Migration news roundup 9 October 2023

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

Stories that inspired us this week

Surraya Bibi won the ‘Together Award’ in the BBC Radio Leeds' Make A Difference Awards for her work with migrants and refugees in Calderdale through Halifax Opportunities Trust. Meanwhile in York, Emma Greenall was named a Public Sector Hero in the Community Pride Awards for supporting refugees with housing and resettlement. (Sources: BBC News, York Press)

The Intercultured Festival in Bradford, starting 18 October, will celebrate the multilayers of cultures and communities that make up the city through workshops, events, film screenings, exhibitions and more. (Source: Intercultured Festival)

International news

The UN Migration Chief Officer Amy Pope, says private sector, particularly in Europe and North America, needs migration in order to address labour market shortages. (Source: AP News)

In South America, thousands of people are trying to cross the US-Mexico border. This photo gallery provides a glimpse of the perilous but hopeful journeys undertaken by people. (Sources: AP News, Aljazeera).

UK borders and migration policy

The Home Secretary gave a controversial speech at the Conservative party conference, warning of a ‘hurricane’ of mass migration. Her speech has been compared to Enoch Powell’s ‘rivers of blood speech’. Earlier in the week it had been revealed that she had also refused to meet with the leader of the Church of England over concerns about negative rhetoric around asylum and immigration. (Sources: the Guardian, BBC News, Independent)

The Illegal Migration Act is set to face a legal challenge on the grounds it breaches the post-Brexit trade deal for Northern Ireland, the Windsor Agreement, which protects human rights provisions from the Good Friday Agreement. (Source: BBC News)

A new inspection report on Yarlswood Immigration Removal Centre, has found instances of sexual and physical abuse of migrants held at the facility, and calls for ‘rapid action’ to improve conditions. (Sources: Justice Inspectorates, Independent)

On Rwanda, members of the Public Accounts Committee found that the Home Secretary was unwilling to reveal ‘commercially sensitive’ details of the Rwanda agreement to MPs. The Rwanda scheme will be examined in the Supreme Court this week, after the government appealed against the Court of Appeal’s ruling in June that the scheme was unlawful. (Sources: Civil Service World, Reuters)

The Refugee Council has published an updated report on Channel Crossings, revealing that around 74% of those crossing the Channel would go on to acquire refugee status. However, provisions in the Illegal Migration Act could see up to 27,000 refugees denied status every year. Press reports also reveal rising numbers of Channel Crossings as the yearly figure of arrivals is set to pass 25,000. (Sources: Refugee Council, BBC News)

This week there’s several items on visas and immigration including:

• A new parliamentary briefing on visas for social care workers. (Source: House of Commons Library)
• New visas fees came into effect from 4 October. More analysis on the visa fees is available. (Sources: Home Office, Onmanorama)
• A new briefing from Migration Observatory on work visas and migrant workers. (Source: Migration Observatory)

In other news, the Migration Advisory Committee has recommended that the shortage occupation list is scrapped and that people seeking asylum with permission to work should be able to work in any role. (Source: Free Movement)

Specific migrant groups

Over 50,000 refugees could be at risk of homelessness by the end of the year as Home Office attempts to clear the backlog of asylum claims. This interactive map from the Red Cross shows housing pressures and asylum support figures per local authority nationally. (Sources: the Guardian, British Red Cross)

On children and young people, Kent County Council has begun looking for appropriate premises to temporarily house unaccompanied children seeking asylum, under the age of 16. This is to comply with their statutory duty to care for unaccompanied children arriving in the UK, the majority of whom enter the country in Kent. (Source: BBC News)

Cohesion and integration

New research from King’s College London aims to inform policy through better understanding the role of ‘place’ in refugee mental health. (Source: King’s College London)

This article looks at the challenges faced by young people seeking asylum and refugees in accessing college education and courses, including the high demand for ESOL courses, lack of funding, and personal traumas. (Source: FE Week)