Migration news roundup 8 August 2022

• Stories that inspired us this week
• UK borders and migration policy
• Specific migrant groups
• International news
• Cohesion and integration

Stories that inspired us this week

Ammar Jokhadar, a Syrian refugee who arrived in Ryedale five years ago, has set up his own tailoring business in Norton. (Source: York Mix)

Experiences of migration is one of this year’s key themes at the Edinburgh Fringe festival which kicked off last weekend. (Source: Beyond Joke)

UK borders and migration policy

On the Rwanda policy:

• There will be no removals to Rwanda at least until late autumn after the European Court of Human Rights rejected the government’s appeal to unblock the injunction that prevented removals taking place in June. The injunction remains in place until the outcome of the case due at the High Court starting on 5 September that will look at the lawfulness of the policy.
• Concerns over the scheme’s lawfulness continue to be raised by the Joint Committee on Human Rights.
• Meanwhile, Liz Truss has indicated she would seek to expand on the UK-Rwanda partnership by facilitating partnerships with more countries to act as offshoring locations, should she be elected as Prime Minister.

(Sources: Daily Mail, Parliament, Right to Remain, Sky)

Arrivals via small boats continue to break records with nearly 700 people crossing the Channel in one day last week, the highest total in 2022. (Source: Independent)

There’s been media coverage of immigration problems experienced by athletes at the Commonwealth games in Birmingham. Some Gambian sprinters missed the competition as a result of visa delays. (Source: BBC)

This legal article explains the impact of the Bill of Rights on immigration cases. Much focus is on how the Bill will seek to facilitate removals previously blocked on the grounds of family and private life, but the author is sceptical about whether or not that was ever really an issue. (Source: Free Movement)

Yearly account reports show that in the last financial year the Home Office paid out over £40 million in compensation (including Windrush and people wrongfully detained) and nearly £30 million on legal costs for cases it lost. (Source: the Guardian)

Specific migrant groups

Lord Harrington, the Minister for Refugees called on councils to do more to help accommodate Afghan refugees. Over 10,000 resettled Afghans are currently accommodation in hotels whilst awaiting social housing, including in Yorkshire and Humber, while more are expected to be resettled to the UK in coming months. Some Afghan families have been separated due to a shortage of hotel spaces, following the cancellation of hotel contracts and the inability to find long-term accommodation for them. (Sources: BBC, Arab News)

This article explores how differing schemes result in differential treatment of refugees, highlighting the differences between the Ukraine and Afghan schemes. (Source: BBC)

Charities and local groups organising matches between hosts and Ukrainian guests warn they face a shortage of hosts, despite many people registering with the official Homes for Ukraine scheme. (Source: Politics Home)

On modern slavery, two groups have been highlighted recently as particularly vulnerable:

• People in the asylum system are at risk of modern slavery, according to a report from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the British Red Cross; they recommend some ways in which to reduce that risk.
• Research conducted by peer researchers highlights the vulnerability of migrant live-in care workers to modern slavery.

(Sources: UNHCR, FLEX)

International news

The European Commission has allocated €171 million for EU projects in order to support reception, asylum, and return systems in Cyprus, Spain, Greece, Italy and Poland. In Italy, a new shelter for migrants opened on the Sicilian island of Pantelleria which will be coordinating the transfer of migrants from Tunisia to other parts of Italy. (Sources: Ansa, Infomigrants)

Outside of Europe, the US state of Texas controversially has begun sending buses of asylum seekers from Central America to Washington DC and New York City. The Republican Texan governor is seeking to make a political point about border towns’ capacity to shelter migrants. (Source: Reuters)

Cohesion and integration

Leicester has been running events to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the arrival of Ugandan Asian refugees to their city: three plays have told the stories of local families who arrived in Leicester alongside an ongoing exhibition at Leicester Museum and Art Gallery following the stories of those fleeing Uganda and exploring their impact on the culture and history of the city. (Sources: BBC, Leicester Museums and Galleries)

For those still coming down from the victory at the Women’s Euros 2022, check out this story on Changing Lives FC, an Essex football team comprised entirely of refugees and migrants. The club was founded with the goal providing a supportive community for its members and to change narratives around refugees and asylum seekers, as well as to win games. (Source: the Guardian)