Essex: council applies for injunction to stop asylum seekers being housed in hotel
Epping Forest District Council has applied for an interim High Court injunction to stop asylum seekers being housed at the Bell Hotel. In recent months hundreds of people have demonstrated outside the hotel,…
Channel migrants: ‘no specified number’ to be returned to France
Home secretary Yvette Cooper has confirmed there is 'no specified number' of migrants set to be returned under the UK-France 'one in, one out' agreement, now in effect. The scheme enables the UK…
France accused of encouraging people-smuggling
Fresh controversy has erupted after video footage emerged showing French border officers handing life jackets to migrants mid-Channel, fuelling claims that France is aiding illegal crossings rather than preventing them. The footage, captured…
Asylum applications: EU issues list of ‘safe’ countries
The EU has proposed a new list of seven ‘safe countries of origin’ - Kosovo, Bangladesh, Colombia, Egypt, India, Morocco, and Tunisia - to fast-track asylum applications from citizens of those nations. The…
Italy: controversial outsourcing to Albania delayed
Government-aligned Italian MEPs are defending a plan to detain migrant arrivals in Albania, despite NGOs calling it ‘cruel’. Two Italian-funded migrant reception centres in Albania, part of a five-year agreement, face delays and…
Migrants ‘unjustly maligned’: church leaders speak out as Rwanda bill passed
The Archbishops of Canterbury and York, along with other church leaders, have voiced strong concerns regarding the recently passed Safety of Rwanda Bill. This legislation, aimed at deporting some asylum seekers to Rwanda,…
Rwanda bill: Government suffers fresh defeats in Lords
The Government's Rwanda bill faced fresh setbacks in the House of Lords, with Labour-backed amendments passing despite previous reversals in the Commons. These amendments include exceptions for children and adherence to international law.…
Colombia / Panama: failure to protect migrants criticised
Human Rights Watch (HRW) has criticised Colombia and Panama for failing to protect migrants and asylum seekers crossing the perilous Darien Gap jungle route between the two countries. The report highlighted inadequate protection…
Asylum-seekers to be paid to move to Rwanda?
The Government is considering a proposal to offer up to £3,000 to failed asylum-seekers to relocate voluntarily to Rwanda. This plan, aimed at reducing the backlog of asylum applications, is separate from the…
Calls for more scrutiny on religious conversion by asylum-seekers
The Home Secretary is reviewing whether tighter scrutiny is needed for asylum seekers claiming conversion to Christianity. This follows the case of Abdul Ezedi, a 35-year-old Afghan asylum seeker and convicted sex offender,…
