UK Response to Abused Migrant Carers Failing Most, Data Show
More than 28,000 migrant care workers whose visas were tied to their employer had to be referred to government job-finding 'hubs' between May 2024 and April 2025, according data released by the Home Office in response to an FOI from charity the Work Rights Centre. That was after they lost the job they were supposed to fill when UK Visas and Immigration officers discovered more than 470 employers were exploiting staff and revoked their licenses to sponsor overseas workers.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Yahoo
UK facing ‘very significant' volume of cyber attacks, security minister warns
The UK faces a 'very significant' volume of cyber attacks every year, the security minister has warned as new laws aim to deter hackers from 'extorting' businesses amid a spate of recent incidents. Dan Jarvis said new measures send a signal to cyber criminals that ransom demands will not be tolerated. Proposals from the Home Office would ban public sector bodies and operators of critical national infrastructure from paying hackers. It would also mean private sector companies not covered by the ban would be required to notify the Government if they intended to pay a ransom. 'The UK is not alone in this regard, along with our international allies, we are subjected to a very significant number of cyber attacks every year,' Mr Jarvis told the PA news agency. 'But from a UK Government perspective we are crystal clear that these attacks are completely unacceptable. 'There's more that we need to do to guard against them and that's why we're introducing these measures.' Mr Jarvis said the measures mean cyber criminals will be 'less incentivised' to target UK institutions because of the clarity the ban on ransom payments brings. 'We think these proposals will provide a powerful deterrent, and what we're wanting to do is break the business model of the cyber criminals who think that they can get away with extorting money from UK-based institutions,' he told PA. He stressed the Government would ensure 'cyber criminals, whether they're in Russia or wherever they might be, face the full weight of the UK law'. Ransomware refers to software used by cyber criminals to access the computer systems of its victims, which can then be encrypted or data stolen until a ransom is paid. It comes after four young people were arrested for their suspected involvement in damaging cyber attacks against Marks & Spencer, the Co-op and Harrods in recent months. Microsoft also said on Tuesday night that Chinese hackers had breached its SharePoint document software servers in a bid to target major corporations and government agencies. Furthermore, under the proposals, a mandatory reporting regime would mean companies and institutions that are targeted by ransomware attacks are required to report it. Mr Jarvis said the Government was going to 'look very carefully at the precise details' of the regime but that it would provide more clarity and intelligence to government agencies. M&S chairman Archie Norman told MPs earlier this month that UK businesses should be legally required to report major cyber attacks as he claimed two recent hacks involving 'large British companies' had gone unreported. Mr Norman said the retailer believed an Asia-based ransomware operation, DragonForce, had been involved in the attack – but refused to say whether or not a ransom was paid.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Yahoo
Home Office to share data on asylum hotel locations with food delivery firms
The Home Office will share information about asylum hotel locations with food delivery companies to tackle suspected hotspots of illegal working. A new agreement with Deliveroo, Just Eat and Uber Eats will see information about high-risk areas shared to help them uncover abuse on their platforms and quickly suspend accounts. Currently delivery riders discovered to be sharing their accounts with asylum seekers have their profiles suspended. The latest measures hope to crack down further on the practice. The gig economy firms have also been increasing real-time identity and right to work checks which has led to thousands of workers being taken off the platforms, the Home Office said. ADVERTISEMENT Shadow home secretary Chris Philp claimed last month to have found evidence of people working illegally for the food delivery firms during a visit to a hotel used to house asylum seekers. Asylum seekers in the UK are normally barred from work while their claim is being processed, though permission can be applied for after a year of waiting. Delivery firms met Home Office bosses earlier this month to discuss the concerns of abuse in the sector. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said: 'Illegal working undermines honest business, exploits vulnerable individuals and fuels organised immigration crime. 'By enhancing our data sharing with delivery companies, we are taking decisive action to close loopholes and increase enforcement. 'The changes come alongside a 50% increase in raids and arrests for illegal working under the Plan for Change, greater security measures and tough new legislation.' ADVERTISEMENT The three delivery companies said they were fully committed to working with the Home Office and combatting illegal working. Ministers promised a 'nationwide blitz' to target migrants working illegally as part of efforts to deter people from coming to the UK from France. Officials hope to tackle the 'pull factors' attracting migrants to the UK alongside the deal struck by Sir Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron earlier this month to send some people who reach England in small boats back to France. More than 23,500 migrants have arrived in the UK after crossing the English Channel so far in 2025, a record for this point in the year.
TechCrunch
4 days ago
- TechCrunch
UK government wants ransomware victims to report cyberattacks so it can disrupt the hackers
The U.K. government wants to require victims of ransomware to report if they were breached with the goal of providing law enforcement with information that could help target the cybercriminals responsible. On Tuesday, the U.K.'s interior ministry, the Home Office, published a proposal with the aim of changing the British government's strategy to counter ransomware. Among the three key proposals is a reporting requirement, which would aid authorities in identifying and disrupting hacking operations. 'Mandatory reporting is also being developed, which would equip law enforcement with essential intelligence to hunt down perpetrators and disrupt their activities, allowing for better support for victims,' read the proposal. In its proposal, the U.K. government said the mandatory reporting requirement would allow the government to 'engage in targeted disruptions in an evolving threat landscape.' The other two key proposals include a ban on paying ransomware for public sector and critical infrastructure organizations, and a mandate to notify the government if other types of victim organizations intend to pay a hacker's ransom. Ransomware investigators applauded the proposals, in particular the efforts focusing on helping law enforcement. 'I think it is a tacit acknowledgment of what we've known for a while: Ransomware operators and their enablers are not confined to Russia and many of those involved are very catchable and, more importantly, prosecutable,' Allan Liska, a threat intelligence analyst and ransomware expert at cybersecurity firm Recorded Future. 'I think it's super important.' Techcrunch event Tech and VC heavyweights join the Disrupt 2025 agenda Netflix, ElevenLabs, Wayve, Sequoia Capital — just a few of the heavy hitters joining the Disrupt 2025 agenda. They're here to deliver the insights that fuel startup growth and sharpen your edge. Don't miss the 20th anniversary of TechCrunch Disrupt, and a chance to learn from the top voices in tech — grab your ticket now and save up to $675 before prices rise. Tech and VC heavyweights join the Disrupt 2025 agenda Netflix, ElevenLabs, Wayve, Sequoia Capital — just a few of the heavy hitters joining the Disrupt 2025 agenda. They're here to deliver the insights that fuel startup growth and sharpen your edge. Don't miss the 20th anniversary of TechCrunch Disrupt, and a chance to learn from the top voices in tech — grab your ticket now and save up to $675 before prices rise. San Francisco | REGISTER NOW Arda Büyükkaya, a senior cyber threat intelligence analyst at EclecticIQ, applauded the proposals for making 'things official.' 'While it's unclear whether everything will unfold exactly as written, we'll see through future developments,' Büyükkaya told TechCrunch. 'Overall, banning ransom payments and actively pursuing perpetrators is a strong deterrent and helps impose real costs on threat actors.' Tuesday's announcement is the latest in a policy consultation process that began in January, in which the Home Office initially introduced the three key policy changes. The U.K. government's formal response to the consultation is another step toward amending the law, but it remains to be seen if the proposals will end up being enshrined in legislation. Banning ransomware payments is a controversial idea. For some, banning payments to hackers is an obvious way to stop criminal gangs profiting from cyberattacks and extorting victims. But some argue that, occasionally, paying a ransom may be the only viable option to recover critical systems and get back online, especially for certain critical industries, such as hospitals, which cannot afford the downtime and the very real risks to patients' health. Earlier this year, Australia enacted a law to mandate ransomware victims to disclose if they paid the hackers, stopping short of banning payments.
