Asylum

On 2 November 2026, the Home Secretary, Shabana Mahmood, announced new rules for settlement in the UK. Settlement is also called indefinite leave to remain (ILR). The new system is called “earned settlement”. Under this system, many people will no longer be able to apply for ILR after 5 years which is the current rule. Instead, the […]

Anyone who works with children and young people seeking asylum will know the words ‘age assessment’. But what an age assessment is and how it works is difficult to understand. Through our work with children and young people as support workers and immigration case workers it is clear that many of those subjected to age assessments are […]

The Refugee Family Reunion route was suspended on 4 September 2025. While the Government has not confirmed when or if a new route will be introduced, it is still possible to bring family members to the UK through other immigration routes. These routes were not designed with refugees or people with protection status in mind. […]

What is changing? From 2 June 2026 the Home Office no longer has a statutory duty to provide asylum support to ensure individuals do not become destitute. This will not impact all people seeking asylum directly. The changes introduce working illegally as a reason for removing support. The appeals process for asylum cases will be […]

Palestinians within Palestine and across the diaspora are forced to constantly contend with laws and systems of differentiation, exclusion, expulsion and erasure. The international refugee protection system is no different.  Palestinians claiming asylum are forced to face a system which differentiates them from other refugees and to mediate an administrative boundary of exclusion from, and […]

In 2025, the UK Parliament’s Justice Committee launched a major inquiry into access to justice in England and Wales, placing the long-term consequences of legal aid cuts under scrutiny. The inquiry examines the state of legal services, representation, and the long-term impact of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 (LASPO), which reduced […]

From Monday 2 March, individuals granted refugees status or humanitarian protection in the UK will receive a temporary leave lasting only 30 months. At the end of this period, the Home Office will review whether protection is still needed, if it concludes that it is not, individuals will be expected to leave the UK and […]

For years, Denmark has been held up across Europe as the archetype of a tough, deterrent-based asylum regime. It is the model now explicitly influencing the UK’s direction of travel. To understand what the UK’s new asylum policy aims to achieve, and the risks embedded within it, we need to understand what Denmark has done and what […]

In a political climate where the rhetoric about asylum and migration is increasingly hostile and divided, it is more important than ever to seek out and listen to the voices of those directly affected by experiences of fleeing and seeking safety. Makani, a woman-led organisation supporting refugee and asylum-seeking women is amplifying exactly these perspectives through […]

The UK has a legal and moral duty to provide safe and adequate accommodation to people seeking asylum. People who arrive in the UK in search of safety are often fleeing conflict, persecution or serious human rights abuses. While their claims are being decided, they depend entirely on the support and protection provided by the […]

Over 150 lawyers and refugee organisations recently signed a public statement warning of increasing far-right intimidation directed at those providing legal support to migrants. But such intimidation doesn’t always involve shouting on street corners. It can also come from the government, politicians, and the media, quietly, strategically, and with long-term consequences. Over recent weeks, we’ve seen […]

Food is a powerful tool for bringing communities together. Migrant-led supper clubs and community kitchens are reshaping high streets and village halls across the UK. These initiatives create belonging and aim to support and celebrate migrants on their journey to feeling at home. From Glasgow’s Soul Food Sisters, to London’s Migrateful Cooking Classes, these food projects are united […]

With immigration rarely out of the news, political leaders will be using Party Conference season to demonstrate why their policies will deliver. Yet how workable are these policies in practice, and how much have they been shaped by electioneering and the desire to gain political ground? In this article, our director Christopher Desira examines the […]

The latest last-minute announcement on Monday represents a marked shift in cruelty of the Labour Government. In Yvette Cooper’s latest move, she has announced that Family Reunion applications under the scheme would be paused after 4 September 2025 at 3pm, with possible new restrictions introduced in 2026. Applications submitted before that date and time will […]