Free Movement Weekly Immigration Newsletter #84

Welcome to the weekly Free Movement newsletter! 

Would it even be a music festival without at least one Home Office related line up change? Anyway, this newsletter was written on Wednesday last week because I am currently making my way home to a hot shower, here’s hoping that the end of August was less eventful than the rest. 

Remember in 2023 when the Home Office shortened the move on period in an attempt to reduce the number of people in hotels? This resulted in an absolutely huge increase in the number of newly recognised refugees who became street homeless. Nevertheless, this idea has resurfaced last week, presumably for the same reason. The change will be less dramatic than in 2023, when the amount of time given to newly recognised refugees to move out of asylum accommodation was reduced from 28 to 7 days, however the drop from 56 to 28 days will inevitably see an increase in people becoming street homeless, just as winter approaches.

It was reported last week that Home Office asylum decision makers are being paid a bonus of £75 for every decision they make over their monthly target. Rushing decisions is going to do nothing to improve their quality and the only likely effect will be to push even more cases into the appeals backlog. 

On Free Movement, it was a short week after the bank holiday weekend. Our bumper briefing on the state of the asylum system has been updated with the latest statistics. The focus at the moment was obviously on the causes of the current appeals backlog and what can be done to improve it (hint – it isn’t paying Home Office decision makers to rush out even more bad decisions). 

We also updated our posts on safe and legal routes and visas for esports. On the training front, our ‘Advising employers: right to work checks‘ members’ course has been updated by Jack Freeland and the Skilled worker visa applications and Work and study visas courses have also been updated.

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

Cheers, Sonia

What we’re reading

Starmer’s EU negotiator gives stronger backing to youth mobility scheme – The Guardian 27 August

Cancer research at risk: the growing impact of immigration costs in the UK – Cancer Research UK, 26 August

Dozens more UK Afghan data breaches uncovered – BBC News, 21 August

‘People sleeping while walking’: inside Manston asylum centre in Kent – The Guardian, 26 August

Russian anti-Putin protester found dead in London after asylum bid was rejected – The i Paper, 20 August

Asylum seekers are being targeted – and so are those who help them. It’s a disturbing new reality – The Guardian, 22 August

EXPOSED: Britain First’s “March for Remigration” led by convicted people smuggler – HOPE not hate, 19 August

‘I can’t sleep, I can’t get on with my life’: how Europe’s tougher rules are keeping families apart – The Guardian, 25 August

‘Every Filipino I rescue, I bring to Earl’s Court’ – Vittles, 18 August