Jon Featonby

This will either leave families homeless and destitute, or result in local authorities having to pick things up. There’s a lot of good reasons why the power to do this, contained in the Immigration Act 2016, has never been used.

Home Office may forcibly remove child asylum seekers from UK in handcuffs Move is part of scheme to target families for expedited voluntary removals before enforced removal proceedings

One of the other worrying aspects of this consultation is that it proposes evicting families with children from Home Office accommodation if they’ve been refused asylum and have exhausted any appeals, even if the government isn’t actively trying to remove them www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026...

Justice and Home Affairs Committee - Events - Committees - UK Parliament The Justice and Home Affairs Committee was appointed to consider justice and home affairs, including the domestic criminal justice system, and international cooperation in respect of criminal justice,...

The House of Lords Justice and Home Affairs Committee have Mike Tapp giving evidence next week. They could/should ask him committees.parliament.uk/committee/51...

Labour is creating a two-tier society - and families will pay the price | LBC For the first time in modern British history, we are seeing the creation of a multi-tier asylum system – one that ranks people’s right to protection based on how “deserving” the Government decides the...

📢"The UK can have a functioning immigration system without abandoning the principle of equal protection under the law."

Our CEO @minnierahman.bsky.social in @lbc.co.uk on the Government's ICE-style asylum reforms this week.

www.lbc.co.uk/article/labo...

"A full impact assessment has not been produced for this instrument as no, or no significant, impact on the private, voluntary or public sector is foreseen." Just off the top of my head the potential interaction with local authority homelessness and social care duties feels significant?

We haven’t done an updated one yet, probably a job for the weekend. I’m sure others will be faster than me though.

And this is the link www.legislation.gov.uk/ukdsi/2026/9...

No impact assessment for what difference it will actually make

And then is the draft SI that turns the provision of asylum support into a power, rather than a duty. Again, it’s affirmative so needs to be agreed to by both MPs and Peers.

Other MPs can add their name to the EDM. Hopefully, the more names, the more pressure on the government to allow a debate (and vote).

Cruelty to immigrants is not what my party stands for. It’s time for True Labour, not Blue Labour | Stella Creasy We must get back to the party’s roots before it is too late. That means embracing difference, rejecting division – and fighting for opportunities for all, says MP for Walthamstow, Stella Creasy

"There is an alternative way forward: being True – not Blue – Labour. True Labour doesn’t fear those who are different. Instead, it demands everyone contribute their abilities to society – and works to unlock such skills."

www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

Thank you @stellacreasy.bsky.social for already tabling the motion opposing today’s immigration rules changes. The government should allow scrutiny of their plans and schedule a debate on this motion.

edm.parliament.uk/early-day-mo...

I think the skilled occupation list has a wider list of jobs, but they're at a more senior level. My take would be that it keeps the right to work as inaccessible as ever, and I can't really see the logic for the change.

This is the draft SI that makes the changes to section 4 support as well. Again it allows support to be withdrawn if someone was working without permission. This is subject to the affirmative procedure, so needs to be approved by parliament www.legislation.gov.uk/ukdsi/2026/9...

These are the first of the asylum support regulations www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2026/20...

It allows support to be removed from someone if they are found to have worked when they did not have permission to work.

One thing that's missing from the rules changes is the new refugee family reunion provisions. They were paused last September and were supposed to be "unpaused" in the Spring. Doesn't look like that's happening

The rules also change the existing settlement application rules for refugees so to say that a safe return review has to take place. The explanatory memorandum points out that this was already in guidance, so not clear what impact putting it into the rules will have.

At least the rules changes confirm that for anyone who applied for asylum before last Monday, they will be granted 5 years leave and will be able to apply for settlement at the end of that period.

Doesn't seem to be an impact assessment of the switch to granting leave for 2.5 years.

Oh, so they've made it worse. A massive surprise there. I am particularly disliking the amendment to require everyone making further submissions to attend a SSC which would prevent any claims made from detention, or by the seriously ill

There's an impact assessment of the visa break published alongside the rules. It's estimated to reduce the number of asylum claims over the next 18 months by 1,400. Given over 100,000 claimed asylum last year, barely changes the system challenges, while having a high impact on individuals

The rules changes do make a change to the right to work for asylum applicants. Instead of using the shortage occupation list, people who are granted permission to work having been waiting for a decision for 12 months will only be able to work on the skilled occupation list

There is also a consultation (but not a full, public one) on the removal of families, which includes the use of the powers in the Immigration Act 2016 to remove asylum support from families with children if they've been refused asylum.

The written statement says there will be amends made to the asylum support regulations on conditions of support, alongside the regulation to change the duty to provide support to a discretionary power. Both come into force on 2 June.

Statement of changes to the Immigration Rules: HC 1695, 5 March 2026 Statement of changes to the Immigration Rules published on 5 March 2026.

The statement of changes to the immigration rules www.gov.uk/government/p... and the written statement (which goes wider than the rules changes) are now out questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-stat...

Meanwhile, refugee family reunion continues to be paused, the Afghan schemes have been shut, and only 537 people came through the UK's flagship resettlement scheme last year.

Allocation of asylum accommodation policy (accessible)

it's secondary legislation. The allocation of accommodation guidance has already been updated to reflect it, but I can't see the actual SI yet www.gov.uk/government/p...

the full press release says "around 21,000 migrants could be granted the right to work because they have been waiting for more than 12 months for their asylum claim." I'm not convinced the Home Office really know what impact they want from tis.

thanks! Wonder what that looks like now

the 21k is the number of people who had been waiting for a year or more for an initial decision. I think the argument is that if they have permission to work and are in work they might have support withdrawn. My guess is that they included the 21k so that there was actually a number somewhere in it.

I think the work stuff is potentially a bit of a red herring. What we've heard nothing about is the implementation of the 2016 Act support changes. I think they would have a far bigger impact.

Misrepresenting the Refugee Convention. It also says this: