UK residents threatened with prison for Russia links
The UK government has announced that anyone working for the Russian state in Britain must register under a “foreign influence” monitoring system or risk going to jail for five years.
Unveiling the policy in parliament on Tuesday, Security Secretary Dan Jarvis said that individuals “carrying out an activity under an agreement” with certain Russian state institutions will be required to register under the Foreign Influence Registration Scheme (FIRS), expected to take effect by the summer.
The measure, which already includes individuals working on behalf of Iran, is described by officials as a national security tool aimed at combating malign foreign interference. Russia is now being placed under the scheme’s most stringent category.
“Russia represents a serious threat to national security,” Jarvis told MPs.
Foreign Secretary David Lammy, in a government press release, said that Moscow has “pursued an increasingly hostile policy towards the United Kingdom and its interests” in recent years. He cited harassment of diplomats, cyber operations, and alleged attempts to recruit spies to commit sabotage on British soil.
Under the new system, individuals linked to multiple branches of the Russian state – including the president, parliament, all ministries and their agencies, intelligence services, armed forces, police, judiciary, and political parties will be required to declare their activities in the UK.
The measure follows an earlier decision in March to classify Iran’s government, intelligence services, and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps under the highest level of FIRS scrutiny.
The British government has stated that failure to comply with registration requirements could result in criminal prosecution and a prison sentence.
Western governments have for years accused Russia of exerting foreign influence in various countries through disinformation campaigns, cyberattacks, and covert political support. This began with accusations that Moscow interfered in the 2016 US presidential elections, which has since been debunked. Russia has consistently denied these claims, dismissing them as unfounded and politically motivated.
