Public Safety and Border Security Bill

HC Bill 2

A bill to make provision for the dynamic expansion of frontline neighborhood policing and the enhancement of community protection powers against anti-social behavior; to establish a statutory framework for international law enforcement partnerships and strict processing metrics to eliminate maritime human smuggling and clear asylum application backlogs; to structurally reduce administrative and bureaucratic burdens on police personnel through technological modernization; to codify and enforce en

Be it enacted by the Sovereign's most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:

Public Safety and Border Security Act 2026

An Act to make provision for the dynamic expansion of frontline neighborhood policing and the enhancement of community protection powers against anti-social behavior; to establish a statutory framework for international law enforcement partnerships and strict processing metrics to eliminate maritime human smuggling and clear asylum application backlogs; to structurally reduce administrative and bureaucratic burdens on police personnel through technological modernization; to codify and enforce enhanced statutory rights, protections, and support mechanisms for victims of crime within the judicial system; to mandate regional consistency and transparency in sentencing and prosecution outcomes; and for connected purposes.

An Act to make provision for increasing frontline neighborhood policing capacity and strengthening enforcement powers relating to anti-social behaviour; to establish statutory frameworks and targets for border security enforcement and asylum claim processing; to mandate administrative burden reductions within police forces; to codify enhanced statutory rights and support systems for victims of crime; to ensure consistency in the administration of justice; and for connected purposes.

Be it inacted by the King’s most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:—

PART 1 NEIGHBORHOOD SAFETY AND COMMUNITY POWERS Neighborhood policing and high street visibility (1) The Secretary of State must, within six months of the passing of this Act, establish a framework to maximize the deployment of career frontline police officers to high streets and local commercial centers.

(2) For the purposes of subsection (1), the framework must include arrangements to recruit, train, and structurally prioritize neighborhood safety officers whose primary duty is dedicated public presence and community interface.

Anti-social behaviour enforcement powers (1) A relevant local authority or a chief officer of police may issue an Expedited Community Protection Order to an individual if satisfied on the balance of probabilities that— (a) the conduct of the individual is having a detrimental effect, of a persistent or continuing nature, on the quality of life of those in the locality, and (b) the conduct is unreasonable. (2) An order under this section may impose binding restrictions on behavior or mandatory participation in local restorative justice pathways, designed to balance strict accountability with social rehabilitation.

PART 2 BORDER SECURITY AND PROCESSING TARGETS Disruption of organized immigration crime (1) The Secretary of State must maintain a specialized maritime enforcement strategy directed at disrupting criminal networks facilitating small boat crossings. (2) In exercising functions under subsection (1), the Secretary of State must expand datasharing protocols and joint operations with international partners to intercept and dismantle smuggling networks at source.

Statutory asylum processing and enforcement targets (1) The Home Office must process and issue an initial determination on a standard asylum claim within a statutory period of 90 days from registration. (2) The Secretary of State must publish quarterly progress reports to Parliament detailing— (a) measurable progress in reducing illicit crossings; (b) the elimination rate of processing backlogs; and (c) the number of lawful returns executed for individuals determined to have no statutory right to remain in the United Kingdom.

PART 3 POLICING OPERATIONAL CAPACITY AND BUREAUCRACY Reduction of police administrative burdens (1) Chief officers of police must implement measures designed to ensure that frontline operational officers spend no less than 80% of active duty time on visible protection and community engagement duties. (2) The Secretary of State must, by regulations, mandate standard digital and administrative procedures aimed at reducing time spent by officers on routine non-investigative desk paperwork. Operational training and equipment infrastructure (1) The Secretary of State must ensure that every territorial police force is provided with modernized, uniform technical equipment and evidence-based de-escalation training.

PART 4 STATUTORY RIGHTS OF VICTIMS Codification of the Enhanced Victims’ Code (1) A victim of a criminal offense has a statutory right to be updated by the relevant investigative or prosecutorial authority at every key stage of criminal proceedings. (2) The court must provide a victim with an actionable opportunity to submit a Victim Personal Statement prior to determining sentence guidelines for an offender. (3) The Secretary of State must ensure provision of integrated legal, logistical, and mental health support services to victims throughout the judicial process.

PART 5 PUBLIC CONFIDENCE AND ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE Consistency and predictability in justice delivery (1) The Ministry of Justice, in coordination with the Crown Prosecution Service, must establish an Open Justice Accountability Portal. (2) The portal must publish detailed, regional, anonymized data regarding charging decisions, prosecution timelines, and sentencing consistency to preserve and monitor public confidence in the rule of law.

PART 6 GENERAL PROVISIONS Short title, commencement, and extent (1) This Act may be cited as the Public Safety and Border Security Act 2026. (2) This Act comes into force on the day on which it is passed. (3) This Act extends to England and Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland.