The Home Office, also formally referred to as the Home Department, is the United Kingdom's interior ministry. It is responsible for national security, public safety, immigration, passports, and civil registration, as well as policing and criminal justice in England and Wales only (not Scotland or Northern Ireland where it is devolved).
The department oversees key areas of domestic policy in England and Wales, including policing, drugs policy, counterterrorism, border security, and immigration. Bodies operating within or alongside the Home Office system include Border Force, UK Visas and Immigration, and the Security Service (MI5). It was formerly responsible for His Majesty's Prison Service and the National Probation Service, both of which were transferred to the Ministry of Justice.
The department is headed by the home secretary, one of the Great Offices of State. The office has been held by Shabana Mahmood since 5 September 2025, and the department is managed on a day-to-day basis by its permanent secretary.
The Home Office's expenditure, administration, and policy are scrutinised by the Home Affairs Select Committee.
History The Home Office was established on following the reorganisation of the Southern Department, with domestic responsibilities transferred to the new department and foreign affairs assigned to the Foreign Office. From its creation, the Home Office was responsible for a wide range of internal matters, including law and order, royal prerogative functions, and aspects of colonial administration.
During the 19th and early 20th centuries, many of the Home Office's functions were gradually transferred to newly created government departments as the scope of the state expanded. Responsibilities relating to health, local government, labour, and agriculture were moved to specialised departments, while the Home Office retained core functions relating to policing, internal security, and immigration.
In 1829, the Home Office oversaw the creation of the Metropolitan Police Service, marking a major development in the organisation of policing in England and Wales. The department also took on responsibilities for prisons, civil registration, and the regulation of explosives and firearms during this period.
Further restructuring took place throughout the 20th century, with responsibilities for areas such as aviation, broadcasting, and local government transferred to other departments. In 2007, significant criminal justice functions, including prisons, probation, and legal affairs, were transferred to the newly created Ministry of Justice.
In the 21st century, the Home Office has focused primarily on policing, border security, immigration, and national security. Responsibilities have continued to evolve, including the transfer of fire and rescue services into and subsequently out of the department, and the expansion of its role in counter-terrorism policy.
Responsibilities The Home Office is responsible for domestic policy in England and Wales in areas including policing, public safety, immigration and border control. It also oversees passports, civil registration, and policy relating to counter-terrorism, serious and organised crime, and drugs.
Current responsibilities include: policing and crime reduction border security and immigration control visas, asylum and citizenship passports and civil registration counter-terrorism and national security policy serious and organised crime drugs policy safeguarding and related public protection policy
Organisation
The Home Office is headed by the home secretary, a Cabinet minister, supported by the department's senior civil servant, the permanent secretary.
The Home Office comprises eleven directorates and is supported by a number of agencies and public bodies, along with independent statutory officeholders who provide oversight of its functions.
Public bodies Entity Type Formed Adjudicator's Office Public Body 1896 Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs Public Body 1971 Animals in Science Committee Public Body 2013 Science and Technology Ethics Advisory Committee Public Body 2017 Biometrics and Surveillance Camera Commissioner Public Body 2012 Border Force Agency 2012 Border Security Command Agency 2024 College of Policing Public Body 2012 Commission for Countering Extremism Public Body 2018 Disclosure and Barring Service Public Body 2012 Forensic Science Regulator Public Body 2008 Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority Public Body 2005 HM Passport Office Agency 2006 His Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services Public Body 1856 Immigration Enforcement Agency 2012 Independent Family Returns Panel Public Body 2011 Independent Office for Police Conduct Public Body 2018 Investigatory Powers Commissioner's Office Public Body 2016 Investigatory Powers Tribunal Public Body 2000 Migration Advisory Committee Public Body 2007 Security Service Non-Ministerial 1909 National Counter Terrorism Security Office Public Body 2007 National Crime Agency Remuneration Review Body Public Body 2013 Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner Public Body 1999 Police Advisory Board for England and Wales Public Body 1978 Police Discipline Appeals Tribunal Public Body 2012 Police Remuneration Review Body Public Body 2014 Security Industry Authority Public Body 2003 Technical Advisory Board Public Body 2000 UK Visas and Immigration Agency 2013
Independent officeholders Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner Independent Reviewer of Terrorism Legislation
Budget and spending In the financial year 2022–2023, the Home Office had a total budget of £20.3 billion.
+ Spending by financial year Directorate 2022–2023 Resource(£millions) Capital(£millions) Delivery 77.8 3.0 STARS (Science, Technology, Analysis, Research and Strategy) 34.6 43.0 Homeland Security Group 1,125.1 157.8 Public Safety Group 11,204.4 225.4 Migration & Borders 228.0 172.2 Customer Service (UKVI & HMPO) -3,166.3 87.4 Asylum & Protection 4,498.8 6.9 Borders & Enforcement 1,404.8 135.4 Corporate Enablers 945.6 37.9 Digital Data & Technology 473.0 40.0 Legal 11.1 - Communications 8.6 - Arm's Length Bodies 99.9 16.4 Total 17,005.3 925.4
Ministers The Home Office ministers are as follows, with cabinet ministers in bold.
Minister Portrait Office Portfolio Shabana Mahmood MP Secretary of State for the Home Department Overall responsibility for all Home Office business, including: overarching responsibility for the departmental portfolio and oversight of the ministerial team; cabinet; National Security Council (NSC); public appointments; oversight of the Security ServiceDan Jarvis MPMinister of State for Securitycounter terrorism and extremism; state threats; cyber security and crime; serious and organised crime; oversight of the National Crime Agency; international criminality; aviation and maritime security; economic crime (excluding fraud); extradition; exclusions and deprivations; MP security and VIP protection; online safety; anti-corruption. Jointly with Cabinet Office. Sarah Jones MP Minister of State for Policing and Crimepolice accountability and system reform – professional standards, performance, culture; police resourcing and efficiency – neighbourhood policing guarantee, savings, funding; public order, major events, civil contingencies; Emergency Services Mobile Communication Programme; criminal justice system; Early intervention and Young Futures; crime prevention: safer streets, including drugs and county lines, alcohol and licensing, anti-social behaviour, neighbourhood crime, firearms, child criminal exploitation and hate crime. Anna Turley MP Minister of State for Border Security and Asylum Border Security Command: reducing small boat arrivals and organised immigration crime; reducing the asylum caseload, exiting hotels and reducing the supported population; Immigration Enforcement: Increasing returns (including FNOs), immigration detention estate expansion, illegal working; asylum, illegal migration and returns policy, safe and legal policy and refugee resettlement policy; reducing net migration: legal migration policy; tackling visa abuse; innovative solutions; Immigration White Paper implementation; European Entry and Exit System; modern slavery policy as it relates to immigration status David Hanson, Baron Hanson of Flint Minister of State for the Home OfficeFraud; departmental finance; contract management (including asylum accommodation contracts); public safety, national security and migration and borders business in the Lords; corporate and delivery; overseas territories; digital and technology; data and identity; analysis, science and research; public appointments and sponsorship; inquiries; the Union and devolution; Home Office interests in free trade agreementsSatvir Kaur Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Safeguarding and Violence Against Women and GirlsSafeguarding; rape and serious sexual offences; violent crime and domestic abuse; child sexual abuse and exploitation; violence against women and girls (VAWG); victims; wider modern slavery policy including the national referral mechanism, support and stakeholder engagement; spiking; oversight of Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS)Ray Collins, Baron Collins of HighburyParliamentary Under-Secretary of StateJo White Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Migration and Citizenship Legal migration policy; Immigration Rules and visa policy; Windrush Compensation Scheme; Future Borders and Immigration System; HM Passport Office; General Register Office; Border Force operation; safe and legal routes and resettlement
Research To meet the UK's five-year science and technology strategy, 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 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 devolved in Wales. However, a number of reserved and excepted matters remain the responsibility of Westminster, including the following:
Drug classification and the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 Extradition Most aspects of firearms legislation Immigration and nationality Scientific procedures on live animals Data protection and access to information Elections Film classification National security and counter-terrorism Emergency Powers Lieutenancies Charities Parades (Northern Ireland) Security of explosives (Northern Ireland) National Crime Agency (Northern Ireland)
In Scotland, the Scottish Government's Justice and Safer Communities Directorates are responsible for devolved justice and home affairs policy, although Scottish Ministers retain some executive responsibilities in areas such as extradition operations, mutual legal assistance, and firearms licensing.
In Northern Ireland, policing and justice are largely devolved to the Department of Justice, while national security remains the responsibility of the Northern Ireland Office.
Criticism
Windrush scandal
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.