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
Communities Not Camps
The Government has announced plans to place around 900 people in total in Cameron Barracks in Inverness and in Crowborough training camp in East Sussex. They plan to operationalise the sites by the end of November as asylum accommodation, and have stated their use will be ‘temporary’. This announcement came a day after the Home Affairs Select Committee released the findings of its inquiry on asylum accommodation, which revealed that the financial costs of placing a person in the currently operational Wethersfield site (£132 a night) is over 5.5 times greater than that of dispersed accommodation in communities (£23.25).
Military sites are never safe places for those seeking sanctuary, and we will continue to campaign for all people to be housed in communities, not camps – read our opinion in the Big Issue here, and reaction from campaigners here and here.
TAKE ACTION:
- Write to your MP using our easy letter writing tool to ask them to speak out against these harmful and costly plans;
- Use these unbranded digital assets about the cost of cruelty to spread the word on socials alongside the hashtag #CommunitiesNotCamps – examples here and here.
Greater Manchester Asylum Hotels Group – statement
A group of people living in hotels in Greater Manchester have come together to issue this powerful statement to respond to the rise in protests and demonstrations outside asylum hotels, and to the misinformation they have seen. They said “We want to communicate with people in our new communities because we are aware that some people in the UK are not happy about there being asylum hotels in their area. The protests outside hotels make us feel unsafe – but we also know that the protestors do not speak for everyone in Britain.” The statement has obtained coverage on the BBC, ITV and in the Manchester Evening News. You can read it in full here.
Lift the Ban
There was a broad range of Peers who spoke up for working rights at the Report Stage debate of the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill in the House of Lords on the 5th November. Thank you to everyone who used Lift the Ban’s “lobby a Lord” action – it had a real impact. Some brilliant speeches in support of lifting the ban were delivered by the Lord Bishop of Manchester, Lord Barber of Ainsdale, Lord German, Lord Kerr of Kinlochard, Baroness Butler-Sloss, Baroness Ludford, Baroness O’Grady of Upper Holloway, Baroness Neuberger and Baroness Lister of Burtersett – following a similarly broad range of cross-party Lords speaking up at Committee Stage. Whilst the Government did not agree to lifting the ban, they pointed to an upcoming asylum policy statement (potentially before Christmas) that will set out reforms in this area. That’s why it’s more important than ever to keep the pressure up. The campaign to Lift the Ban is gaining parliamentary momentum. Keep an eye on Asylum Matters’ social media channels for an upcoming video summarising the debate and an action to lobby the new immigration minister.
#KnowTheirNames
On the final House of Lords Report Stage day on Tuesday the 11th November, Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb is bringing forward a crucial amendment 76 that would require the Government to report on the number of deaths both at the border and within the asylum system. Currently, there is no authoritative data on deaths. We know lives are being lost, but we don’t know how many. We know last year was the most fatal on record for Channel crossings and for deaths within the asylum system that we know about – but both counts are likely underestimates. The Fight for Asylum Rights campaign is working with Baroness Jones to demand the Government records and reports on this data so no asylum tragedy is ignored. As Nadia Whittome MP said when she originally brought this amendment to the Commons with a range of cross-party backers, “People are more than statistics, but right now, we don’t even have those.”
TAKE ACTION:
- Use these unbranded digital assets and suggested social media posts to put pressure on the Government to accept this vital amendment, alongside the hashtag #KnowTheirNames
Together Not Torn
Safe Passage have launched this action to write to the Home Secretary asking her to stop the suspension of family reunion. You can write using this tool, and share their posts on Bluesky / X / Instagram, LinkedIn and Facebook
Research lays bare costs of Afghan data leak
Research submitted to Parliament’s Defence Select Committee by Refugee Legal Support in partnership with academics from York and Lancaster universities has laid bare the devastating consequences of the Afghan data breach by the British Government, revealing renewed threats, violent assaults and the killing of family members after people’s data was exposed. More info here and coverage here and here
2. Government and Parliamentary updates
Home Affairs Committee inquiry on routes to settlement
This inquiry aims to evaluate the evidence for, and potential impact of, the Government’s planned changes for eligibility for Indefinite Leave to Remain. The Call for Evidence is here, the Committee is accepting evidence until 2 December 2025.
Home Affairs Committee Report on the Management of Asylum Accommodation
The report finds that flawed contract design and incompetent delivery left the Home Office unable to cope with demand for asylum accommodation, leading to a failed system which is expensive, unpopular with local communities and unsuitable for people seeking asylum. It finds that break clauses in the accommodation contracts and the end of the contracts in 2029 give an opportunity for reform, but past failures risk being repeated. Read out here, full report here, coverage here and here.
Children still missing after disappearing from Kent
The Guardian reports that more than 50 unaccompanied children are still missing after disappearing from the care of Kent County Council.
Windrush Commissioner calls for “stress testing” of any proposed changes to immigration policy
Reverend Clive Foster, Windrush Commissioner, has marked 100 days in office by drawing attention to the impact of current rhetoric and policy and a lack of justice and healing. Coverage here.
UK Government signs ‘migration agreement’ with Vietnam
Keir Starmer has signed an agreement with the general Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam aimed at accelerating removals. Meanwhile, leaders of Western Balkan nations met in London, with migration forming part of the agenda.
Report of ICIBI on General Maritime
A report of the previous Independent Chief Inspector on Borders and Immigration on General Maritime has been published. Government response here.
3. Reports and research
‘I returned to life’ – why refugee family reunion must be protected
This report from the British Red Cross is based on the testimonials of parents who have been separated from their children, husbands separated from their wives and children separated from siblings. It explores the journey to reunion for refugee families in the wake of the suspension of refugee family reunion. Summary here and full report here.
Changing the conversation on asylum housing
Freedom from Torture have created an accessible guide with information, facts and stories from torture survivors to help people change the conversation around accommodation. This accompanies a new report – A Place to Heal, which identifies solutions to ensure safe and dignified housing for victims of torture. Recommendations include ending the use of large sites and hotels, an end to room sharing, and speeding up grants of leave for manifestly well-founded asylum claims.
Research on ‘one-in, one out deal’
A summary report by Humans for Rights Network has found that the first group of people seeking asylum returned to France under the ‘one in, one out’ deal includes potential victims of modern slavery, people suffering severe depression and people with family in the UK. Coverage here.
Medical Justice Annual Review
Medical Justice have released their annual review into the state of healthcare and harm in UK immigration detention, highlighting how failures in clinical safeguards failed to prevent harm in immigration detention during 2024. Coverage here.
4. Resources, events, jobs and training
Events
- Justice Collaborations and Refugee Council are bringing together a Community of Practice focused on sharing knowledge and best practice around career progression for staff and volunteers with lived experience of forced migration. Their first meeting is 13 November 1300. You can register interest here (until 9 November) and sign up for the first session here
- The British Red Cross and ASAP are running a webinar for support workers on how to use the Home Office’s guidance on domestic abuse to support survivors in the asylum system. Register here
- Artists who are centre members at St Augustine’s Centre in Halifax will be showing their work at a residency ‘Of Earth and Memory’ at Everybody Arts in the town from 6-14 November – details here.
Jobs
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- Herts Welcomes Refugees are recruiting a Director, deadline 10 November.
- Calderdale Valley of Sanctuary are seeking a Director, deadline 12 November.
- Women for Refugee Women are looking for an Office Manager, deadline 13 November.
- ATLEU are recruiting a Participation Manager (Lived Experience), deadline 16 November.
- Growing Together Levenshulme are looking for a Support Manager to work at their therapeutic garden in Manchester. Deadline 21 November.
- Law Centre NI (Belfast) are looking for a Legal Officer (Immigration), and a caseworker (Immigration) deadline for both 24 November.
- ASAP are recruiting a Duty Scheme Legal Officer (maternity cover), deadline 23 November.
- ATLEU are looking for a Head of Operations, deadline 30 November.
- Boaz Trust (Manchester) are looking for an Empowerment and Inclusion Coordinator, deadline 7 December.
5. What we’re reading, watching and listening to
- This piece from our very own Dr Allan Njanji, on why refugee voices must be at the heart of media storytelling
- This piece from the Independent where people speak powerfully about what it’s like living in hotels
- This piece from Lord Kerr on the amendment on reuniting refugee families with their children tabled by Lord Dubs to the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill
- This article in CPAG Journal by Ilona Pinter, ‘Learning is an Essential Need’ looks at the reality for children and families living in deep poverty while receiving Home Office Asylum Support and its impact on children’s education
