Our monthly summary of migration justice news
Local / Community Updates
Guillaume ‘Junior’ Atangana, a Bradford district Paralympian athlete, won a bronze in the T11 400m event at Paris 2024. He wins the first-ever Paralympic medal for the Refugee Team.
Leeds Asylum Seekers’ Support Network has successfully converted to an independent charity as of September 2024! We wish them the best of luck in this new exciting chapter!
Thrive With Us have launched a Young Migrant Health and Wellbeing Project in collaboration with MAP. The project aims to ‘empower young migrant people by improving their physical, mental, and emotional well-being through enhanced access to health care services, tailored support, and inclusive approaches that dress their unique challenges, ultimately fostering resilience and a sense of community.’ The project is running from28.09.24 – 02.11.24., and email julietngwenya@hotmail.com if you are a young migrant want to be a part of it!
Migrant Action Updates
Migrant Action has been delighted to announce a research partnership with Leeds University Business School, aiming to improve the support available for migrant workers in warehousing jobs in South and West Yorkshire. Read in full detail about the partnership on our Instagram or Website.
We have also announced our first workshop in our new series of public education ‘Intersecting Migrant Justice’, happening on October 14th. This first workshop explores the intersection of health and migrant justice and is in collaboration with MedAct Leeds. We are so pleased to be collaborating with this organisation to further our push for public education that will manifest into structural transformational change.
General / National Updates
Immigration Enforcement teams have targeted hundreds of businesses thought to be employing people illegally, issuing penalty notices to employers and detaining 85 workers. This comes at the same time as the announcement of new investments for the UK Border Security Command totalling up to £75million. This includes investments in the use of covert cameras and other technological surveillance, as well as further investment in the Police, to ‘disrupt smuggling gangs’ and seek higher prosecutions. Moreover, a new UK-Germany joint action plan to address ‘illegal’ migration is being developed, again focusing ‘people smuggling gangs’. This will involve the sharing of intelligence and data between the two countries. The total number of individuals who have lost their lives attempting to cross the Channel this year is 45, and asylum and refugee support organisations repeatedly call for a focus on establishing safe legal routes to end this danger. Amélie Moyart, of French charity Utopia 56 states that focusing on smuggling “will not stop the crossings because [individuals] do not have another solution. If the government wants to save lives they need to create safe routes for people to seek asylum – that is the only way to stop what is happening currently.”
The High Court has dismissed a legal challenge about the lack of legal aid for a young asylum seeker who recently turned 18 which would enable a legal representative to be funded to attend their asylum interview. This highlights the issue with access to justice for many migrants, asylum seekers and refugees who are unable to access legal support for their case.
A briefing observing Ukrainian migration to the UK highlights that most of those surveyed intend to stay in the UK long term, employment rates have increased, and a majority now pay for their own accommodation. The UK has the fourth highest number of arrivals among European countries at 4%, and Yorkshire and Humber has welcomed around 5% of the UK’s Ukrainian migrants. What a welcoming area!
The Home Secretary has asked the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) to review the financial requirements for family visas. The previous government had intended to increase the minimum income requirement to £38,700, an intense financial barrier. However, from October, bereaved partners on family visas will be able to apply for a waiver of the £2,885 settlement fee if they are facing destitution.
The government has published a new factsheet on eVisas, explaining the process Biometric Residents Permit (BRP) holders should use to create a UKVI account and access their eVisa. This also explains section 3C leave, which is temporary leave granted to someone whose visa has expired but is awaiting a decision on an extension application. Find this on the Home Office website or linked in the final page of this post.
The latest statement of changes to immigration rules contains a few provisions related to the EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS), including the upgrade of pre-settled to settled status without the need for further applications. Other changes include cancellation of pre-settled status for people who helped someone to obtain, or attempt to obtain, EUSS leave fraudulently, and tightening the rules for family members in relation to late applications.
The Home Office has increased the financial savings, or maintenance funds, required for international students applying to study in the UK. This has the potential of instilling a further financial barrier to accessing higher education in the UK, which may potentially see numbers of international students fall further.
A new report by the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman finds that the Windrush compensation scheme is wrongfully denying people recompense.
Home Office data has shown that 19 asylum seekers have been waiting for over 10 years for an application decision, with one person waiting for 16 years. Relating to this, councils have called for an extension of the 28-day move on period from asylum accommodation in a new survey. 89% of respondents reported increased homelessness in their local authority due to lack of central government support.
A new report by Rainbow Migration has critiqued the UK government’s assessment of Georgia as a ‘safe state’, raising concerns about the treatment of the LGBTQI+ community in that country, particularly in light of legislation approved in parliament this week which restricts LGBTQI+ rights further through banning Pride marches and censoring Queer films.
Organisations supporting seasonal workers in the agricultural sector have reported a 100% increase in dismissals compared to the same period last year. Farms must now guarantee at least 32 hours a week to migrant workers, which may have led to increased productivity targets. Relatedly, the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority is investigating recruitment processes at a farm in Hereford where five Indonesian workers were dismissed for failing to reach fruit picking targets.
Linked to this, a tribunal has ruled that an Indian nurse claiming unfair dismissal should be given backpay from the dismissal date, as well as a monthly payment, until the case concludes. The nurse paid a £22,000 fee to an agent in India, but upon arrival in the UK his employer sponsor failed to provide the promised work.
The Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration (ICIBI) has begun an inspection of the Home Office’s use of age assessments, calling for evidence from anyone with knowledge or experience of the process to inform the inspection.
Sources / Further Resources
Local Updates:
https://lassn.org.uk/lassn-is-now-a-cio-charitable-incorporated-organisation
National Updates:
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-investment-for-border-security-command
https://migrationobservatory.ox.ac.uk/resources/briefings/ukrainian-migration-to-the-uk
chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://www.rainbowmigration.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Georgia-commentary-online-version-1.pdf
https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/georgian-parliament-approves-law-curbing-lgbt-rights-2024-09-17
chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://www.migrationyorkshire.org.uk/node/1380/printable/pdf
