By DAVID WILCOCK, DEPUTY POLITICAL EDITOR FOR MAILONLINE

Published: 15:00 BST, 1 April 2025 | Updated: 15:02 BST, 1 April 2025

Russia will be placed on the top level of a government scheme aimed at protecting the UK from malign foreign influence, security minister Dan Jarvis has announced. 

Vladimir Putin’s dictatorship will be placed in the ‘enhanced’ tier of the Foreign Influence Registration Scheme (Firs), which makes it easier to tackle spies and thugs operating in Britain.

It joins Islamist Iran in the top level of the scheme, under which anyone directed by a designated foreign state to carry out activities in the UK, such as criminal proxies, must register it or face five years in prison. 

Individuals and businesses will be required to register on the Government website, like applying for a passport or driving licence, and will be given a three-month notice and grace period from when the scheme comes into force.

But for those who do not register, it will allow intelligence services to prosecute them under a lower threshold than for more complex offences such as espionage.

Mr Jarvis told the Commons this afternoon: ‘Russia presents an acute threat to UK national security.

‘In recent years, its hostile acts have ranged from the use of a deadly nerve agent in Salisbury, espionage, arson and cyber attacks, including the targeting of UK parliamentarians through spear phishing campaigns.

‘And clearly Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine has highlighted its intent to undermine European and global security.’

Mr Jarvis told the Commons this afternoon: 'Russia presents an acute threat to UK national security.'

Mr Jarvis told the Commons this afternoon: ‘Russia presents an acute threat to UK national security.’

Vladimir Putin’s dictatorship will be placed in the ‘enhanced’ tier of the Foreign Influence Registration Scheme (Firs), which makes it easier to tackle spies and thugs operating in Britain.

He added: ‘The enhanced tier of the scheme has been specifically designed to shed light on activities directed by those foreign powers or entities whose activities pose a threat to the safety and interests of the UK.

‘It enables the Government to specify those foreign powers who pose the greatest threat to our society to ensure transparency of a much broader range of activities than just the political tier. It will provide an important tool for the detection and disruption of harmful activity against our country.’

The registration scheme will go live on July 1, Mr Jarvis told MPs. 

:
Russia joins Iran as top ‘malign influence’ on the UK today as Putin regime is put in highest threat level alongside Tehran Islamists

***
Read more at DailyMail.co.uk