We’re recruiting! We’re looking for a dynamic Campaigns and Policy Manager based in Yorkshire and Humber to join our small, committed team and help us achieve positive change. The successful candidate will have experience in developing impactful campaigns and analysing and influencing asylum policy. Find out more here, deadline 10am 20 July.
1. Advocacy and campaigning initiatives
2. Government and Parliamentary updates
3. Reports and research
4. Resources, events, jobs and training
5. What we’re reading, watching and listening to
1. Advocacy and campaigning initiatives
Fight For Asylum Rights: Sign the open letter to the incoming Prime Minister on the blueprint to fix the asylum system
The Fight for Asylum Rights Network is organising a sector-wide open letter to the incoming Prime Minister with a blueprint to fix the asylum system, based on the Fight for Asylum Rights pledge (formerly Fight the Anti-Refugee Laws pledge) and key top-line asks from the sector.
This follows the sector-wide ‘blueprint’ letter sent to the last Prime Minister upon their entry to Downing Street in 2024, signed by hundreds of organisations and individuals supporting people seeking asylum, that received national coverage.
This is a crucial moment, with a new Prime Minister potentially in office as soon as 17th July and new anti-refugee laws coming before Parliament, it’s vital the refugee, asylum, and wider migration sector delivers a clear message to the new Prime Minister on turning the page on hostile anti-refugee policies and rhetoric in favour of humane and common-sense changes to improve outcomes for people seeking sanctuary, integration and community cohesion.
We hope this letter will be signed by organisations and individuals who support people navigating the asylum system.
We will be looking to have this published in the media soon after the new Prime Minister is in place, so we ask you not to share this publicly on social media, websites, or with journalists. However, we would be grateful if you could share this letter with your networks (for example via email/message) as we hope to get as many signatures as possible.
- TAKE ACTION: Sign the open letter here and share it with your networks.
New asylum bill introduced – Immigration and Asylum Bill 2026
The Government has published its latest piece of asylum legislation, the Immigration and Asylum Bill 2026, which received its first reading on 30th June, with second reading scheduled for 13th July. The main proposals within the bill include:
- To create a new Independent Immigration Appeals Authority.
- To tighten the application of Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights.
- To reform the modern slavery legislative framework to set out the government’s obligations.
- To create new law enforcement measures to tackle exploitation and provide for the identification of and support for children.
- To replace asylum/refugee and humanitarian protection claims and grants of leave with a single ‘core protection’ model.
- To establish a mechanism to require people receiving asylum support to make a contribution payment once they are financially able to do so. This has been widely described as a “refugee tax” and has attracted significant media attention.
The House of Commons Library has produced a research briefing on the bill which can be found here and Free Movement have produced an explainer on the contents of the bill found here.
- TAKE ACTION: Use the JCWI tool to write to your MP and ask them to oppose the new bill.
Communities not Camps: three new harmful asylum camps announced
The Government has announced proposals to use more military sites to warehouse in which to place up to 3750 people in (Bicester in Oxfordshire, Barnham in Suffolk and Linton-on-Ouse in North Yorkshire), as well as to extend the use of and capacity of the existing camp at Wethersfield in Kent and the use of the Crowborough camp in East Sussex. Coverage here. These proposals have already been met by community opposition and protest. Our statement can be found here and there’s a shareable digital asset here about the cost of this cruelty (camps being five times more expensive than dignified accommodation within communities) with more to follow.
- TAKE ACTION: Use our easy-letter writing tool to write to your MP and ask them to demand that people seeking safety are housed in communities, not camps.
Lift the Ban: top-line briefing note on the right to work and proposed changes to asylum support
We have developed a top-line briefing note for sector partners on the right to work and proposed changes to asylum support, on behalf of the Lift the Ban coalition. The briefing note is intended to help organisations support people who are applying for permission to work based on what we know so far about the government’s proposed changes. We hope you will find it useful, and we would be grateful if you could share it with colleagues who may find it helpful.
Public consultation on the expansion of Campsfield IRC open until 24 July
In 2025, the government reopened Campsfield House, near Kidlington, as an immigration removal centre (IRC) for up to 160 men. Now the Home Office has applied to add a further 240 places, more than doubling its current size. In this blog Right to Remain explain what’s being proposed, how it’s being pushed through, and how it fits a wider drive towards more detention and removals. But the plans are not yet decided, and there is a way to be heard. A public consultation is open until 11:59pm on Friday 24 July 2026, through the Planning Inspectorate’s Crown Development portal, and anyone can submit a written representation. Find out more at the Coalition to Close Campsfield website.
- TAKE ACTION: use the Right to Remain detailed template to prepare your own submission to the consultation, or use the Coalition to Close Campsfield tool to submit a response in a few clicks.
2. Government and Parliamentary updates
UK-France ‘one-in, one-out’ deal reported to end in October
It has been reported that the controversial ‘one-in, one-out’ deal between the UK and France is due to end in October. Evidence gathered by Medical Justice has found that the scheme ‘knowingly harms and forcibly removes torture and trafficking survivors to France’.
Government’s forced family returns proposals condemned by children’s watchdog
The Children’s Commissioner for England, Rachel de Souza, has written to the Home Secretary to argue that the Home Office’s family returns plans will cause ‘significant harm’ to children, and could breach the Children’s Act 1989, which states children’s best interests should always be at the centre of decisions about their lives. De Souza’s submission to the Home Office’s recent consultation on these plans said proposals that continuing medical treatment should not be considered an obstacle to leaving were at odds with the best interests of children. She called for this to be reversed. She also said the Home Office should not act on proposals to permit immigration and detainee custody officers to use force against children. These plans have been described as a “sustained attack on children’s rights” by over 140 children’s charities, social workers, lawyers and migrants’ rights groups, in a recent letter to the Government.
Welsh Senedd votes 52-38 to reaffirm Wales’ ‘Nation of Sanctuary’ approach after Reform UK motion and debate
On 1 July, the Senedd debated a Reform UK motion calling for the Welsh Government to scrap its Nation of Sanctuary plan. At the close of the debate, the Senedd rejected Reform UK’s motion by 52 votes to 38. Members then approved an amendment reaffirming Wales’ commitment to being a Nation of Sanctuary by the same margin, recognising that immigration policy is reserved to Westminster, acknowledging Wales’ tradition of offering sanctuary to those fleeing persecution, and reaffirming support for integration and cohesive communities. You can watch or read the transcript of the Senedd Plenary Session debate here.
3. Reports and research
ICIBI report on asylum casework
The Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration has published a new damning report on asylum decision-making by the Home Office. The report heavily criticises the quality of asylum decision-making and the leadership of the asylum teams at the Home Office. You can read the report in full here and coverage here.
How ‘stopping the boats’ kills – ESRC Centre for Sociodigital Futures at the University of Bristol, and Border Forensics
How ‘stopping the boats’ kills presents findings from a year-long collaborative investigation by researchers at the ESRC Centre for Sociodigital Futures at the University of Bristol, and Border Forensics, an independent research agency based in Geneva, Switzerland. The report demonstrates how the UK government’s ‘Stop the Boats’ policies, and over £625 million given to the French to prevent departures, have directly contributed to a sharp rise in deaths of people attempting to cross the Channel in so-called small boats. Read the report here and the findings at a glance here.
NACCOM – Analysis of the Evaluation of the initiatives to enhance the move on process
Last month, the Home Office published the evaluation report of its pilot scheme to extend the move-on period for newly granted refugees, carried out by the National Centre for Social Research (NatCen) and Fortia Insight, which can be found here. NACCOM have now published an analysis of that report, which highlights the overwhelming support for permanently increasing the move-on period to at least 56 days, which can be found here.
4. Resources, events, jobs and training
Professor Sharon Wilson’s talk on Bibby Stockholm – 9 July
Professor Sharon Wilson from Northumbria University is joining Newcastle City of Sanctuary at Newcastle City Library to discuss her research into the Bibby Stockholm asylum barge, sharing her ideas and concepts around home-making and liminality. Date: 9 July. Time: 10am-12pm. Register here.
Webinar on how to talk about the weaponisation of violence against women and girls – 14 July
There is an upcoming webinar following on from our strategic resource “Not in Our Name: How to Talk About the Weaponisation of Violence Against Women and Girls” organised by End Violence Against Women, Southall Black Sisters, Hibiscus, Women for Refugee Women, Imkaan, Latin American Women’s Rights Service and Asylum Matters. Taking place at 1pm on 14 July online. Registration link here. At time of writing we are very close to full capacity (500 registrations), but the event will be recorded, and future such events may be organised.
Strengthening Cyber Resilience in the Charity Sector – 15 July
On Wednesday 15 July, 09.30-13.00, Swansea Stadium will host a free, interactive cyber event bringing together experts and charities to explore the practical, legal and regulatory implications of a cyber attack. Alongside panel discussions and practical advice, attendees will also discover the free tools and support available to help organisations strengthen their cyber resilience. To find out more or book your place, contact Daniel Thomas at [email protected].
Crossborder Forum learning session: disappearances in the Channel – 16 July
Crossborder Forum is organising an online learning session with French journalists Maia Courtois and Simon Mauvieux who have been looking at the topic of disappearances in the Channel. (Some of their English-language articles on The New Arab, Info Migrants, the Independent & Info Migrants again). They will discuss the research they’ve been doing on this topic and then there will be time for discussion and exchange. Date: 16 July. Time: 13.00pm. Email [email protected] to register interest.
Right to Remain workshops in July
- 16 July – Intro to the Right to Remain Toolkit, 11am – 12:30pm. Register here. These sessions are designed to give you and your group confidence in using the Toolkit and to pass that knowledge on to others you support in an empowering way. R2R will take you through definitions, how to use the search function, and key tips for sharing. They will also look at the difference between providing legal support and legal advice.
- 21 July – Knowledge is Power; evidence, 10am – 1pm. Register here. Now, more than ever, we need to take action as communities to support each other and prepare for an increasingly hostile immigration system. Understanding evidence can help someone to establish their right to remain in the UK, and having good evidence early on in a case can make a big difference. This session will help you gain important and useful knowledge to navigate this complex system and provide legal support to others.
Casework Solidarity Forum – 29 July
Join HMSC for a day of collective problem-solving, strategy sharing, and solidarity building with others on the frontline of migrant support. This year’s sessions include topics like earned settlement, the legal aid crisis and how we connect what we see every day in casework to campaigns. Date: 29 July. Time: 9am-4.30pm. Location: Grassroots Resource Centre. Register here.
Free webinar on interview skills and wellbeing through the job search – Experts by Experience Employment Initiative – 12 August
Registration is now open for the second webinar in EBEEI’s Pathways to Leadership series – ‘Interview Skills & Wellbeing Through the Job Search’. This webinar will help refugees and migrants build the confidence, interview skills, and resilience needed to succeed throughout the recruitment process. Participants will learn how interviews in the charity sector differ from those in other sectors, how to answer interview questions confidently using the STAR method, and how to protect their wellbeing while navigating the ups and downs of job searching. Date: Wednesday 12 August 2026. Time: 12.00pm – 13.00pm. Format: Online. Register here.
Scottish Refugee Council free online training sessions in August
Scottish Refugee Council are delivering a series of free online taster training sessions this August! All are welcome to join, not just those based in Scotland – colleagues across the UK are welcome. Register here for any and all of the sessions below:
- Introduction to Refugees: Asylum and Resettlement – taster session.
Tuesday 11th August, 11am – 12pm on Zoom
This introductory session explores the key concepts around asylum and resettlement. You’ll learn about important definitions, rights and entitlements, and routes that people take to seek safety in the UK.
- Introduction to Working with Interpreters – taster session.
Thursday 13th August, 10 – 11am on Zoom
This practical session introduces core principles for communicating effectively through spoken language interpreters. You’ll take part in group activities and reflect on challenges that can arise when working with interpreters.
- After an asylum decision: positive and negative decisions – taster session. Thursday 18th August, 11am – 12pm on Zoom
This new session looks at what happens after an asylum decision. We’ll explore how rights and entitlements change following a positive or negative decision, and next steps for those who receive a refusal. Note: this session does not cover the asylum process itself. If you are unfamiliar with the process, please consider attending the Introduction to Refugees: Asylum and Resettlement session first.
Jobs:
- Praxis are looking for a Media Coordinator. Deadline for applications is 14 July 2026
- Good Chance Theatre are looking for a facilitator to join the team of their next ‘Hope Show’ in London (a queer cabaret co-created with LGBTQIA+ people from refugee and asylum seeking backgrounds). Deadline for applications is 19 July 2026
- JCWI are looking for a freelance talented content creator for a short-term project on countering misinformation, racism and hate online. To apply: Send a quote, CV and some examples of your work to [email protected]. Rolling deadline.
- LAWRS are looking for a Head of Policy and Public Affairs (maternity cover). Deadline 26 July 2026
- Unison are looking for an Immigration Solicitor. Deadline 24 July 2026.
- Liberty are looking for a Policy & Campaigns Officer, deadline 15 July 2026, and new Trustees to join their board, deadline 10 July 2026.
- Swansea Council are looking for a Resettlement Programmes Support Officer. Deadline 16 July 2026.
5. What we’re reading, watching and listening to
