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
We want to open by acknowledging last week’s election results across England, Wales and Scotland, and the aspects of them that were deeply worrying to all of us who believe in Sanctuary and our country’s diversity. Those concerning results weren’t last week’s only story, nor were they only a story of last week, but the fear many of us are feeling must be acknowledged.
We’ll keep going, and we know our incredible grassroots partners all across the UK will too, to keep making sure that councils and all members of devolved Governments do their jobs: improving life for all their residents, regardless of their background or who they voted for.
We know that many of the more headline-grabbing anti-migrant schemes announced by some over recent weeks are, thankfully, practically impossible to deliver: designed to shock and court attention, not to actually improve lives for anyone.
And we know that what most people want is real action that improves their daily lives – showboating, scapegoating and inflaming community tensions isn’t the leadership our country needs.
And here’s the most important thing we’re remembering: throughout our towns, cities and villages, in every community, in every neighbourhood we see people leading with kindness, thriving in diversity.
Below are just a few of the things we can do right now to use that incredible community power.
1. Advocacy and campaigning initiatives
Family Returns Consultation guide
On 5 March 2026, the Home Office released a consultation entitled Family Returns: Reforming Asylum Support and Enforcing Family Returns. Here is the Government’s consultation document. These are deeply concerning proposals which would do significant harm to children, families, adults and care leavers. They seek to remove local authority’s ability to support families and young people, and risk exposing children and adults to homelessness. They restrict access to asylum support for people who have been refused asylum and reduce the right to appeal refusals of support. They also pave the way for children to be handcuffed and removed by immigration enforcement.
Along with ASAP we have created a question by question guide to Part 1 of the consultation, which relates to the removal of support and accommodation from people who are refused asylum.
The guide is here. This gives you an explanation of the questions and suggested answers to the online form. You can also email a response; information on that is in the guide, along with links to other guides and briefings from sector partners.
Part 2 of the consultation relates to the use of force during enforced removals. We felt it was impossible to answer the questions in Part 2 without legitimising the process. We have therefore published a statement and emailed it to the consultation team. The statement is here with information on how you can send in something similar. The deadline for submission to the consultation is May 28th.
Lift the Ban
Our visit to the House of Lords last month with a campaigners from across the country is still fresh in our minds, and we’re sharing the voices of some of these incredible campaigners in a series of videos, letting the wider public know that it’s time to lift the ban on work, once and for all.
You can find and share the first video on Facebook, TikTok and Bluesky – shares, likes and positive comments are all hugely appreciated.
Take action against inhumane deportations
JCWI have developed a campaign action you can take to urge airline companies to not facilitate inhumane deportations. Use the easy letter-writing tool to write to the CEOs of five major airlines and urge them to stop being complicit in cruel, racist and violent deportations.
Tell your MP to hear survivors
After Exploitation has joined with a range of NGOs to launch the ‘Hear Suvivors, Support Surivors’ campaign. The coalition is calling for a UK which hears and supports survivors of trafficking, exploitation and modern slavery. Coverage here. You can take action today by using this easy letter-writing tool to tell your MP to hear survivors and ensure they have the support they need. Organisations can also sign the pledge here and share social media graphics here, here and here.
Sign the joint civil society letter on the ICESCR
Join Just Fair in marking the 50th anniversary of the UK ratifying the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR). They are coordinating a campaign week (18–22 May) to highlight the gap between these commitments and people’s lived reality today, and to build momentum for stronger protection of economic, social and cultural rights in UK law.
Take action by signing the joint civil society letter to the Secretary of State for Justice, calling on the UK Government to use this anniversary to commit to greater incorporation of these rights into domestic law and policy. The deadline for signatures is 5pm on Friday 15th May.
2. Government and Parliamentary updates
Supreme Court Ruling on “Implicit Withdrawals” and Asylum Support
The Supreme Court refused the Home Office permission to appeal a landmark ruling regarding the Asylum Support Tribunal’s (AST) jurisdiction. This means the AST retains the power to decide if a claim was unlawfully treated as “withdrawn” by the Home Office, protecting vulnerable individuals from having their support wrongly terminated.
Consultation Deadline: All-Party Parliamentary Groups (APPG) Call for Evidence
The APPGs on Migration and Poverty are currently running a call for evidence regarding the impact of recent settlement and asylum support policies, with a new deadline of Wednesday, 13 May. This is a critical opportunity for organizations to share data on how the “core protection” model and extended settlement routes are affecting communities.
Ongoing Consultation on Family Returns and Care Leaver Support
The government’s consultation on family returns, which includes proposals to remove support from certain care leavers based on immigration status, remains open until 28 May. Sector leaders are being encouraged to respond to these plans, which many fear will undermine the local authority duties established under the Children Act.
Sudanese Asylum Seekers Challenge Home Office
The UK Government is facing a legal challenge from two Sudanese asylum seekers over proposed changes that would reduce refugee leave to remain from five years to 30 months and extend the route to settlement to 20 years. Critics, including the UNHCR, argue the plans risk increasing insecurity, poverty, and barriers to integration for refugees already rebuilding their lives in the UK.
Medical Justice: Planned changes to ‘Adults at Risk’ policy
In a letter in March to the Home Affairs Select Committee, the Government set out plans for changing its ‘Adults at Risk in Immigration Detention policy ’. In this piece, Medical Justice set out that the proposed changes – including greatly restricting the circumstances in which a ‘Rule 35’ report is compiled by medical practitioners to flag vulnerabilities of people in Immigration Removal Centres, will further weaken an already failing system, and leave those at risk of harm being left to deteriorate even further. Further analysis here.
Report of Independent Anti Slavery Commissioner: Anticipating Exploitation, A Futures Based Analysis
This report by the Independent Anti Slavery Commissioner presents an assessment of the different critical threats which are expected to impact on Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking in the UK through to 2036, and puts forward a five point plan for anticipating exploitation and acting now.
3. Reports and research
Refugee Council: The Impact of the 2026 Home Office “Move-On” Policy
A new briefing from the Refugee Council highlights that the accelerated 28-day move-on period continues to drive high rates of homelessness among newly recognized refugees. The report calls for an extension to at least 56 days to align with local authority duties under the Homelessness Reduction Act.
IPPR report: Local perspectives on asylum accommodation and community cohesion
A new report by the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) shows that reactions to asylum accommodation vary widely across the country, shaped by everyday pressures like housing, the cost of living, and trust in local services. It highlights that when communities are listened to, given clear information, and supported to engage, there is real potential for understanding and cohesion to grow.
Council of Europe report: human trafficking in the UK
The Council of Europe’s GRETA (Group of Experts on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings) have published their latest evaluation report concerning the UK, which highlights a rise in UK trafficking victims and migrant vulnerabilities. It also finds that the ban on work faced by people seeking asylum “increases the risk that they will accept jobs in the informal economy or in exploitative conditions in order to meet their basic needs”. Full report here and coverage here.
House of Commons Library briefing – asylum seekers: the permission to work policy
A recent House of Commons Library briefing has been produced on the permission to work policy for people seeking asylum, which can be found here.
House of Commons Library briefing – safe and legal humanitarian routes to the UK
A recent House of Commons Library briefing has been produced on the ‘safe and legal’ humanitarian routes to the UK, which can be found here.
4. Resources, events, jobs and training
Gathering Fragments and Tracing Threads: A Workshop
22nd of May, 5-7 pm, at Rich Mix (35-47 Bethnal Green Road, E1 6LA)
We are excited to announce this special event and art-making experience led by artist Meera Shakti Osborne. We will explore the exhibition Fragments of Existence: Testimonies of life with no recourse to public funds (NRPF), celebrate its contributors, and create a collective sculptural artwork shaped by who we are and our connections to each other. Attendance is free, but registration is essential. Register here.
Knowledge is Power: Right to Remain Asylum System Workshop
Join Right to Remain on Thursday, 4 June, for their “Knowledge is Power” workshop, a comprehensive guide to navigating the asylum system using their expert Toolkit and legal resources. This interactive session will clarify the vital distinction between legal advice and support while providing practical steps for every stage of the process; register here to secure your place. Right to Remain also have Toolkit Flyers available here as well as ‘Staying safe from the far-right, and Detention’ fact-sheets available here that can be posted to your organisations free of charge.
Connecting the Sector 2026: Supporting Young Displaced People and Identity
Migrant Help UK is hosting the 2nd event in its ‘Connecting the Sector’ series on 23 June in Birmingham, focusing on how to support young and displaced people as they navigate cultural and individual identity. This collaborative session timed to coincide with Pride Month and Refugee Week, offers grassroots organisations space to share best practice, and explore identity through the arts. You can book your place here.
We RISE Together: new NI hate crime monitoring tool
A new tool has been launched by Participation and the Practice of Rights (PPR) and Rabble Coop to monitor racially motivated hate crime across the north of Ireland. Developed in collaboration with people who have had experience of racist violence, the RISE tool aims to start to measure and analyse the data already obtained about racist crimes, to tackle the crisis of organised racist violence. The tool can be found here.
Jobs:
- Women for Refugee Women are looking for a Referrals Coordinator. Application deadline: 24 May 2026, 11:59pm
- Refugee & Migrant Justice (previously known as RAMFEL) are looking for an Immigration Advisor. Application deadline: 31 May 2026 at 23:30
- The Refugee Council is looking for an IUSS Children’s Adviser. Closing date: 24 May 2026 at 23:30
- Manuel Bravo Project is recruiting for a Senior Immigration Caseworker/Solicitor. Deadline 25th May 2026 at 11:59pm.
- Refugees at Home is recruiting a Chair of Trustees. Deadline 31st July 2026.
- Screen Share is recruiting a Director of Income. Deadline 22nd May 2026.
5. What we’re reading, watching and listening to
- The Power of Life Stories – this article shows how telling our stories is powerful and ensures how migrants voices are heard.
- Undocumented Migrants and legal aid – this article focuses on the complexities of red tape making it finding a lawyer almost impossible for asylum seekers.
- In this episode of the Decolonise How? podcast, journalists discuss why we need to stop “parachuting” outsiders into crisis zones and start trusting local reporters as the true experts they are.
