The Home Office has announced a new offence under the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill to criminalise the creation and publication of online content that promotes or facilitates illegal immigration, including small boat crossings, fake travel documents and illegal work opportunities. This move targets organised crime groups that use social media to advertise people-smuggling services, with offenders facing up to five years in prison and substantial fines. The law also covers individuals paid to post such content and aims to disrupt the business model of smugglers by enabling earlier intervention and stronger prosecution. The Home Office reports that 80% of migrants arriving via small boats used social media during their journey, highlighting the urgency of this measure.

The Home Secretary, Rt Hon Shabana Mahmood MP, has announced plans to amend Sections 12 and 14 of the Public Order Act 1986 (POA 1986), introducing new police powers that would allow officers to consider the cumulative impact of repeated protest activity when deciding whether to impose conditions on public processions and assemblies.

The Home Office has announced a new operational partnership with Deliveroo, Just Eat and Uber Eats to help tackle illegal working in the UK’s delivery sector. The agreement is reported to support enforcement efforts by enabling delivery firms to receive information, including the locations of asylum hotels, to help identify misuse. It also introduces enhanced security measures—such as facial verification checks and fraud detection tools—to ensure only verified users can access the platforms. The initiative forms part of the government’s Plan for Change, which aims to disrupt organised immigration crime and reduce the exploitation of vulnerable migrants by smuggling gangs. Legislative support is provided through the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Act 2025, which requires all employers to verify the legal working status of individuals.

The Home Office and HM Passport Office have announced new passport application fees to take effect from 10 April 2025, subject to Parliamentary approval. The changes include increases of £6 for standard online UK adult applications to £94.50, with proportional rises across all service types including postal, premium, and overseas applications. The fee adjustments aim to achieve cost recovery for application processing, consular support, and border operations, with the Home Office stating that 99.7% of standard UK applications were processed within 3 weeks during 2024.

The Home Office has announced that ninja swords will be added to the list of prohibited offensive weapons under the Criminal Justice Act 1988 (Offensive Weapons Order) 1988. The amendment will make it an offence to manufacture, import, sell, supply or possess ninja swords in England and Wales. The prohibition includes exemptions for certain defences, similar to those currently available for other prohibited weapons such as curved swords. The changes aim to reduce circulation of these weapons as part of the government's knife crime reduction strategy.

The Home Office has announced that knife robberies fell 10% across seven police forces most affected by knife crime, with West Midlands seeing a 30% reduction following a dedicated taskforce established in October 2024. The government introduced Ronan's Law in August 2025, making possession, sale, manufacture or import of ninja swords illegal and plans age verification for online knife sales and new offences for possession with violent intent.

The Home Office has announced, as part of the Public Order Act 2023 (POA 2023), serious disruption prevention orders (SDPOs). A SDPO is a court order which imposes restrictions and requirements on individuals who have committed at least two protest-related offences, which can last for up to two years. The SDPOs come into force on 5 April 2024.

The Home Office has unveiled plans to implement more stringent age verification checks for online knife retailers as part of its mission to halve knife crime within a decade. A mandatory two-step verification system will require customers to present photo ID at both point of sale and delivery. Additionally, doorstep drops of bladed weapons will be prohibited, and delivery companies must ensure items are handed directly to the purchaser. The measures, which may include submission of current photos or videos alongside ID, are set to be incorporated into the forthcoming Crime and Policing Bill. Concurrently, social media executives will face substantial fines for failing to swiftly remove content glorifying knife violence. These initiatives form part of the government's broader Plan for Change to enhance public safety and address concerns in the online sales space.

The Home Office has unveiled new sanctions targeting online platforms that fail to remove knife-related content, following its consultation which received 74 responses between November-December 2024. Tech executives face personal fines of £10,000, while their companies could receive additional £60,000 penalties for failing to remove content within 48 hours of police notification. The measures, introduced via amendment to the Crime and Policing Bill establish a £1.75m funded police unit to issue Content Removal Notices. The rules extend to online search engines and marketplaces, complementing existing Online Safety Act protections.

The Home Office has announced a £100m funding package for border security enforcement, alongside new legal measures under the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill. The package includes funding for up to 300 additional National Crime Agency (NCA) officers and implementation of a new UK-France returns agreement. The Bill will introduce a UK-wide offence criminalising the creation and publication of online material promoting immigration law breaches, extend police powers for digital device seizure, and establish an Organised Immigration Crime Domestic Taskforce. The measures aim to strengthen border security enforcement through enhanced detection technology, intelligence gathering and international cooperation.

The Home Office has announced a £662 million multi-year partnership agreement with France to combat illegal migration. The agreement comprises a £501 million foundation fund over three years, alongside a flexible innovation fund of £51 million in year one and £110 million in each of years two and three.  The partnership aims to strengthen frontline enforcement, expand French maritime interception capabilities and enhance intelligence sharing to disrupt smuggling networks across migration routes. Under the agreement, frontline law enforcement personnel will increase by 42% to nearly 1,100 officers in northern France. Five specially trained police units will be deployed, including a new riot police unit, alongside enhanced surveillance capabilities, such as drones, two helicopters and a new camera system. Maritime capacity will also be expanded with a new vessel and more than 20 additional maritime officers to intercept migrant boats at sea. The agreement includes monitoring and evaluation mechanisms, with funding subject to annual review based on effectiveness.

The Home Office and Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA) announced over £800,000 in funding for the National Rural Crime (NCRU) Unit and National Wildlife Crime Unit (NWCU). The funding supports implementation of new police powers under the Crime and Policing Bill, including warrantless entry rights for stolen farm equipment cases. Secondary legislation implementing the Equipment Theft (Prevention) Act 2023 is scheduled for later in 2025. The package aims to enhance data-sharing between forces and strengthen enforcement against organised rural crime groups through improved technological capabilities.