Free Movement Weekly Immigration Newsletter #76

Welcome to the weekly Free Movement newsletter! 

I am writing this a little early so the usual caveat applies if I have missed out something big that happened Monday morning. 

On Wednesday morning I recorded the podcast with Barry (yes he’s back!) and asked where was the legal aid increase that had been consulted on several months ago. By Wednesday evening the Ministry of Justice had confirmed a “substantial” increase would be implemented “as soon as operationally possible”. This of course is not a quick fix, but it certainly is some long awaited progress in addressing the crisis.

The EU will extend temporary protection status to Ukrainians until March 2027. The announcement said that consideration will also be given to a recommendation to prepare for people to transition out of the status, to look at issues such as switching to other legal statuses, “paving the way for a gradual return to Ukraine and stepping up the provision of information about available options”. Whether any of this affects the way that the UK treats Ukrainians remains to be seen. 

The Home Office announced back in March that those working in the gig economy, such as food delivery drivers, would be subject to right to work checks. Last week, running scared from The Sun and the shadow Home Secretary, the Home Office announced a “nationwide blitz” specifically targetting people in the asylum system who, although prohibited from working, are understandably still trying do these jobs to supplement the meagre amount of support they receive. 

On Free Movement, can you believe that this is the second newsletter in a row where I say that we had a statement of changes to the immigration rules last week. This time we had a little advance notice and it was the expected skilled worker changes to salary and qualification thresholds, alongside a wildly unpopular restructure of the relevant immigration rules. 

Separately, and unexpectedly, the government also closed the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy effective 3pm the day the statement of changes was published. Nothing in the explanatory memorandum justified the lack of notice given to people. I have been told that some managed to get applications in ahead of that deadline, but many others will have been unable to do so. 

We also published this post which concerns a new power in the Crime and Policing Bill which would mean that people with limited leave to remain in the UK could now face deportation if they accept cautions for minor offences. This is a huge and concerning development that people need to be aware of and so it was good to see the post get around 80,000 views last week. 

For everything else on Free Movement and elsewhere, read on.

Cheers, Sonia

What we’re reading

‘I can’t live in my own country with my partner’ – BBC News, 30 June

Children crossing Channel from France exposed to teargas, report says – The Guardian, 1 July

BBC on French beach as police slash migrant ‘taxi-boat’ heading to UK – BBC News, 4 July

Italy to issue half million non-EU work visas over next three years – Reuters, 30 June

Inter-American Court Declares Climate Crisis a Human Rights Emergency in Historic Ruling – Center for International Environmental Law, 3 July

$192m Contract To Reopen Notorious U.K. Immigration Detention Center – Forbes, 3 July

New easier British citizenship route for Irish citizens launched – GOV.UK, 3 July

Rollout of eVisas ‘could drag 200,000 people into Windrush-style scandal’ – The Guardian, 3 July