Latest refugee and asylum report
November 2026
The Immigration and Asylum Bill is now at the report stage prior to going to the Lords. Most attention has been focused on the extension of the time allotted to migrants seeking the legal right to remain. Although for some cases, the time has been reduced, it would still be possible for so-called illegal immigrants to have to wait up to 30 years to be settled.
The UN High Commissioner for Refugees is among those expressing concern. The Government’s proposed “safe and legal routes” are due to start next year. Home Office Minister for Border Security and Asylum, Anna Turley, told the House of Commons last week that the new routes will initially operate from seven countries — India, Bangladesh, Egypt, Kenya, Malaysia, Pakistan and Uganda. To be eligible, refugees will need to be outside their country of nationality and to have been present and registered with relevant authorities or the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in one of these countries before October 1 this year.
Also, the Home Office have announced that applications have opened for charities seeking to become lead sponsors under the ‘safe and legal’ heading.
In Parliament, the House of Lords Secondary Legislation Scrutiny Committee welcomed a commitment by the Home Office to notify Parliament whenever changes to immigration policy are made through ‘published concessions’ outside the Immigration Rules. Last month, the Committee raised concerns over the Home Secretary’s wide-ranging power to change the Immigration Rules without parliamentary approval or formal notification to Parliament.
Interestingly, the Government held consultations with various bodies and individuals before finalising their bill. It has been revealed that 84% of individuals and 79% of organisations were opposed.
Family reunion
The other major area of concern is the reunion of divided families. The right was suspended in 2025 with the intention of returning to the old system in Spring 2026, but the Home Secretary said in May that it would continue. Safe Passage are litigating the matter.
There has been over the years much noise about Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights giving consideration to the “right to a family life” proportionately to the argument for deportment, but the Court has said that no weight is given to this aspect in its decisions.
Falling numbers
As the total number of immigrants continues to fall, so do the number of asylum seekers. Net migration is now at its lowest for 30 years. Madeleine Sumption of the Migration Observatory has noted that high periods of immigration are followed by low ones as most people will leave within 5 years of arriving (this of course is not just refugees but people on work visas).
Wider issues
On the wider front, in Europe the main crisis point is in the Mediterranean, where this year has been the most violent since 2016, with several drownings off Greece, and most brutality carried out by the Libyan “coastguard” (a body trained and equipped by the EU).
There has also been a surge in arrivals on the Canaries (believed to be because of Spain’s more liberal attitude, but this is likely to change following the upcoming election).
Also following elections, in the United States, ICE’s activities have resulted in 91,000 habeas corpus petitions (and a lot of rearrests).
In Syria, many refugees have returned, but the number is dropping. 1.7 million have returned and 2.2 million are no longer internally displaced, but 3.7 million are still outside the country. It is said that the number being urged to return is greater than the country’s ability to absorb them.
COP31, now in session, will be discussing, among other things, the question of “climate mobility”, that is the issue of climate change making it impossible to survive in parts of the world and the impact this will have on migration.
The theme for next year’s Refugee Week will be Solidarities.
AH
Image: AI
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