Today’s Home Office-related media coverage focuses on the new leave to remain policy for Grenfell Tower survivors, the number of convictions for terrorist offences related to activity overseas, and the jihadist jail for terrorists.
Grenfell Tower policy on Leave to Remain
The Guardian, Mail, Independent, Sun and Express have all published articles following an announcement of a policy on Leave to Remain outside the Immigration Rules for residents of Grenfell Tower and Grenfell Walk.
The policy means individuals directly affected by the Grenfell Tower fire who contact the Home Office via a specified process will be given 12 months' leave to remain in the UK with full access to relevant support and assistance.
The policy is aimed at giving survivors the time they need to deal with the extremely difficult circumstances in which they find themselves and start to rebuild their lives whilst considering their future options, as well as to assist the police and other authorities with their enquiries about the fire.
A Written Ministerial Statement was laid in the House yesterday (Wednesday, 5 July). The Immigration Minister Brandon Lewis gave the following statement in response to the figures:
Immigration Minister Brandon Lewis said:
The Government has been clear that our priority is to ensure that victims of this tragedy get the access they need to vital services, irrespective of immigration status.
This period of leave to remain for those directly affected by the firewill provide survivors with the time to deal with the extremely difficult circumstances in which they find themselves and start to rebuild their lives whilst considering their future options, as well as to assist the police and other authorities with their enquiries about the fire.
Jihadist jail for terrorists
The Telegraph, Times, Guardian and the Sun report on the opening of a new extremist separation centre in HMP Frankland in Durham. HMP Frankland is the first of three separation centres, forming part of the wider government strategy to tackle extremists in prisons.
Offenders will be placed in the specialist centres if they are involved in planning terrorism or are considered to pose a risk to national security. Those seeking to influence others to commit terrorist crimes, or whose extremist views are purposely undermining good order and security in the prison estate, may also be placed in the centre.
In addition to the prison announcement, the BBC is reporting that over 100 individuals have been convicted of terrorist offences related to activity overseas. The Today programme interviewed Director of Public Prosecutions, Alison Saunders, and prisons minister, Sam Gyimah. Alison Saunders said if people can't travel to Syria or Iraq, they may carry out attacks here or attempt to radicalise others.
The MoJ can assist with questions about the new extremist separation centre. Further information on counter-terrorism can be found in our factsheet.