The Home Office gave out 275 certificates of sponsorship for care workers after “forged” documents were used to make an application, a damning report into the department has shown.
The probe, by ex-borders and immigration inspector David Neal, claimed the Home Office had a “limited understanding” of the care sector after it was added to the UK’s shortage occupation list in 2022 – allowing more people to come to the country to fill jobs.
And as a result, it created a system that “invited large numbers of low-skilled workers to this country who are at risk from exploitation”.
The report was released on Tuesday afternoon as MPs wrapped up business in parliament for the Easter recess, alongside another into Border Force operations at London City Airport.
In that investigation, Mr Neal highlighted “failings at a local, regional, and national level” over the arrival of private jets, with high-risk flights not being met by Border Force staff.
The figures on how many high-risk flights were met by officials were redacted, but Mr Neal said the number was “shocking” and needed to be addressed “as a matter of urgency”.
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Mr Neal was fired by the Home Office last month after he leaked details of the airport report to a newspaper, with the department saying he had “lost the confidence” of Home Secretary James Cleverly.
But the ex-inspector had repeatedly complained the Home Office was too slow to publish his critical reports.
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In Mr Neal’s report into social care and immigration, he criticised the department’s “underestimation of demand for the care worker visa”.
While the Home Office had predicted between 6,000 and 40,000 would come through this route each year, 146,182 were granted between February 2022 and October 2023.
The report criticised “the inappropriateness” of the regime in place, and said the “mismatch between its meagre complement of compliance officers and ever-expanding register of licensed sponsors” – with one officer for every 1,600 employers – was “totally inadequate”.
In the example of an employer only known as “company b”, an application had been submitted using forged documents and bank statements in the name of a real care provider.
But despite online checks showing the address they provided showed “no trace” of links to a care home, 275 certificates of sponsorship had been secured, with 181 assigned to workers, “none of whom have arrived to undertake genuine roles”.
It took more than two months after the sponsorship licence was granted to the company for Border Force officers to raise their concerns about those arriving on the visas.
Another example included 1,234 certificates being granted to a company that said it had only four employees when it was given a sponsorship licence.
“In just these two examples, up to 1,500 people could have arrived in this country and been encouraged by a risk of hardship or destitution to work outside the conditions of their visa,” said Mr Neal.
‘Reliant on handouts’
The report also highlighted the tough conditions faced by some workers caught up in the system, pointing to a story from Sky News, where a care worker paid £10,000 to an agent in Nigeria only to find there was no job for her when she arrived in the UK.
And it said inspectors encountered migrants with care visas working illegally in two out of eight enforcement visits carried out over three months in 2023.
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A Sky News investigation has shown the skilled worker visa system is being abused with people promised jobs in the UK that don’t exist
The report praised frontline staff at the Home Office dealing with care workers and their awareness to the “serious risk”.
But Mr Neal said: “What worries me most is that the Home Office does not appear to have any process to identify the lessons from this debacle and then bring those lessons into core thinking in order that they are not repeated.”
‘Robust measures’
The former inspector called for a full review of the visa route, sponsorship licensing and compliance, as well as the creation of a multi-agency agreement so each part knows what they are responsible for.
A Home Office spokesperson said they had “already intervened to stop the flow of overseas care workers entering the UK where there is no genuine role for them to undertake” and taken “robust action” against exploitation.
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They also insisted new measures were already in place to “cut the rising numbers of visas granted and address significant concerns” about non-compliance, worker exploitation and abuse.
But Labour’s shadow home secretary, Yvette Cooper, called both reports from Mr Neal “scandalous”, saying they “expose a Conservative government which has lost control of our borders and our border security”.
Cryptocurrency compliance firm Bitrace found that $649 billion worth of stablecoins flowed through addresses classified as high-risk in 2024, according to an April 29 report.
Bitrace defines high-risk blockchain addresses as those used by illegal entities to receive, transfer or store stablecoins.
Crypto compliance firms typically score crypto wallet addresses based on their likelihood of involvement in illicit activities. The higher the risk, the higher the likelihood of foul play, and the less likely compliant crypto businesses are to accept the assets.
Per the report, the amount accounted for roughly 5.14% of all stablecoin transaction volume in 2024. This is down 0.8% from 5.94% the previous year, but significantly higher than the 2.8% reported in 2022 and 1.63% in 2021.
Proportion of high-risk stablecoin transactions. Source: Bitrace
Tron-based USDt (USDT) dominates high-risk stablecoin transactions, with Bitrace data indicating that well over 70% of the volume moved on the network. The remaining high-risk stablecoin transactions are mostly Ethereum-based USDt and a small amount of USDC (USDC).
A likely explanation for the prevalence of USDT is likely due to its larger market capitalization and adoption compared with other stablecoins. At the time of writing, CoinMarketCap shows that USDt has a market cap of over $148 billion, while USDC stands at over $62 billion.
Tron’s prevalence is not as easy to explain. Ethereum remains the more popular choice for most stablecoin users, with DefiLlama showing nearly $124.3 billion worth of stablecoins circulating on the network. Tron ranks second, with about $71 billion — almost 43% less than Ethereum.
When comparing USDT balances alone, Tron holds slightly more than Ethereum: 47.4% of USDT supply, versus Ethereum’s 45.44%.
High-risk inflows by stablecoin type. Source: Bitrue
Bitrace also reported that in 2024, online gambling platforms processed $217.8 billion worth of stablecoins — a 17.5% increase over the previous year.
Once again, USDT also dominated this type of activity. Still, USDC’s market share is rapidly rising, clocking in at 13.36% in 2024.
Stablecoin inflows to gambling platforms. Source: Bitrue
The data follows recent reports that crypto casinos generated more than $81 billion in revenue in 2024, even as regulators in key jurisdictions continued to block access to the platforms, according to a new report.
The first 100 days of the administration of US President Donald Trump have deeply impacted the crypto industry, starting with his own memecoin and culminating in a Bitcoin reserve and a spate of blockchain policymaking.
Trump’s trade war with the entire world has had the largest short-term impact on crypto markets, as crypto prices have wavered amid macroeconomic worry and uncertainty. Higher prices on electronics mean Bitcoin (BTC) miners are finding it harder to break even, and de-dollarization concerns abound.
Still, crypto markets have shown some resilience and cause for optimism in the administration’s crypto-friendly policies. A number of pro-crypto leaders have been appointed to key government agencies, including the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). The crypto industry’s long-awaited regulatory framework is also imminent.
Trump’s first 100 days have seen remarkable changes for the crypto industry, and it appears that things are only getting started. Here’s a look at what’s happened so far.
Jan. 20 — Trump’s first 100 days kick off with a memecoin
On Jan. 20, while Trump was sworn into office in the rotunda of the Capitol Building, his family’s crypto investment firm, World Liberty Financial (WLFI), launched its second token sale of WLFI tokens.
Massive demand saw prices initially spike, though the true value of the tokens, if any, is yet to be determined, as WLFI is currently not transferable and cannot be traded on any exchanges.
The memecoin served as a kickoff for Trump’s crypto agenda, which has seen unprecedented support for the industry in Washington, DC, along with a slew of moral and ethical concerns among observers and lawmakers.
Jan. 20 — Pro-crypto leaders head up federal agencies on “day one”
The president of the US sets the tone for several federal regulators, including those overseeing crypto. Trump immediately set out to appoint a number of pro-crypto lawyers and businessmen to head up the SEC, the CFTC and other critical federal agencies.
Trump nominated businessman Paul Atkins to lead the SEC on “day one” of his presidency. Atkins would replace Gary Gensler, who was perceived by many in the crypto industry as an enemy to adoption and the industry’s progress.
Also on day one, Trump appointed businessman and crypto investor David Sacks as chair of the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology — or the crypto and AI “czar.”
In a press conference, Trump announced a $500-billion private-led AI infrastructure investment called “Stargate.” The president claimed the project — led by ChatGPT creator OpenAI, SoftBank and Oracle — would create some 10,000 American jobs.
Trump said the US needed to lead the world in AI innovation and keep development onshore. “China is a competitor, others are competitors. We want it to be in this country, and we’re making it available,” he said.
OpenAI claimed that the project would “not only support the re-industrialization of the United States but also provide a strategic capability to protect the national security of America and its allies.”
Jan. 21 — Pardon for Silk Road founder Ross Ulbricht
Trump announced on Truth Social that he had called the family of Silk Road 2.0 founder Ross Ulbricht after commuting his sentence.
After his arrest in 2013, Ulbricht was sentenced to life in prison in 2015 without the possibility of parole for his role in facilitating the trafficking of narcotics and other illicit substances.
Ulbricht’s case became a rallying point for libertarian movements and prison reform advocates alike. Libertarian-minded crypto advocates supported Ulbricht, as his platform was one of the first places people could actually spend Bitcoin.
Crypto advocates supported Ulbricht, with many believing he did nothing wrong. Source: The Bitcoin Historian
Jan. 23 — Ban on digital dollar, establishing a crypto working group
With an executive order, Trump established an internal working group to focus on making the US “the world capital in crypto.” The order also prohibited “the establishment, issuance, circulation, and use” of a US central bank digital currency (CBDC).
CBDCs are a contentious issue in the crypto community, with many privacy activists claiming that they are another form of state surveillance and government control. Enthusiasm over their creation from central bankers has further set the more libertarian-minded crypto community against their creation.
Trump signing the executive order. Source: ABC News
The working group would kickstart the process for creating the forthcoming US Bitcoin and crypto reserves.
Feb. 1 — Trade war begins with tariffs on Mexico, China and Canada
One of the promises of the Trump campaign was to rectify the “bad deals” that the US had with many of its oldest allies and most important trading partners.
Just over a week after he was sworn into office, Trump announced sweeping tariffs on Canada, Mexico and China, citing border security concerns and the supposed proliferation of cross-border trade of fentanyl from those countries.
The same day, Canada announced retaliatory measures. On Feb. 3, Mexico promised to step up security of its northern border, responding to American requests for increased patrols. This led Trump to reverse initial tariff plans on both countries.
The unexpected hostile tariffs from a close partner and ally sent stock and crypto prices tumbling. They marked the beginning of the macroeconomic uncertainty that has come to characterize the early days of the Trump administration.
Feb. 12 — Vinnik-Foegel prisoner swap with Russia
Alexander Vinnik, the convicted money launderer who funneled Bitcoin stolen in the infamous Mt. Gox hack through his crypto exchange BTC-e, returned to his home country of Russia.
Vinnik pled guilty to money laundering conspiracy charges in 2024. BTC-e processed more than $9 billion in transactions and had over 1 million users worldwide, many of whom were in the US.
Vinnik was exchanged for American schoolteacher Marc Fogel, who was teaching at the Anglo-American School of Moscow and had been in a Russian jail since 2021 after being arrested for illegal possession of cannabis.
Feb. 18 — Bankman-Fried makes veiled plea for release
In an interview with The New York Sun, the former CEO of now-defunct crypto exchange FTX, Sam Bankman-Fried, addressed his controversial political contributions, saying the Republican Party was always “far more reasonable.”
Bankman-Fried, or SBF, made widely publicized contributions to the Democratic Party as he purportedly tried to influence democratic policymakers’ approach to the digital asset industry. It later became known that SBF was playing both sides of the aisle, donating significant funds to Republicans, though the exact amount remains unknown.
In the interview, SBF likened his position to that of Trump, claiming that he’d been unfairly treated by the criminal justice system. SBF called into question the conduct of the federal judge overseeing his trial, Judge Lewis Kaplan. “I know President Trump had a lot of frustrations with Judge Kaplan. I certainly did as well.”
Observers saw the interview as an attempt to elicit a pardon from Trump. Roger Ver, an early Bitcoin advocate facing criminal tax evasion charges, has made an outright appeal.
March 7 — Trump establishes Bitcoin reserve and crypto stockpile
On March 7, the 46th day of Trump’s presidency, he signed an executive order establishing a “Strategic Bitcoin Reserve.” Trump made big promises about crypto adoption on the campaign trail, including the possibility of a long-sought-after Bitcoin reserve.
The US reserve, however, would fall short of expectations among Bitcoin maximalists. Rather than create a concrete plan for the US government to purchase and hold Bitcoin, it merely created a single reserve to pool all Bitcoin the government had seized during criminal proceedings.
While the order does state that the government may purchase additional Bitcoin, it must do so in a budget-neutral fashion.
In tandem with the Bitcoin reserve, Trump also established a US Digital Asset Stockpile containing other cryptocurrencies such as Ether (ETH), Solana (SOL), XRP (XRP) and Cardano (ADA).
March 7 — White House Crypto Summit
Leaders of the crypto industry descended on Washington for a meeting at the White House to discuss a wide range of topics related to crypto regulation and the development of the industry in the US.
Attendees included Strategy executive chairman Michael Saylor, Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong and “crypto czar” David Sacks.
While some attendees, including Chainlink co-founder Sergey Nazarov, were optimistic about the event’s focus on strengthening the US crypto industry, some crypto luminaries who were not on the list were less impressed.
Cardano and IOHK co-founder Charles Hoskinson, who did not attend the event, noted in a video stream that real change — i.e., legislation — must be made in Congress.
“Everybody focuses on the White House because it’s simple and easy to do so. […] And as much as we, as an industry, want this to be a short process, it’s going to be a long and methodical process,” Hoskinson said.
WLFI expanded its offerings in March with the soft launch of its stablecoin USD1. The coin, “100% backed by short-term US government treasuries, US dollar deposits, and other cash equivalents,” launched on the Ethereum and BNB Chain networks.
US lawmakers subsequently called for an ethics probe into WLFI and cited the president’s ability to influence stablecoin policy as a major conflict of interest with the project.
Markets saw a spate of red across the board following the order, and many economic observers raised concerns over a looming recession. Crypto miners based in the US were further squeezed as their operation costs, namely for buying new mining rigs, increased significantly.
Former White House Communications Director Anthony Scaramucci told Cointelegraph, “I would say that he’s had the worst 95 days in modern presidential history. The markets recovered a little, but we’ve got $9 trillion taken from the stock market. You had a growing economy that’s now heading into a medium-sized recession, possibly a steep recession.”
He said that Trump declared a trade war “without any real weaponry” and subsequently lied about progress when the president claimed China was attempting to negotiate.
“The lies are ok — everyone accepts that he’s a congenital liar […] but when you’re declaring war on people and then you’re lying, it’s really bad.”
April 25 — $300,000-per-plate memecoin dinner raises call for impeachment
Top Trump memecoin holders were reportedly offered an opportunity to have dinner with the president, sparking renewed concerns over his crypto project and prompting one US lawmaker to support impeachment.
At a town hall meeting in his home state of Georgia, Democratic Senator Jon Ossoff said he “strongly” supports impeachment. “When the sitting president of the United States is selling access for what are effectively payments directly to him, there is no question that that rises to the level of an impeachable offense,” he said.
TRUMP holders can register to have dinner with the President. Source: gettrumpmemes.com
Rumors on social media stated that $300,000 would grant tokenholders an audience with the president, a claim the Trump administration later denied.
Trump’s first 100 days could jeopardize change
The first 100 days of Trump’s presidency have broughtunprecedented change to the crypto industry. Simultaneously, they have opened it up to increased criticism and controversy as the president’s personal ties with blockchain projects raise ethical questions.
These controversies may well jeopardize the industry’s efforts to effect change in Congress, according to Scaramucci, who said, “Trump has so inflamed everything that he’s made it even hard for [stablecoin legislation] to happen.”
The STABLE Act, which aims to provide guardrails for stablecoin issuance in the US, was introduced in the House of Representatives on March 26 and passed a committee vote on April 3, with prominent Democrats dissenting. The bill will soon head to the floor for a general vote before going to the Senate.
USDC stablecoin issuer Circle has received in-principle approval (IPA) from the Financial Services Regulatory Authority (FSRA) of the Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM), the company announced on April 29.
The approval moves Circle closer to obtaining a full Financial Services Permission (FSP) license, allowing it to operate as a regulated money services provider in the United Arab Emirates, the firm said in an official press release.
Jeremy Allaire, Circle’s Co-Founder and CEO, said the approval “advances our strategy to establish deep roots in markets embracing the onchain economy.” He added:
“It also underscores Circle’s enduring commitment to global stablecoin oversight—strengthening trust, compliance, and adoption worldwide, while laying a resilient foundation for the internet financial system.”
Comments from Circle CEO and Chief of Market Development at ADGM regarding the regulatory nod. Source: PR
In addition to regulatory progress, Circle announced a partnership with Hub71, Abu Dhabi’s tech ecosystem. As part of the collaboration, the two firms plan to work together on projects within ADGM’s digital regulatory sandbox.
Circle will also join Hub71’s digital assets group, sharing its experience with a community of more than 500 tech startups and investors.
Circle’s flagship USDC token is the second-largest stablecoin in terms of market capitalization. As of now, there are $62.03 billion USDC (USDC) tokens in circulation, according to data from CoinMarketCap.
Meanwhile, Circle has been pushing into new global markets amid rising interest in stablecoins.
In Japan, Circle expanded its presence through a partnership with SBI Holdings. On March 26, 2025, SBI VC Trade, a subsidiary of SBI Holdings, launched USDC trading, making it the first stablecoin approved under Japan’s regulatory framework.
The United Arab Emirates has been actively working to establish itself as a global Web3 hub, leveraging progressive regulation and strategic partnerships to attract leading digital asset firms.
In August 2024, the country ranked third in a crypto adoption index released by Henley & Partners, an investment migration consultancy firm.
On April 6, Dubai’s real estate and crypto regulatory authorities signed a new agreement aimed at expanding digital asset adoption in the real estate sector. The agreement will link Dubai’s real estate registry with property tokenization through a governance system.