Free Movement Weekly Immigration Newsletter #36

Welcome to the weekly Free Movement newsletter!

Another eight people died in the Channel over the weekend while trying to come to the UK. The government continues to focus on securitisation alone, as a new Border Security Commander is announced and the prime minister seems to believe that there is something useful to be learned from a far right Italian government’s approach to those seeking asylum. Still nothing on offering safe alternatives to people. 

There has been a really interesting and positive development in an employment tribunal claim brought by a nurse against a private healthcare company (that has since lost its sponsor licence) who brought him to the UK but then apparently failed to give him any work before firing him. He has brought an employment tribunal claim against the company and has just been awarded interim relief of nearly £17,000 for unpaid wages to date.

The company must also continue paying his salary until the unfair dismissal claim is decided. Hopefully we will start seeing more and more of these decisions, no doubt with the support of the Work Rights Centre who are the solicitors in this case, which may then help curb some of the exploitative practices that we have been seeing in this sector. 

A couple of items for your to do list: first of all the Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration has put out a call for evidence on the Home Office’s use of age assessments. Secondly, for those of you in London, the Migration Museum has a new exhibition on Migration and the Making of Britain which looks worth a visit. 

On Free Movement last week, I updated our post on what happens when biometric residence permits expire at the end of the year, to reflect some new information and a shift in position by the Home Office. We published this excellent description of the combined litigation and media approach that Greater Manchester Immigration Aid Unit has taken to challenging the ten year route to settlement.

The latest statement of changes was published on Tuesday. This introduced a new fee waiver process for bereaved partners and a new visa regime for Jordanian nationals among other changes. We also published this look at the salary discounts available to “new entrants” in the skilled worker route – a post that is already proving to be very popular. 

For everything else on the blog and elsewhere, read on.

Cheers, Sonia

What we’re reading

“They promised dignity and respect, but all I got was abuse” – The Voice, 9 September

A week in the life of a young asylum seeker – The Face, 10 September

Countering the rhetoric: Hackney migrants speak out following a summer of discontent – Hackney Citizen, 13 September

All Daily Mail sting solicitors to face disciplinary tribunal – Legal Futures, 12 September

Heathrow airport could lose 4 million passengers a year due to new £10 ETA charge – Independent, 12 September

UK falling behind in attracting skilled foreign workers as visa rules and Brexit challenge employers – The Standard, 12 September

Government Spent £80m Fighting Legal Challenges Against The Home Office Last Year – PoliticsHome, 13 September

Visas granted to people already living in the UK – the hidden side of the immigration system – UK in a Changing Europe, 12 September 2024

‘Inhumane’ treatment of migrants rounded up in UK’s failed Rwanda plan revealed – The Observer, 14 September

‘Time to Think Outside the Box, Keir Starmer: Open a Cross-Channel Safe Route for Asylum Seekers’ – Byline Times, 12 September

The Hunt-Reeves row over asylum spending highlights the dangers of planning with fake numbers – Institute for Government, 10 September