifying offender characteristics from DNA
  • Improved profiling – of illicit drugs to help identify their source
  • Raman Spectroscopy – to provide more sensitive drugs and explosives detectors (e.g. roadside drug detection)
  • Terahertz imaging methods and technologies – e.g. image analysis and new cameras, to detect crime, enhance images and support anti-terrorism

Devolution edit

Most front-line law and order policy areas, such as policing and criminal justice, are devolved in Scotland and Northern Ireland (and only very partially in Wales), but the following reserved and excepted matters are handled by Westminster.

Northern Ireland edit

Excepted matters:[25]

The following matters were not transferred at the devolution of policing and justice on 12 April 2010, and remain reserved:[26]

The Home Office's main counterparts in Northern Ireland are:

The Department of Justice is accountable to the Northern Ireland Executive, whereas the Northern Ireland Office is a UK government department.

Scotland edit

Reserved matters:[28]

The Scottish Government Justice and Communities Directorates are responsible for devolved justice and home affairs policy.

Wales edit

Reserved matters:

Criticism edit

In March 2019, it was reported that in two unrelated cases, the Home Office denied asylum to converted Christians by misrepresenting certain Bible quotes. In one case, it quoted selected excerpts from the Bible to imply that Christianity is not more peaceful than Islam, the asylum-seeker's original religion.[29] In another incident, an Iranian Christian application for asylum was rejected because her faith was judged as "half-hearted", for she did not believe that Jesus could protect her from the Iranian regime.[30] As criticism grew on social media, the Home Office distanced itself from the decision, though it confirmed the letter was authentic.[31] The Home Secretary[who?] said that it was "totally unacceptable" for his department to quote the Bible to question an Iranian Christian convert's asylum application, and ordered an urgent investigation into what had happened.[32]

The treatment of Christian asylum-seekers chimes with other incidents in the past, such as the refusal to grant visas to the Archbishop of Mosul to attend the consecration of the UK's first Syriac Orthodox Cathedral.[33][better source needed] In a 2017 study, the Christian Barnabas Fund found that only 0.2% of all Syrian refugees accepted by the UK were Christians, although Christians accounted for approximately 10% of Syria's pre-war population.[34]

In 2019, the Home Office admitted to multiple breaches of data protection regulations in the handling of its Windrush compensation scheme. The department sent emails to Windrush migrants which revealed the email address of other Windrush migrants to whom the email was sent. The data breach concerned five different emails, each of which was sent to 100 recipients.[35] In April 2019, the Home Office admitted to revealing 240 personal email addresses of EU citizens applying for settled status in the UK. The email addresses of applicants were incorrectly sent to other applicants to the scheme.[36] In response to these incidents, the Home Office pledged to launch an independent review of its data protection compliance.[37]

In 2019, the Court of Appeal issued a judgement which criticised the Home Office's handling of immigration cases. The judges stated that the "general approach [by the home secretary, Sajid Javid] in all earnings discrepancy cases [has been] legally flawed". The judgement relates to the Home Office's interpretation of Section 322(5) of the Immigration Rules.[38]

In November 2020, the Equality and Human Rights Commission, a statutory body that investigates breaches of the Equality Act 2010 published a report concluding that the Home Office had a "lack of organisation-wide commitment, including by senior leadership, to the importance of equality and the Home Office's obligations under the equality duty placed on government departments". The report noted that the Home Office's pursuit of the "hostile environment" policy from 2012 onwards "accelerated the impact of decades of complex policy and practice based on a history of white and black immigrants being treated differently". Caroline Waters, the interim chair of the EHRC, described the treatment of Windrush immigrants by the Home Office as a "shameful stain on British history".[39]

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ Budget 2018 (PDF). London: HM Treasury. 2018. pp. 23–24. Retrieved 30 July 2019.
  2. ^ Department of the Official Report (Hansard), House of Commons, Westminster (9 June 2008). "Hansard – Oral Questions to the Home Department – 9 June 2008". Publications.Parliament.uk. Government of the United Kingdom. Retrieved 19 June 2010.
  3. ^ "Secretary of State for the Home Department - GOV.UK". www.gov.uk. Retrieved 3 January 2023.
  4. ^ "Role - Home Affairs Committee". parliament.uk. Retrieved 28 February 2022. The House of Commons appoints the Committee with the task of examining the expenditure, administration, and policy of the Home Office and its associated public bodies.
  5. ^ "Departments, agencies and public bodies - GOV.UK". GOV.uk. Government of the United Kingdom. Retrieved 2 November 2017.
  6. ^ . www.NPIA.police.uk. National Policing Improvement Agency. 2012. Archived from the original on 18 January 2013. Retrieved 10 February 2013.
  7. ^   This article incorporates text published under the British Open Government Licence: "Our ministers". GOV.UK. Home Office. Retrieved 28 September 2022.
  8. ^ "Minister of State (Minister for Illegal Migration) - GOV.UK". GOV.UK. Retrieved 7 December 2023.
  9. ^ "Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery) - GOV.UK". GOV.UK. Retrieved 7 December 2023.
  10. ^ "Home Office business plan 2011 to 2015". Home Office. 12 May 2011. Retrieved 12 April 2012.
  11. ^ . Transparency.Number10.GOV.uk. 10 Downing Street. Archived from the original on 5 April 2012. Retrieved 12 April 2012.
  12. ^ . Casbah.ac.uk. Archived from the original on 9 July 2011. Retrieved 19 June 2010.
  13. ^ Bulletin of the Institute of Historical Research. Vol. 23–24. Longmans, Green. 1950. p. 197.
  14. ^ "Home Office staff vote to strike over jobs and pay". BBC News. 18 July 2012. Retrieved 28 July 2013.
  15. ^ Murray, Pete (25 July 2012). . Union News. Archived from the original on 24 March 2014. Retrieved 24 March 2014.
  16. ^ a b Dugan, Emily (9 June 2014). "Aderonke Apata deportation case: 'If the Home Office doesn't believe I'm gay, I'll send them a video that proves it'". The Independent. Archived from the original on 31 December 2020. Retrieved 30 December 2020.
  17. ^ Dunt, Ian (3 March 2015). . Politics.co.uk. Archived from the original on 27 December 2015. Retrieved 30 December 2020.
  18. ^ a b Ashton, Jack (14 August 2017). "Nigerian gay rights activist who judge accused of 'faking' her sexuality wins 13-year legal battle for asylum in UK". The Independent. Archived from the original on 31 December 2020. Retrieved 30 December 2020.
  19. ^ Dugan, Emily (3 April 2015). "Nigerian gay rights activist has her High Court asylum bid rejected - because judge doesn't believe she is lesbian". The Independent. Archived from the original on 31 December 2020. Retrieved 30 December 2020.
  20. ^ Cohen, Claire (4 March 2015). "Home Office tells Nigerian asylum seeker: 'You can't be a lesbian, you've got children'". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 22 April 2015. Retrieved 30 December 2020.
  21. ^ Taylor, Diane (12 August 2017). "Nigerian gay rights activist wins UK asylum claim after 13-year battle". The Guardian. from the original on 12 November 2020. Retrieved 30 December 2020.
  22. ^ . Terry Farrell. Archived from the original on 26 September 2006.
  23. ^ "History of 1 Horse Guards Road". Government of the United Kingdom. Retrieved 19 September 2018.
  24. ^ (PDF). Home Office. Archived from the original (PDF) on 5 February 2007. Retrieved 27 September 2010.
  25. ^ "Northern Ireland Act 1998, Schedule 2". Legislation.gov.uk. 4 November 1950. Retrieved 19 June 2010.
  26. ^ . Northern Ireland Assembly Information Office. 9 March 2010. Archived from the original on 16 December 2010. Retrieved 19 June 2010.
  27. ^ . Northern Ireland Office. Archived from the original on 17 September 2010. Retrieved 19 June 2010.
  28. ^ "Scotland Act 1998, Schedule 5, Part I". Legislation.gov.uk. Retrieved 19 June 2010.
  29. ^ Bulman, May (20 March 2019). "Home Office refuses Christian convert asylum by quoting Bible passages that 'prove Christianity is not peaceful'". The Independent. Retrieved 4 April 2019.
  30. ^ Dodd, Liz (27 March 2019). "'Illiterate' Home Office quotes Jesus in asylum rejection letter". The Tablet. Retrieved 4 April 2019.
  31. ^ Schaverien, Anna (21 March 2019). "Rejecting asylum claim, U.K. quotes Bible to say Christianity is not 'peaceful'". The New York Times. Retrieved 4 April 2019.
  32. ^ Adeogun, Eno (2 April 2019). "Home Secretary orders urgent investigation into asylum rejection letter which criticised Bible". Premier Christian News. Retrieved 4 April 2019.
  33. ^ "Britain bans heroic bishops: persecuted Christian leaders from war zones refused entry". Daily Express. 4 December 2016. Retrieved 4 April 2019.
  34. ^ . Barnabas Fund. 2 November 2017. Archived from the original on 4 April 2019. Retrieved 4 April 2019.
  35. ^ Shaw, Danny (8 April 2019). "Windrush: Home Office admits data breach in compensation scheme". BBC News.
  36. ^ Hawkins, Ross (11 April 2019). "Brexit: Home Office sorry for EU citizen data breach". BBC News.
  37. ^ Smith, Beckie (12 April 2019). "Home Office to launch independent review of data protection compliance". Civil Service World.
  38. ^ Hill, Amelia (16 April 2019). "Court castigates Home Office over misuse of immigration law". The Guardian.
  39. ^ Parkinson, Justin (25 November 2020). "Windrush generation: UK 'unlawfully ignored' immigration rules warnings". BBC News. Retrieved 25 November 2020.

External links edit

 
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Home Office.
  • Official website  
  • — gives a history of responsibilities of the Home Office, including which functions were merged into or transferred away from the Home Office

December 15, 2023
home, office, working, room, study, domestic, dwelling, study, room, small, businesses, operated, from, home, small, office, home, office, home, department, redirects, here, other, uses, ministry, home, affairs, also, known, especially, official, papers, when,. For a working room or study in a domestic dwelling see Study room For small businesses operated from home see Small office home office Home Department redirects here For other uses see Ministry of home affairs The Home Office HO also known especially in official papers and when referred to in Parliament as the Home Department 2 is a ministerial department of the British Government responsible for immigration security and law and order As such it is responsible for policing in England and Wales fire and rescue services in England visas and immigration and the Security Service MI5 It is also in charge of government policy on security related issues such as drugs counter terrorism and ID cards It was formerly responsible for His Majesty s Prison Service and the National Probation Service but these have been transferred to the Ministry of Justice Home OfficeLogo2 Marsham Street WestminsterDepartment overviewFormed27 March 1782 241 years ago 1782 03 27 Preceding DepartmentSouthern DepartmentJurisdictionGovernment of the United KingdomHeadquarters2 Marsham Street London SW1P 4DFAnnual budget 10 8 billion current and 500 million capital in 2018 19 1 Secretary of State responsibleThe Rt Hon James Cleverly MP Home SecretaryMinisters of State attending Cabinet responsibleThe Rt Hon Tom Tugendhat MP Minister of State for SecurityMichael Tomlinson MP Minister of State for Illegal MigrationDepartment executiveSir Matthew Rycroft Permanent SecretaryWebsitewww wbr gov wbr uk wbr government wbr organisations wbr home officeA Home Office Immigration Enforcement vehicle in north LondonThe Cabinet minister responsible for the department is the Home Secretary 3 a post considered one of the Great Offices of State it has been held by James Cleverly since November 2023 The Home Office is managed from day to day by a civil servant the Permanent Under Secretary of State of the Home Office The expenditure administration and policy of the Home Office are scrutinised by the Home Affairs Select Committee 4 Contents 1 Organisation 1 1 Non ministerial government departments 1 2 Inspectorates accountability 1 3 Divisions 1 4 Non departmental public bodies 1 5 Operations 1 6 Budget 1 7 Contractors 2 Home Office ministers 3 Priorities 4 History 5 Recent incidents 5 1 Union action 5 2 Windrush scandal 5 3 Aderonke Apata 6 Location 7 Research 8 Devolution 8 1 Northern Ireland 8 2 Scotland 8 3 Wales 9 Criticism 10 See also 11 References 12 External linksOrganisation editThe Home Office is headed by the Home Secretary a Cabinet minister supported by the department s senior civil servant the permanent secretary As of October 2014 the Home Office comprises the following organisations 5 Non ministerial government departments edit National Crime Agency NCA Security Service MI5 Inspectorates accountability edit HM Inspectorate of Constabulary Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration Independent Office for Police Conduct and other oversight bodies HM Chief Inspector of Fire ServicesDivisions edit Border Force HM Passport Office Immigration Enforcement Corporate Services UK Visas and Immigration Office for Security and Counter TerrorismNon departmental public bodies edit Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs Animals in Science Committee Disclosure and Barring Service DBS Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority Independent Office for Police Conduct IOPC formerly the Independent Police Complaints Commission Investigatory Powers Tribunal Migration Advisory Committee National DNA Database Ethics Group Office of Surveillance Commissioners Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner Police Advisory Board for England and Wales Police Discipline Appeals Tribunal Police Remuneration Review Body Security Industry Authority SIA Surveillance Camera Commissioner Technical Advisory BoardOperations edit A number of functions of the National Policing Improvement Agency were transferred to the Home Office in October 2012 ahead of the future abolition of the agency 6 These included Use of the Airwave communications system by police forces The Police National Database The National DNA Database Legislative powers regarding police employment Forensics policy The National Procurement Hub for information technologyBudget edit This section does not cite any sources Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed January 2022 Learn how and when to remove this template message Program Resource Funding in millions Capital Funding in millions Science Technology Analysis Research and Strategy 214 2 84 6Homeland Security 1 133 2 153 7Public Safety 10 232 7 131 3Migration and Borders 216 7 157 9Immigration and Passports 541 9 43 3Borders and Enforcement 702 1 154 2Administration 1 277 3 39 7Technology 290 3 60 2Legal 10 6 0Communications 16 1 0 5Arm s Length Bodies 134 7 15 2TOTAL 15 580 9 890 5Contractors edit The Home Office outsources to a number of contractors to handle specific duties relating to its mission Contractor DutyG4S Administering Detention centres and RemovalsMitie Immigration ManagementSopra Steria Residence documents processing servicesTLScontact Visa processing servicesVFS GlobalHome Office ministers editThe Home Office ministers are as follows with cabinet ministers in bold 7 Minister Portrait Office PortfolioThe Rt Hon James Cleverly MP nbsp Secretary of State for the Home Department Overall responsibility for the work of the department overarching responsibility for the departmental portfolio and oversight of the ministerial team cabinet National Security Council NSC public appointments oversight of the Security Service overall responsibility for the Home Office response to COVID 19 including health measures at the border and police powers to enforce lockdown The Rt Hon Tom Tugendhat MBE MP nbsp Minister of State for Security Counter terrorism Prepare Prevent Pursue Protect response to state threats cyber security and crime serious and organised crime oversight of NCA aviation and maritime security economic security economic crime including anti corruption and illicit finance international criminality fraud countering extremism extradition policy and operations Special Cases Unit exclusions deprivations etc MP security and VIP protection online safety victims of terrorism Michael Tomlinson MP nbsp Minister of State for Illegal Migration 8 Tom Pursglove MP nbsp Minister of State for Legal Migration and Delivery 9 The Rt Hon Chris Philp MP nbsp Minister of State for Crime Policing and Fire Policing police accountability and efficiency local policing response to organised crime public order major events and Public Order Bill cutting crime criminal justice system drugs and county lines unauthorised encampments firearms alcohol and licensing anti social behaviour neighbourhood crime policing elements of RASSO and any wider policing elements of the safeguarding portfolio civil contingencies ESMCP Police Crime Sentencing and the Courts Act fire policy Home Office elements of fire operations Grenfell Laura Farris MP nbsp Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Victims and Safeguarding Tackling violence against women and girls domestic abuse FGM and forced marriage child sexual abuse and exploitation Disclosure and Barring Service Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority sexual violence Rape Review prostitution stalking hate crime crime prevention early youth intervention victim support victims elements of RASSO spiking Held jointly with the Ministry of JusticeThe Rt Hon The Lord Sharpe of Epsom OBE nbsp Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for the Home Department Home Office responsibilities public safety and national security shadow in the Lords public safety and national security legislation Cross cutting departmental reform and Transformation Programme commercial digital and technology data and identity analysis science and research programme portfolio public appointments and sponsorship inquiries Better Regulation Priorities editThe Department outlined its aims for this Parliament in its Business Plan which was published in May 2011 and superseded its Structural Reform Plan 10 The plan said the department will 1 Empower the public to hold the police to account for their role in cutting crimeIntroduce directly elected Police and Crime Commissioners and make police actions to tackle crime and anti social behaviour more transparent dd 2 Free up the police to fight crime more effectively and efficientlyCut police bureaucracy end unnecessary central interference and overhaul police powers in order to cut crime reduce costs and improve police value for money Simplify national institutional structures and establish a National Crime Agency to strengthen the fight against organised crime and replace the Serious Organised Crime Agency dd 3 Create a more integrated criminal justice systemHelp the police and other public services work together across the criminal justice system dd 4 Secure our borders and reduce immigrationDeliver an improved migration system that commands public confidence and serves our economic interests Limit non EU economic migrants and introduce new measures to reduce inflow and minimise abuse of all migration routes for example the student route Process asylum applications more quickly and end the detention of children for immigration purposes dd 5 Protect people s freedoms and civil libertiesReverse state interference to ensure there is not disproportionate intrusion into people s lives dd 6 Protect our citizens from terrorismKeep people safe through the Government s approach to counter terrorism dd 7 Build a fairer and more equal society through the Government Equalities Office Help create a fair and flexible labour market Change culture and attitudes Empower individuals and communities Improve equality structures frontline services and support and help Government Departments and others to consider equality as a matter of course dd dd The Home Office publishes progress against the plan on the 10 Downing Street website 11 History editOn 27 March 1782 241 years ago 1782 03 27 the Home Office was formed by renaming the existing Southern Department with all existing staff transferring On the same day the Northern Department was renamed the Foreign Office To match the new names there was a transferring of responsibilities between the two Departments of State All domestic responsibilities including colonies were moved to the Home Office and all foreign matters became the concern of the Foreign Office Most subsequently created domestic departments excluding for instance those dealing with education have been formed by splitting responsibilities away from the Home Office The initial responsibilities were Answering petitions and addresses sent to the King Advising the King on Royal grants Warrants and commissions The exercise of Royal Prerogative Issuing instructions on behalf of the King to officers of The Crown lords lieutenant and magistrates mainly concerning law and order Operation of the secret service within the UK Protecting the public Safeguarding the rights and liberties of individuals Colonial mattersResponsibilities were subsequently changed over the years that followed 12 1793 added regulation of aliens 1794 removed control of military forces to Secretary of State for War 1801 removed colonial business to Secretary of State for War and the Colonies 1804 removed Barbary State consuls to Secretary of State for War and the Colonies 13 1823 added prisons 1829 added Metropolitan Police and other police services 1836 added registration of births deaths and marriages in England and Wales 1844 added naturalisation 1845 added registration of Friendly Societies 1855 removed yeomanries and militias to War Office 1858 added local boards of health 1871 removed local boards of health to Local Government Board 1871 removed registration of births deaths and marriages to Local Government Board 1872 removed highways and turnpikes to Local Government Board 1875 added control of explosives 1875 removed registration of Friendly Societies to Treasury 1885 removed Scotland to Secretary for Scotland and the Scottish Office 1886 removed fishing to Board of Trade 1889 removed Land Commissioners to Board of Agriculture 1900 removed matters relating to burial grounds to Local Government Board 1905 removed public housing to Local Government Board 1914 added dangerous drugs 1919 removed aircraft and air traffic to Air Ministry 1919 removed use of human bodies in medical training to Ministry of Health 1919 removed infant and child care to Ministry of Health 1919 removed lunacy and mental health to Ministry of Health 1919 removed health and safety to Ministry of Health 1920 added firearms 1920 removed Representation of Britain abroad in labour matters to Ministry of Labour 1920 removed mining to Mines Department 1920 added Northern Ireland 1921 added elections from the Ministry of Health 1922 removed relations with Irish Free State to Colonial Office 1923 removed Order of the British Empire to Treasury 1925 removed registration of trade unions to Ministry of Labour 1931 removed county councils to Ministry of Health 1933 added poisons 1934 removed metropolitan boroughs to Ministry of Health 1935 added Civil Defence Service 1937 removed road accident returns to Ministry of Transport 1938 added fire services 1938 removed Imperial Service Order and medal to Treasury 1940 removed factory inspections to Ministry of Labour 1945 removed workmen s compensation scheme to Ministry of National Insurance 1947 added infant and child care from Ministry of Health 1947 removed regulation of advertisements to Ministry of Town and Country Planning 1947 removed burial fees to Ministry of Health 1947 removed registration of building societies to Treasury 1948 removed Broadmoor hospital to Lunacy Board of Control 1949 added Civil Defence Corps 1950 removed structural precautions for civil defence to Ministry of Works 1950 removed minor judicial appointments to Lord Chancellor 1953 removed slaughterhouses to Ministry of Housing and Local Government 1954 removed markets to Ministry of Housing and Local Government 1956 removed railway accidents to Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation 1969 removed reservoirs to Ministry of Housing and Local Government 1971 removed child care in England to Department of Health and Social Security 1971 removed child care in Wales to Welsh Office 1972 removed Northern Ireland Department of the Home Office to Northern Ireland Office 1973 removed adoption to Department of Health and Social Security 1992 removed broadcasting and sport to the new Department of National Heritage later the Department for Culture Media and Sport 2000 removed Metropolitan Police to Metropolitan Police Authority later Mayor s Office for Policing and Crime 2001 removed elections to the Department for Transport Local Government and the Regions 2001 removed Crown Dependencies to Lord Chancellor s Department now Ministry of Justice 2007 removed Home Office Drugs Inspectorate branch formed in 1934 2007 removed criminal justice prisons amp probation and legal affairs to new Ministry of Justice 2007 added counter terrorism strategy from the Cabinet Office 2016 added fire and rescue services in England from the Department for Communities and Local Government The Home Office retains a variety of functions that have not found a home elsewhere and sit oddly with the main law and order focus of the department such as regulation of British Summer Time Recent incidents editUnion action edit On 18 July 2012 the Public and Commercial Services Union announced that thousands of Home Office employees would go on strike over jobs pay and other issues 14 The union called off the strike it claimed the department had consequent to the threat of actions announced 1 100 new border jobs 15 Windrush scandal edit The first allegations about the targeting of pre 1973 Caribbean migrants started in 2013 citation needed In 2018 the allegations were put to the Home Secretary in the House of Commons and resulted in the resignation of the then Home Secretary The Windrush scandal resulted in some British citizens being wrongly deported along with a further compensation scheme for those affected and a wider debate on the Home Office hostile environment policy citation needed Aderonke Apata edit Aderonke Apata a Nigerian LGBT activist made two asylum claims that were both rejected by the Home Office in 2014 and on 1 April 2015 respectively due to her previously having been in a relationship with a man and having children with that man 16 17 18 19 20 In 2014 Apata said that she would send an explicit video of herself to the Home Office to prove her sexuality 16 This resulted in her asylum bid gaining widespread support with multiple petitions created in response which gained hundreds of thousands of signatures combined 18 On 8 August 2017 after a thirteen year legal battle and after a new appeal from Apata was scheduled for late July she was granted refugee status in the United Kingdom by the Home Office 21 nbsp The former Home Office building at 50 Queen Anne s Gate London nbsp Lunar House in Croydon which holds the headquarters of UK Visas and ImmigrationLocation editUntil 1978 the Home Office had its offices in what is now the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Main Building on King Charles Street off Whitehall From 1978 to 2004 the Home Office was then located at 50 Queen Anne s Gate a Brutalist office block in Westminster designed by Sir Basil Spence close to St James s Park tube station Many functions however were devolved to offices in other parts of London and the country notably the headquarters of the Immigration and Nationality Directorate in Croydon In 2005 the Home Office moved to a new main office designed by Sir Terry Farrell at 2 Marsham Street Westminster on the site of the demolished Marsham Towers building of the Department of the Environment 22 For external shots of its fictional Home Office the TV series Spooks uses an aerial shot of the Government Offices Great George Street instead serving as stand in to match the distinctly less modern appearance of the fictitious accommodation interiors the series uses 23 Research editTo meet the UK s five year science and technology strategy 24 the Home Office sponsors research in police sciences including Biometrics including face and voice recognition Cell type analysis to determine the origin of cells e g hair skin Chemistry new techniques to recover latent fingerprints DNA identifying offender characteristics from DNA Improved profiling of illicit drugs to help identify their source Raman Spectroscopy to provide more sensitive drugs and explosives detectors e g roadside drug detection Terahertz imaging methods and technologies e g image analysis and new cameras to detect crime enhance images and support anti terrorismDevolution editMost front line law and order policy areas such as policing and criminal justice are devolved in Scotland and Northern Ireland and only very partially in Wales but the following reserved and excepted matters are handled by Westminster Northern Ireland edit Excepted matters 25 Extradition as an international relations matter Immigration and nationalityThe following matters were not transferred at the devolution of policing and justice on 12 April 2010 and remain reserved 26 Drug classification Parades Security of explosives National Crime AgencyThe Home Office s main counterparts in Northern Ireland are Department of Justice policing public order and community safety Northern Ireland Office national security in Northern Ireland 27 The Department of Justice is accountable to the Northern Ireland Executive whereas the Northern Ireland Office is a UK government department Scotland edit Reserved matters 28 The Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 Extradition legislation but the Scottish Ministers through the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service have executive responsibility for all aspects of mutual legal assistance Most aspects of firearms legislation but Scottish Ministers have some executive responsibilities for the licensing of firearms further powers are transferred under the Scotland Act 2012 Immigration and nationality Scientific procedures on live animals The Scottish Government Justice and Communities Directorates are responsible for devolved justice and home affairs policy Wales edit Reserved matters Policing Drug Abuse Data Protection and access to information Elections Firearms Film Classification Immigration and Nationality Scientific Procedures on live animals National Security and Counter Terrorism Betting Gaming and Lotteries Emergency Powers Extradition Lieutenancies CharitiesCriticism editThis article s criticism or controversy section may compromise the article s neutrality Please help rewrite or integrate negative information to other sections September 2021 In March 2019 it was reported that in two unrelated cases the Home Office denied asylum to converted Christians by misrepresenting certain Bible quotes In one case it quoted selected excerpts from the Bible to imply that Christianity is not more peaceful than Islam the asylum seeker s original religion 29 In another incident an Iranian Christian application for asylum was rejected because her faith was judged as half hearted for she did not believe that Jesus could protect her from the Iranian regime 30 As criticism grew on social media the Home Office distanced itself from the decision though it confirmed the letter was authentic 31 The Home Secretary who said that it was totally unacceptable for his department to quote the Bible to question an Iranian Christian convert s asylum application and ordered an urgent investigation into what had happened 32 The treatment of Christian asylum seekers chimes with other incidents in the past such as the refusal to grant visas to the Archbishop of Mosul to attend the consecration of the UK s first Syriac Orthodox Cathedral 33 better source needed In a 2017 study the Christian Barnabas Fund found that only 0 2 of all Syrian refugees accepted by the UK were Christians although Christians accounted for approximately 10 of Syria s pre war population 34 In 2019 the Home Office admitted to multiple breaches of data protection regulations in the handling of its Windrush compensation scheme The department sent emails to Windrush migrants which revealed the email address of other Windrush migrants to whom the email was sent The data breach concerned five different emails each of which was sent to 100 recipients 35 In April 2019 the Home Office admitted to revealing 240 personal email addresses of EU citizens applying for settled status in the UK The email addresses of applicants were incorrectly sent to other applicants to the scheme 36 In response to these incidents the Home Office pledged to launch an independent review of its data protection compliance 37 In 2019 the Court of Appeal issued a judgement which criticised the Home Office s handling of immigration cases The judges stated that the general approach by the home secretary Sajid Javid in all earnings discrepancy cases has been legally flawed The judgement relates to the Home Office s interpretation of Section 322 5 of the Immigration Rules 38 In November 2020 the Equality and Human Rights Commission a statutory body that investigates breaches of the Equality Act 2010 published a report concluding that the Home Office had a lack of organisation wide commitment including by senior leadership to the importance of equality and the Home Office s obligations under the equality duty placed on government departments The report noted that the Home Office s pursuit of the hostile environment policy from 2012 onwards accelerated the impact of decades of complex policy and practice based on a history of white and black immigrants being treated differently Caroline Waters the interim chair of the EHRC described the treatment of Windrush immigrants by the Home Office as a shameful stain on British history 39 See also edit nbsp Law portal nbsp Politics portal nbsp United Kingdom portalHome Office Large Major Enquiry System 2 HOLMES 2 John Gieve Law enforcement in the United Kingdom List of home secretaries Ministry of Home Security Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for the Home Department Permanent Under Secretary of State of the Home Office UK Immigration ServiceReferences edit Budget 2018 PDF London HM Treasury 2018 pp 23 24 Retrieved 30 July 2019 Department of the Official Report Hansard House of Commons Westminster 9 June 2008 Hansard Oral Questions to the Home Department 9 June 2008 Publications Parliament uk Government of the United Kingdom Retrieved 19 June 2010 Secretary of State for the Home Department GOV UK www gov uk Retrieved 3 January 2023 Role Home Affairs Committee parliament uk Retrieved 28 February 2022 The House of Commons appoints the Committee with the task of examining the expenditure administration and policy of the Home Office and its associated public bodies Departments agencies and public bodies GOV UK GOV uk Government of the United Kingdom Retrieved 2 November 2017 Where have NPIA products and services moved to www NPIA police uk National Policing Improvement Agency 2012 Archived from the original on 18 January 2013 Retrieved 10 February 2013 nbsp This article incorporates text published under the British Open Government Licence Our ministers GOV UK Home Office Retrieved 28 September 2022 Minister of State Minister for Illegal Migration GOV UK GOV UK Retrieved 7 December 2023 Minister of State Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery GOV UK GOV UK Retrieved 7 December 2023 Home Office business plan 2011 to 2015 Home Office 12 May 2011 Retrieved 12 April 2012 Business Plan Home Office Transparency Number10 GOV uk 10 Downing Street Archived from the original on 5 April 2012 Retrieved 12 April 2012 Changes to Home Office responsibilities Casbah ac uk Archived from the original on 9 July 2011 Retrieved 19 June 2010 Bulletin of the Institute of Historical Research Vol 23 24 Longmans Green 1950 p 197 Home Office staff vote to strike over jobs and pay BBC News 18 July 2012 Retrieved 28 July 2013 Murray Pete 25 July 2012 PCS calls off Home Office olympic strike after extra staff are posted in Union News Archived from the original on 24 March 2014 Retrieved 24 March 2014 a b Dugan Emily 9 June 2014 Aderonke Apata deportation case If the Home Office doesn t believe I m gay I ll send them a video that proves it The Independent Archived from the original on 31 December 2020 Retrieved 30 December 2020 Dunt Ian 3 March 2015 Can you prove you re gay Last minute legal battle for lesbian fighting deportation to Nigeria Politics co uk Archived from the original on 27 December 2015 Retrieved 30 December 2020 a b Ashton Jack 14 August 2017 Nigerian gay rights activist who judge accused of faking her sexuality wins 13 year legal battle for asylum in UK The Independent Archived from the original on 31 December 2020 Retrieved 30 December 2020 Dugan Emily 3 April 2015 Nigerian gay rights activist has her High Court asylum bid rejected because judge doesn t believe she is lesbian The Independent Archived from the original on 31 December 2020 Retrieved 30 December 2020 Cohen Claire 4 March 2015 Home Office tells Nigerian asylum seeker You can t be a lesbian you ve got children The Telegraph Archived from the original on 22 April 2015 Retrieved 30 December 2020 Taylor Diane 12 August 2017 Nigerian gay rights activist wins UK asylum claim after 13 year battle The Guardian Archived from the original on 12 November 2020 Retrieved 30 December 2020 Marsham Street The Home Office Terry Farrell Archived from the original on 26 September 2006 History of 1 Horse Guards Road Government of the United Kingdom Retrieved 19 September 2018 Police Science and Technology Strategy 2004 2009 PDF Home Office Archived from the original PDF on 5 February 2007 Retrieved 27 September 2010 Northern Ireland Act 1998 Schedule 2 Legislation gov uk 4 November 1950 Retrieved 19 June 2010 The Assembly Official Report Northern Ireland Assembly Information Office 9 March 2010 Archived from the original on 16 December 2010 Retrieved 19 June 2010 About the NIO Northern Ireland Office Archived from the original on 17 September 2010 Retrieved 19 June 2010 Scotland Act 1998 Schedule 5 Part I Legislation gov uk Retrieved 19 June 2010 Bulman May 20 March 2019 Home Office refuses Christian convert asylum by quoting Bible passages that prove Christianity is not peaceful The Independent Retrieved 4 April 2019 Dodd Liz 27 March 2019 Illiterate Home Office quotes Jesus in asylum rejection letter The Tablet Retrieved 4 April 2019 Schaverien Anna 21 March 2019 Rejecting asylum claim U K quotes Bible to say Christianity is not peaceful The New York Times Retrieved 4 April 2019 Adeogun Eno 2 April 2019 Home Secretary orders urgent investigation into asylum rejection letter which criticised Bible Premier Christian News Retrieved 4 April 2019 Britain bans heroic bishops persecuted Christian leaders from war zones refused entry Daily Express 4 December 2016 Retrieved 4 April 2019 UK government discriminates against Christian refugees from Syria Barnabas Fund 2 November 2017 Archived from the original on 4 April 2019 Retrieved 4 April 2019 Shaw Danny 8 April 2019 Windrush Home Office admits data breach in compensation scheme BBC News Hawkins Ross 11 April 2019 Brexit Home Office sorry for EU citizen data breach BBC News Smith Beckie 12 April 2019 Home Office to launch independent review of data protection compliance Civil Service World Hill Amelia 16 April 2019 Court castigates Home Office over misuse of immigration law The Guardian Parkinson Justin 25 November 2020 Windrush generation UK unlawfully ignored immigration rules warnings BBC News Retrieved 25 November 2020 External links edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Home Office Official website nbsp Records created or inherited by the Home Office Ministry of Home Security and related bodies gives a history of responsibilities of the Home Office including which functions were merged into or transferred away from the Home Office Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Home Office amp oldid 1189926425, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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