RAMP (Refugee, Asylum and Migration Policy) Project

APPG on Migration member Tony Vaughan KC MP shared his reflections from the APPG visit to France during a BBC South East interview. He noted that UK–France cooperation on migration has significantly improved in both scale and quality, marking a clear shift from previous years.

The Home Secretary said the UK will develop the small boats agreement with France over time, building on past security co-operation such as juxtaposed controls and border checks. She also stressed that working with neighbouring countries is key to stronger border security.

Murray noted that small boat crossings rose after the UK left the EU without a returns deal and asked the Home Secretary if returns from outside the EU are unprecedented. He also sought clarity on success criteria, scaling plans, and future UK-EU relations if the pilot succeeds.

There was a Commons Chamber debate yesterday following the Home Secretary’s statement announcing the UK-France agreement to tackle small boat crossings. RAMP Principal Chris Murray MP took part in the debate. 🧵

Chris Murray MP argued that while citizenship has symbolic and legal value, settled refugees already contribute fully to British society, and the practical differences between settlement and citizenship are now largely limited to time and cost.

Tim Farron MP argued that denying citizenship is unlikely to deter those fleeing danger as such choices are made under duress. He said that in the absence of safe and legal routes those recognised as refugees should be supported in settling as full citizens, rather than penalised.

There was a Westminster Hall debate on refugee citizenship rights yesterday to discuss changes in the Home Office's 'good character' guidance, which restricts citizenship for individuals who arrived in the UK irregularly.

RAMP Principals Tim Farron MP and Chris Murray MP took part. 🧵

Lord Hanson reported a 15% drop in supported accommodation since the end of 2024 and a 42% decrease since September 2023. He also stated that resources from the Rwanda scheme now support faster asylum processing, and work rights for asylum seekers remain under consideration.

Lord German raised concerns about the suitability of current accommodation for both local communities and asylum seekers. He asked the Minister about progress on reducing the asylum case backlog and the potential for allowing asylum seekers to work to support themselves

In his response, the Minister stated the importance of safeguarding and reiterated the government's goal to move all asylum seekers out of hotels as soon as practical. He also noted that hotel use and associated costs have decreased compared to last year.

Baroness Lister asked Lord Hanson about the steps the Home Office is taking to strengthen safeguarding procedures following reports documenting unsafe treatment experienced by many asylum seekers living in hotels, especially LGBTQ people, women and children.

There was a Lord's debate yesterday on on asylum accommodation, following an Oral Question from Lord Evans on the standard of hotel accommodation provided to migrants.
RAMP Associates Baroness Lister and Lord German asked questions at the debate to the Home Affairs Minister, Lord Hanson.

She calls for the removal of the No Recourse to Public Funds (NRPF) policy for families in poverty, highlighting its harmful impact on children’s well-being and its contradiction with the government’s broader social and integration goals.

Child Poverty Won’t End if We Ignore Migrant Children | Parliament Politics Magazine The Prime Minister remarked that action on child poverty will be a “measure of what this government does”. I could not agree more. The Child Poverty Taskforce

In this article, RAMP Principal Olivia Blake MP argues that the UK’s Child Poverty Strategy cannot succeed unless it includes migrant children, who make up over a third of all children in poverty and are disproportionately affected by destitution.

parliamentnews.co.uk/child-povert...

Co-chair of the APPG on Migration, Olivia Blake MP hosted a Westminster Hall Debate yesterday on Child Poverty and No Recourse to Public Funds. 🧵

Olivia Blake: ‘Migrant children living in poverty is a hidden crisis’ - Politics.co.uk As MPs gather in Westminster for today’s spending review, I will be holding a debate on child poverty and No Recourse to Public Funds (NRPF). The discussion could not be more urgent. The debate comes ...

“Labour must change the story and take the necessary steps to alleviate poverty for all children in the UK — not just those with British passports”, writes Olivia Blake MP

🗣️ Migrant children living in poverty is a hidden crisis
www.politics.co.uk/mp-comment/2...

RAMP Principal Chris Murray MP was on Times Radio discussing the new measures announced in the Government's immigration White Paper. He described the measures as "potentially transformative", stating that restoring control is essential for fairness.

Olivia Blake MP (Lab) supported clauses which call for regular Home Office reporting on deaths related to asylum processes and channel crossings, a review of the right to work for asylum seekers and to ease the path to citizenship for UK-born children of migrants.

Tim Farron MP (Lib Dem) supported new clause 21 which would allow asylum seekers to work—reducing public costs, improving integration, and lessening reliance on hotel accommodation. He also supported proposals for safe routes and humanitarian visas.

Chris Murray MP (Lab) supported the Bill’s goal to reduce Channel crossings, arguing deterrence alone won’t work and calling for action against smuggling networks to disrupt the supply side. He said safe routes are important but unlikely to significantly reduce irregular migration.

Tony Vaughan KC MP (Lab) supported stronger enforcement in the Bill to tackle small boat crossings and called for safe, managed asylum routes. He opposed disapplying the Human Rights Act in immigration cases and urged rethinking rules blocking citizenship based on entry method.

The Report Stage debate on the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill took place yesterday evening, focusing on a range of proposed amendments to the legislation. Several RAMP MPs took part in the debate. 🧵

Olivia Blake expressed concern about the portrayal of migrants as outsiders, cautioning that such characterisations could contribute to social division and potentially influence extremist behaviour, referencing the riots that occurred last summer.

Chris Murray MP welcomed the Home Secretary’s recent measures on the health and social care visa, citing concerns about labour market disruption and reports of exploitation. He asked whether the measures mentioned will include safeguards against modern slavery.

Tim Farron highlighted concerns about the impact of staffing shortages in social care on services in Cumbria. He asked the government to assess how the changes in the White Paper might affect patients and NHS staff, noting that many migrants in his community work in care roles.

The White Paper outlines the governments plans to "radically reform" the immigration system and sets out policies aimed at reducing migration, tightening UK visa eligibility, and embedding migration policy within broader labour market, skills and integration strategies.

Yesterday evening there was a Commons Chamber debate on the government's immigration White Paper published earlier that day. RAMP parliamentarians took part in the debate. 🧵

Tim Farron: ‘UK immigration policy still fails young people’ - Politics.co.uk Chris-Ann, 28, is studying law and business and has ambitions to start her own business, but she knows — however sound her ideas — banks will be reluctant to give her a loan. Victory, 27, was offered ...

“Thousands of young people who are proud to have grown up in the UK and think of themselves as British, are still regarded as 'temporary migrants' by the Home Office”, writes @timfarron.bsky.social

🗣️ UK immigration policy still fails young people
www.politics.co.uk/mp-comment/2...

Lord Hanson said the UK speaks with UNHCR to assess needs, noting 680,000 people have used safe, legal routes in the past decade. He stressed the need to balance UNHCR requests with UK capacity through ongoing dialogue.

Lord German also urged the Government for more consistent, multi-year planning for refugee allocations, highlighting that offering safe and legal routes can reduce dangerous Channel crossings.