Migration news roundup 21 August 2023

People seeking asylum housed in Lambeth, London, are now eligible for 12 months free off-peak access to ‘Active Lambeth’ leisure facilities. Councillor Donna Harris said: ‘the asylum seekers I have met say their mental and physical health is in the gutter. … Providing free access to leisure centres to keep them fit and healthy is a small but significant step.’ (Source: BrixtonBuzz)

Also in London, kites were flown in a park on 15 August to show solidarity with the people of Afghanistan on the second anniversary of the Taliban takeover of Kabul. (Source: Independent)

The UCI Cycling World Championships featured a refugee team for the first time this year in Glasgow including Amir Arslan Ansari who fled Afghanistan when he was 16 and is now based in Sweden. (Source: STV)

Poland’s ruling party began a campaign this week leading up to elections in October when it will also hold a referendum that includes an anti-immigration question. (Source: InfoMigrants)

Following reports of Poland increasing its military presence at the border with Belarus, Latvia is now doing likewise, recalling border guards from leave and bringing in armed forces to reduce attempted border crossings. (Source: Al Jazeera)

Several outlets reported that newly granted refugees are receiving a shorter notice period than usual to leave supported asylum accommodation. This appears to be a change in the implementation of existing policy although there’s no official information available at the time of writing, with slightly differing media interpretations of what’s happening. (Sources: the Guardian, Evening Standard)

Chair of the Bar Council, Nick Vineall KC, criticised the Conservative party for its attacks on ‘lefty lawyers’, highlighting the case of Jacqueline McKenzie who has received threatening messages after being identified in an anti-Labour dossier. (Source: the Guardian)

There are a few modern slavery stories this week:

Statistics from the system for identifying and supporting modern slavery survivors, the National Referral Mechanism (NRM), have been released for the second quarter of 2023. They show a fall in the number of referrals to 3,998, the lowest number since the first quarter of 2022. Albania remains the top nationality, followed by the UK. The proportion of positive ‘reasonable grounds’ decisions has fallen for the second consecutive quarter, from 58% the previous quarter to 48%, having stood at 85% in the final quarter of 2022 before provisions from the Nationality and Borders Act came into force in January. (Source: Home Office)

Here’s a look at the impact of ‘small boats week’ and the Bibby Stockholm accommodation on the far-right, on asylum seekers and on communities. (Source: Hope Not Hate)

Last updated:

21st August 2023