Migration news roundup 15 August 2022

• 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

A Ukrainian entrepreneur who has settled to Yorkshire has set up vodka and sunflower oil businesses. (Source: Yorkshire Post)

A young person from Afghanistan who impressed Freddie Flintoff with his cricket skills in a recent BBC series has been granted asylum and now wants to play for England. (Source: the Guardian)

Brighouse Jigsaw Festival takes place 26 to 29 August to raise money for disadvantaged children and young people in Calderdale and surrounding areas. Over the last two years their online jigsaw shop has raised over £20,000, including £3,000 to support refugee children and young people from Ukraine. (Source: Halifax Courier)

International news

There has been news coverage of alleged mistreatment of migrants in Europe:

• The Greek government denies involvement in the pushback of 38,000 migrants by authorities over the last three years. (Source: Aegean Boat Report)
• Roma refugees fleeing Ukraine are suffering discrimination and prejudice in the Czech Republic when compared to ethnic Ukrainians. (Source: NewsChannel 21)
• Human Rights Watch has urged the EU not to let Croatia join the Schengen Area over its mistreatment of migrants. (Source: Schengen Visa Info)
• Médecins Sans Frontières’ (MSF) patients are reporting incidences of violence by authorities at the Hungary-Serbia border. (Source: MSF)

Human rights groups say thousands of Afghans who worked for the UK remain in Afghanistan and at risk from the Taliban a year after the fall of Kabul. (Source: the Guardian)

UK borders and migration policy

Plans to open an accommodation centre for asylum seekers at Linton on Ouse were discarded after the Ministry of Defence confirmed it withdrew its offer to the Home Office, explaining it has obligations to do something with the site and noting it has previously proposed alternative sites to the Home Office. (Source: Yorkshire Post)

On Channel crossings:

• There are continued reports of high numbers of people arriving via small boats. (Source: BBC)
• A leaked military intelligence report suggests a growing number of people arriving on small boats are Albanian. By citing lack of war or famine in Albania as a reason to doubt people’s sincerity in seeking asylum, the Daily Mail article demonstrates a fundamental misunderstanding of asylum and persecution in the context of the UN Refugee Convention. (Source: Daily Mail)
• More than 13,000 people have crossed the Channel in small boats since the announcement of the Rwanda scheme, suggesting that so far it has done little to deter migrants from making the dangerous journey. (Source: Sky News)

A legal analysis of the Home Office’s recent policy paper on legal migration and border control gives updates on various developments involved in digitalisation of the immigration system, including replacing Biometric Residence Permit cards with eVisas. (Sources: Free Movement, Home Office)

Foreign national offenders might be required to scan their faces five times a day using smartwatches, as an alternative to an ankle tag. (Source: the Guardian)

This article highlights the problem of unregulated immigration advisers giving fraudulent advice to vulnerable migrants. It suggests the Office of Immigration Services Commissioner is underfunded and unable to tackle the issue. (Source: Open Democracy)

Specific migrant groups

A survey reveals that around a quarter of sponsors on the Homes for Ukraine scheme say they will not renew their sponsorship after six months, in part due to the rising cost of living and inadequate support package available to hosts. (Source: BBC)

This government article describes how international students access UK Universities and notes the diversity and cultural exchange they bring as well as the contribution they make to the UK economy. (Source: Department for Education)

On EU nationals, this story spotlights the case of a Spanish born 45-year-old woman who has lived in the UK since she was a baby, struggling to secure her status under EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS) due to difficulties in obtaining ID proving she has EU nationality. Meanwhile, another report focuses on sham marriages for the purpose of obtaining status under the EUSS. (Sources: the Guardian, BBC)

A new national helpline called ‘On Your Side’ was launched for east and south-east Asian victims of hate crime using a grant from the Hong Kong Welcome Programme. (Source: the Guardian)

Cohesion and integration

August 2022 marks 50 years since 27,000 Ugandan Asians were expelled by Dictator Idi Amin and were offered refuge in the UK; this article reflects on two stories from that time. (Source: Mirror)

Watch this 55 minute episode of Countryfile to find out about the multi-cultural history of Hadrian’s Wall, including Syrian archers and Iraqi bargemen on the Tyne who defended it. (Source: BBC iPlayer)