News Update – 1 May 2026
This week, UK care sector continues to sound the alarm over the cumulative impact of immigration restrictions, with providers warning that further tightening of the rules could destabilise an already fragile workforce. The director at the Bedfordshire Care Group, described how shifting requirements have made operating conditions increasingly difficult for overseas care workers and their employers.
Providers are now contending with rising sponsorship costs, sluggish processing times and a growing rate of refusals. The Government’s consultation on extending the qualifying period for indefinite leave to remain from five years to ten or fifteen, has compounded the uncertainty. Should the longer route be adopted, care homes estimate that sponsorship costs could reach £22,500 per worker over the extended period.
The workforce is openly contemplating relocation. Care workers interviewed by the BBC, including those from Nigeria and India, indicated that the prospect of remaining on temporary visas for ten to fifteen years would prompt them to look towards Canada or New Zealand. The Migration Observatory at the University of Oxford has noted that, because work visa holders are tied to their sponsors, an extended route to settlement would lock migrant care workers into the sector for far longer, with knock-on effects for both retention strategy and public finances.
The Home Office maintains that net migration has fallen by close to 70 per cent and that the closure of overseas recruitment was driven by documented exploitation in the sector. A new higher minimum wage for care staff is reportedly being developed, with Skills for Care indicating that £500 million has been earmarked for its introduction in 2028.
The latest Office for National Statistics population projections show the UK reaching 71 million by 2034, lower than previous estimates due to reduced net migration. Net migration is now expected to add 2.2 million people over ten years, while deaths will outnumber births by 450,000. Migration remains the only source of population growth.
On the asylum front, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has signalled that the Government is keeping its options open on the return of refused Afghan asylum seekers. Speaking in Dunkirk, Mahmood confirmed that she is closely monitoring discussions between Kabul and EU member states regarding a returns programme and acknowledged that further conversations are taking place within Whitehall. So far, she has declined to rule the possibility whether this would proceed or not. Any such move would mark a significant departure from current UK policy, under which refused Afghan claimants cannot be returned because the United Kingdom does not recognise the Taliban-led government. The United Nations recently described Afghanistan as a graveyard for Human Rights, and the position of women and girls there has continued to deteriorate, with exclusion from secondary education, paid employment and most public spaces.
Afghan nationals were the largest group arriving by small boat in the year ending June 2025. Asylum grant rates for Afghans dropped from 99% in 2023 to 38% in early 2025 after stricter proof standards in 2024. Refused claimants who stay do so without legal status. Mahmood extended permanent settlement wait for asylum recipients from five years to twenty, established a one-in, one-out policy with France, and banned student visas for Afghan nationals and three other countries due to rising asylum claims.
Enforcement activity has likewise intensified. The National Crime Agency this week arrested two men, aged 27 and 29, on suspicion of money laundering as part of an investigation into a people-smuggling network operating across the East Midlands. The arrests in Folkestone and Nottingham followed coordinated raids on two car washes and a barber shop in the Nottingham area, alongside a residential search in Derby. Immigration Enforcement issued a civil penalty notice to a car wash in Nuthall for employing an illegal worker. The NCA’s deputy director of investigations, Craig Turner, indicated that the operation forms part of around one hundred live investigations into individuals and networks suspected of organised people smuggling, with a clear focus on those who exploit migrants both during Channel crossings and through unlawful employment in the grey economy once they have arrived.
Rounding off the week, the Solicitors Regulation Authority has launched a consultation on proposals to strengthen continuing competence requirements across the profession. Under the proposed rules, solicitors would be required to keep a formal record of how they identify and address their learning and development needs, supported by a signed declaration, with mandatory annual ethical discussions with peers also forming part of the package.
The SRA would additionally gain the power to require specific learning and development where concerns about competence arise. The proposals come against a regulatory backdrop in which immigration practitioners are expected to meet the standard of a reasonably competent immigration specialist, with failures to raise known issues, advise properly, or act on appropriate remedies treated as breaches of duty.
The SRA has previously issued warning notices on immigration work reminding firms of their obligations around supervision and lawful conduct. The implications for appeal preparation are particularly acute. Negligent case preparation, whether in the form of missed deadlines, omitted evidence, drafting errors in court documents, or a failure to advise on administrative review or judicial review, can lead to the loss of appeal rights and, where prejudice can be demonstrated, may be capable of challenge in the higher courts.
It is against this tightening regulatory climate that HJT Training’s forthcoming training courses are especially well placed.
The Perfect Caseworker, a live webinar on Tuesday 9th June 2026, will be led by Mark Symes and is designed for caseworkers and paralegals seeking to sharpen the foundational skills now under closer regulatory scrutiny.
This is followed by Preparing and Presenting the Perfect Appeal, an in-person training in London on Wednesday 1st July 2026, where Mark Symes will be joined by Julian Phillips, formerly the national head of First-tier Tribunal immigration judicial training, alongside David Jones.
Between them, they will offer practical, court-tested guidance on structuring grounds of appeal, building a focused case theory, constructing compliant bundles and preparing for oral hearings in a way that gives clients the strongest possible footing.
For immigration advisers and paralegals navigating an environment in which competence is increasingly evidenced rather than assumed, both sessions offer a timely opportunity to invest in the standards that regulators, tribunals and clients now expect as a matter of course.
All HJT Training courses are CPD-accredited and designed to keep immigration advisers at the forefront of the latest developments, in full alignment with Solicitors Regulation Authority, Immigration Advice Authority and Bar Standards Board continuing competence standards. Whether you are a solicitor, barrister, IAA-regulated adviser or caseworker, our programme supports you in meeting your regulatory obligations while deepening your practical expertise.
For more information on the courses, or to book, visit HERE
For assistance with enquiries or bookings, contact us on enquiries@hjt-training.co.uk or call us on 075 4416 4692.
For the full list of updates on media news, reports and Home Office Guidance and Policy updates, see our Immigration News Update BELOW
Immigration News
How changes to visa rules could impact the care sector – BBC News
A care provider says shifting immigration rules have made life harder for care workers from overseas and further restrictions could impact the sector. In 2025 care homes and agencies were no longer able to recruit staff from overseas, external and the Government is considering increasing the time people need to have worked in the UK before they can apply for indefinite leave to remain (ILR) from five years to 10 or 15. To view the full article, visit here
UK lowers population growth estimate – Reuters
The United Kingdom’s population is likely to grow to 71.0 million by mid-2034, below a previous projection of 72.2 million due to lower immigration assumptions, as per the country’s statistics office. Net immigration looks set to add 2.2 million people to the UK’s population of 69.3 million between mid-2024 and mid-2034, while there would be a drag of 450,000 from deaths exceeding births, the Office for National Statistics said. The lower expected population growth could add to the fiscal headwinds that will face finance minister Rachel Reeves in her autumn budget. To view the full article, visit here
What impact do refugees have on housing in Glasgow? – BBC News
Scotland’s largest city has a longstanding issue with a lack of housing, and was the first in the country to declare this an emergency in 2023. And a recent factor has been the interplay between Home Office attempts to clear the backlog of people awaiting asylum decisions, and Scotland’s approach to homelessness. To view the full article, visit here
Shabana Mahmood does not rule out sending back refused Afghan asylum seekers – The Guardian
Shabana Mahmood has refused to rule out sending rejected Afghan asylum seekers back to the Taliban-controlled country. The home secretary said she is “monitoring very closely” talks between Kabul and EU countries about a returns programme for refused claimants. She also indicated that “additional conversations” about Afghan returns were happening inside Whitehall. To view the full article, visit here
Home Office to deport Brighton gang rapists after sentencing – The Times
The Home Office has said that it will “move to deport” the Brighton gang rapists after sentencing, as it emerged that one had fled a murder charge. Three small boat arrivals. Abdulla Ahmadi, 26, from Iran, and Ibrahim Alshafe, 25, and Karin Al-Danasurt, 20, both from Egypt attacked the woman in the early hours of October 4 last year. To view the full article, visit here
More migrants making false domestic abuse claims, minister tells MPs – BBC News
Home Office minister Jess Phillips has told MPs there are a growing number of cases of migrants making false allegations that they have been the victims of domestic abuse. To view the full article, visit here
Two arrested as raids target people smugglers – BBC News
Two men have been arrested following a series of raids by the National Crime Agency (NCA) targeting people smugglers. The criminal network under investigation by the NCA is suspected of bringing migrants into the UK illegally and then employing them in businesses around the East Midlands. To view the full article, visit here
SRA consults on proposals to strengthen continuing competence requirements – Solicitors Regulation Authority
The Solicitors Regulation Authority has launched a consultation on proposed new rules that would require all solicitors to keep a formal record of how they identify and address their learning and development needs, supported by a signed declaration. The proposals also include mandatory annual ethical discussions with peers and would give the SRA power to require specific learning and development where competence concerns arise. The consultation is now open for responses on the SRA website. To view the full article, visit here
Case Law
Ahmed v SSHD [2026] EWCA Civ 509
The Court of Appeal dismissed Mr Ahmed’s appeal and clarified how immigration tribunals should approach cases involving ongoing family court proceedings. The Court confirmed RS (India) applies broadly and tribunals can either adjourn appeals or grant limited leave to protect Article 8 rights. Tribunals should use contextual assessment, not tick-box exercises, and avoid making final welfare findings reserved for family courts. In this case, Mr Ahmed’s lack of engagement and history justified rejecting his Article 8 claim. For full decision, visit here
JL v SSHD [2026] EWCA Civ 498
The Court of Appeal clarified an important point on the burden of proof in cessation cases. Where someone was originally granted refugee status for one reason that no longer applies, and they then rely on a new and different reason to resist revocation, the burden of proving that second reason rests on the individual, not the Secretary of State. The Court confirmed that while the Home Office must still show that the original grounds for refugee status have ceased to exist, it is not required to disprove every other possible basis for protection. On the facts, the appellant could not show he would be perceived as having Rwandan connections on return to the DRC, and so his refugee status was properly revoked. For full decision, visit here
Home Office Policy and Guidance Updates
Caseworker Guidance EU Settlement Scheme has been updated on 29th April 2026. To view the updated Guidance, visit here
Guidance: Register of licensed sponsors- workers has been updated on 29th April 2026. To view the updated Guidance, visit here
Guidance: Register of licensed sponsors – students has been updated on 29th April 2026. To view the updated Guidance, visit here
Guidance: Using the ‘EU Exit – ID Document Check’ app has been updated on 29th April 2026. To view the updated Guidance, visit here
Guidance: Bangladesh – country policy and information note h as been updated on 29th April 2026. To view the updated Guidance, visit here
Guidance: Iraq – country policy and information notes has been updated on 29th April 2026. To view the updated Guidance, visit here
Caseworker Guidance: Appendix International Forces has been updated on 27th April 2026. To view the updated Guidance, visit here
Guidance: Iran- country policy and information notes has been updated on 27th April 2026. To view the updated Guidance, visit here
Collection: UKVI support videos have been updated on 27th April 2026. To view the updated Collection, visit here
Promotional material: How to apply for a student visa: video has been updated on 27th April 2026. To view the updated Guidance, visit here
Guidance: Priority change of circumstances for sponsors has been updated on 27th April 2026. To view the updated Guidance, visit here
Guidance: Nationality forms guide has been updated on 23rd April 2026. To view the updated Guidance, visit here
Guidance: Form B(OTA) has been updated o 23rd April 2026. To view the updated Guidance, visit here
Caseworker Guidance: Immigration status and enforcement action has been updated on 23rd April 2026. To view the updated Guidance, visit here
Caseworker Guidance: Restricted leave has been updated on 23rd April 2026. To view the updated Guidance, visit here
Guidance: Form B(OS) has been updated on 23rd April 2026. To view the updated Guidance, visit here
Written by Shareen Khan – Legal Content Writer, HJT Training
Disclaimer: This blog post is intended for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Immigration advisors should consult the full decisions and official policy documents when advising clients on specific cases.