Home Office staff could strike if forced to implement ‘unlawful’ Rwanda asylum plan – Independent
Home Office staff will not “just sit back and take” the Rwanda deal and new small boats bill, and may strike if forced to implement measures they believe are unlawful. A union representing frontline workers receiving migrants crossing the English Channel and deciding their asylum claims says internal rows over the government’s plans could escalate into an industrial dispute. It would be the latest in a string of strikes by civil servants, with 130,000 people walking out of 132 government departments last month over pay conditions.
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Home Office starts ad campaign to deter Albanian migrants – BBC News
The Home Office is launching an ad campaign targeting Albanian nationals to deter them from migrating to the UK. The adverts, which will run in Albanian on Facebook and Instagram, will warn that people will “face being detained and removed” if they make the journey. The government said the campaign, starting next week, would “make clear the perils” migrants on small boats face.
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Catalogue of failings in Home Office’s ‘flawed’ asylum system revealed in UN report – Independent
UN Refugee Agency uncovers cases in which trafficking victims went missing and a child victim of sexual abuse was given no support. A devastating catalogue of failings in the Home Office’s “flawed and inefficient” asylum system has been uncovered in a damning UN report.
The eight-month audit of the UK’s asylum system by the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) picked apart the government’s immigration policy to reveal a deeply dysfunctional department.
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Secret Home Office policy to detain people with NHS debt at airport found unlawful – The Guardian
A secret Home Office policy to detain people with the right to live in the UK at air and seaports has been found to be unlawful in the high court. The policy applied to those with unpaid NHS debts and was only uncovered through evidence gathered from charities and lawyers fighting the cases of two mothers who were repeatedly detained.
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Letter from Lord Murray about further government amendments to the Illegal Migration Bill – Home Office
Correspondence dated 26 May, from Lord Murray, Lords Minister, to Lord Coaker, which sets out the government amendments tabled for Lords Committee has been released. To read the correspondence, click here
CASE LAW
MXK & Ors., R (on the application of) v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2023] EWHC 1272 (Admin)
The High Court recently ruled that an unpublished Government policy utilized by the Home Secretary to prevent the re-entry of two mothers and their children, as well as other lawful residents of the UK, was unlawful. The policy came to light through evidence provided by charities and lawyers.
During the examination process at the border, individuals with valid leave to remain were detained to discuss their NHS debt, even though this debt did not prevent them from returning to the UK.
On May 26, 2023, Mr. Justice Chamberlain delivered a comprehensive judgment stating that the detention of the women and their young children was unlawful. Furthermore, he found that the Home Secretary failed in her duty to consider the impact of the policy on groups protected under the Equality Act 2010, particularly women who are known to be disproportionately affected by NHS charging.
To read the full decision, click here
INDEPENDENT REPORTS
ASYLUM SCREENING IN THE UK: An audit of the UK’s asylum intake, registration and screening procedures and recommendations for change, UNCHR
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) recently released an extensive report that provides a thorough assessment of the United Kingdom’s asylum intake, registration, and screening processes. This report, published last week, offers valuable insights and findings.
The audit involved reviewing Home Office policies and procedures, as well as visiting various registration and screening locations across the UK where asylum seekers are processed.
The comprehensive nature of this audit underscores the UNHCR’s commitment to evaluating and improving the asylum system in the UK. By engaging with key stakeholders and thoroughly assessing the policies and practices in place, the UNHCR aims to contribute to the ongoing efforts to enhance the fairness and efficiency of the UK’s asylum procedures.
To download the report, click here
Long-term international migration, provisional: year ending December 2022, Office for National Statistics (ONS)
The latest immigration statistics from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) have been released, covering the period from January to December 2022. These figures reveal that net migration reached a record high of approximately +606,000, although it is lower than some previously reported media forecasts. According to the ONS, immigration estimates for 2022 stand at around 1.2 million, while emigration is estimated to be around 557,000.
The report highlights that the surge in migration was primarily driven by individuals from non-EU countries arriving for employment, educational purposes, and humanitarian reasons. Notably, arrivals from Ukraine and Hong Kong were prominent. Additionally, for the first time, asylum seekers have been included in the estimates, accounting for approximately one in twelve non-EU migrants.
Furthermore, there are underlying factors that these high migration levels are evolving. Following the easing of lockdown restrictions in 2021, there was a noticeable upturn in the arrival of students. These shifts in migration patterns reflect the dynamic nature of international movement and its connection to global events.
To read the full report, click here
Home Office Guidance and Policy Documents update
- Guidance: Visiting the UK as an EU, EEA or Swiss citizen has been updated on 27th May 2023. To view the updated Guidance, click here
- Guidance Sponsor guidance appendix A: supporting documents for sponsor applications has been updated on 31st May 2023. To view the Guidance , click here
- Transparency data Migrants detected crossing the English Channel in small boats has been published. To access the data, click here
- Collection of documents pertaining to the Illegal Migration Bill have been updated. To view the full collection, click here
- Collection of documents on Support for Afghans to find settled accommodation have been updated on 31st May 2023. To view the full collection, click here
- Guidance: Bridging accommodation exit plans for resettled Afghans has been published 31st May 2023. To view the Guidance, click here
- Guidance Afghan schemes funding instructions 2023 to 2024 has been published on 26th May 2023. To view the Guidance, click here
- Guidance: Global Business Mobility routes caseworker guidance has been updated on 31st May 2023. To view the Guidance, click here
- Guidance Service Supplier visa: eligible trade agreements and sectors has been updated on 31st May 2023. To view the Guidance, click here
- Caseworker Guidance Safeguarding and consent issues has been updated on 30th May 2023. To view the Guidance, click here
- Official Statistics EU Settlement Scheme quarterly statistics, March 2023 has been updated on 25th May 2023. To view the data, click here
- Collection on Irregular migration to the UK statistics has been updated on 25th May 2023. To view the collection, click here
- Guidance EU Settlement Scheme: community support for vulnerable citizens has been updated on 25th May 2023. To view the Guidance, click here
- Border Force transparency data: Q1 2023 has been published on 25th May 2023. To view the data, click here
- Transparency data on RASI (Resettlement, Asylum Support and Integration) data: Q1 2023 has been published on 25th May 2023. To view the data, click here
- Windrush Task Force Data: Q1 2023 has been published on 25th May 2023. To view the data, click here
- Transparency data Visas and citizenship: Q1 2023 has been published. To view the data, click here
- Transparency data Immigration Enforcement: Q1 2023 has been published on 25th May 2023. To view the data, click here
- Transparency data Home Office: Q1 2023 has been published on 25th May 2023. To view the data, click here
- Guidance: Living in dispersal accommodation has been published on 25th May 2023. To view the data, click here
- Ukraine Visa Schemes: visa data has been published on 25th May 2023. To view the data, click here
- Collection EU Settlement Scheme statistics has been published on 25th May 2023. To view the collection, click here
- Afghan Resettlement Programme: operational data has been published on 25th May 2023. To view the information, click here
- Migrant journey: 2022 report has been published on 25th May 2023. To view the information, click here
- Statistical data set Irregular migration detailed datasets and summary tables has been published on 25th May 2023. To view the data, click here
- Immigration System Statistics – Regional and Local authority datafor individuals on the Homes for Ukraine scheme, those under the Afghan resettlement Programme, and asylum seekers receiving support has been published on 25th May 2023. To view the information, click here
- Returns and detention datasets have been published on 25th May 2023. To view the information, click here
- Immigration system statistics, year ending March 2023 have been published on 25th May 2023. To view the information, click here
- User Guidance Home Office EU Settlement Scheme statistics have been published on 25th May 2023. To view the updated Guidance, click here
- Asylum accommodation factsheets for proposed new accommodation sites for asylum seekers have been published on 24th May 2023. To view the information, click here
- Windrush Scheme application form (UK) has been updated on 24th May 2023. To view the form, click here. This is in line with the update to the Caseworker Guidance that can be viewed here
- Policy paper British Nationality (Regularisation of Past Practice) Bill: factsheet has been published on 24th May 2023. To view the information, click here
