The Brownfield Land Release Fund
To what extent does this early initiative of the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities deliver on the ‘levelling up’ agenda? Lawrence Turner reports.
Mayor of London pledges to resist rough sleeping Immigration Rules
09/08/2021 Over 80 organisations have pledged to stand against rough sleeping Immigration Rules which make rough sleeping grounds for refusing a person’s leave to remain. |
Homelessness charity calls for Home Office rules to be scrapped
21/04/2021 Home Office rules ‘undermine’ efforts to end rough sleeping and should be ‘scrapped immediately,’ a charity has said. |
£31m Hong Kong integration fund launched
08/04/2021 Funding of £30.7m will be provided to councils to support new arrivals from Hong Kong. |
Landmark judgement brings rough sleeping clarity
11/03/2021 Councils have the legal powers to help people with no recourse to public funds (NRPF) who are sleeping rough during the pandemic after a landmark judgement. |
London council rejects ‘cruel’ new immigration rules
10/12/2020 Lewisham Council has hit out at ‘draconian’ new immigration rules that make sleeping rough a legal ground to cancel or refuse permission to stay in the UK. |
Carers added to list of occupations hit by migration restrictions
30/09/2020 Senior care workers should be added to a list of occupations which will be able to employ migrants to make up for labour shortages once freedom of movement ends, an advisory committee says. |
Kent reaches capacity to safely care for migrant children
18/08/2020 Kent County Council has warned it has reached its capacity to safely care for any more unaccompanied asylum-seeking children. |
Calls to extend free school meals to children from migrant families
17/08/2020 Pupils from low-income migrant families should receive free school meals to prevent thousands of children from going hungry, 60 organisations have said. |
Immigration plans branded an 'embarrassing shambles'
14/07/2020 The Government’s latest plans for post-Brexit immigration rules have been branded an ‘embarrassing shambles’ after they failed to include care workers. |
Councils call for suspension of No Recourse to Public Funds
12/06/2020 Council leaders have called on the Government to ensure vulnerable people can access support regardless of their immigration status during the pandemic. |
Migrant women left unsupported during crisis, report warns
05/05/2020 Migrant women are at risk of being left without support during the Covid-19 crisis due to ‘hostile’ immigration rules, a new report has warned. |
Call for lifting of immigration rules
20/04/2020 Council leaders in England, Scotland and Wales have called for a temporary lifting of the immigration rules that stop some migrants accessing public funds. |
Home Office extends funding for EU Settlement Scheme
09/03/2020 Local authorities will be allowed to bid for a share of £8m to help vulnerable people apply to the EU Settlement Scheme. |
Experts decry ‘lack of consideration’ given to social care in immigration reform
19/02/2020 Local authority leaders and health care experts have warned that the Government’s introduction of a points-based immigration system could be detrimental to an already struggling social care system. |
Children’s personal data ‘secretly’ passed to Home Office
13/11/2019 A data watchdog has criticised the Department for Education (DfE) for secretly passing children’s personal data to the Home Office for immigration enforcement. |
Helping young migrants settle in the UK
04/11/2019 Amy Spiller explains how young people from migrant backgrounds are inspiring newcomers to the UK. |
Think tank calls for councils to have powers over immigration post-Brexit
06/09/2019 Councils should be given powers after Brexit to issue visas to foreign workers based on their assessment of local need, according to think tank Localis. |
Government announces £28m to ‘ease pressure' of migration
15/07/2019 Councils across England are to receive £28m to help ease the pressures on services resulting from recent migration, the Government announced over the weekend. |
Integrating migrants could boost economy by £7bn, think tank says
18/06/2019 A think tank has called for the setting up of ‘local integration funds’ to help migrants find jobs that match their skills as part of a series of proposals to improve integration. |
Javid commits to resettling 5,000 refugees next year
18/06/2019 Sajid Javid has announced that the UK will resettle 5,000 more refugees under a new, expanded resettlement scheme that will come into force next year. |
Government publishes guide on how to treat refugees
04/06/2019 A framework giving advice on how to treat refugees and migrants has been produced by the Home Office. |
Glasgow council to reform asylum process
05/03/2019 A Scottish council could become the first local authority to pilot proposed changes to the asylum process that aim to make life easier for both councils and those seeking asylum. |
Council spending on asylum-seeking children doubles in four years
21/02/2019 Local authority leaders have called on the Government to provide ‘vital’ funding to help them support unaccompanied children seeking asylum. |
Whitehall’s ‘hostile environment’ puts children in danger, charity says
19/02/2019 The Government’s commitment to creating a ‘hostile environment’ for migrants outweighs their commitment to children’s rights, a charity has warned. |
Brokenshire announces plans to improve integration
11/02/2019 The Government has announced new measures to help immigrants integrate with their communities. |
NHS could be 51,000 nurses short after Brexit
06/11/2018 The NHS could be short of 51,000 nurses by the end of the Brexit transition period, a new report has warned today. |
Building a secure future for EU children in the UK
19/10/2018 Kamena Dorling explores what impact Brexit may have on European national children living in the UK, especially those in local authority care. |
Poll highlights lack of public trust on immigration
17/09/2018 Urgent action is needed to restore public trust on immigration, according to a new report from the biggest-ever public consultation on the topic. |
Council calls for fairer system of looking after unaccompanied asylum seeking children
17/07/2018 Portsmouth City Council has urged the Government to review the way councils deal with unaccompanied children seeking asylum, after figures show they account for a quarter of the council's looked after children. |
Councils threaten to ‘divide' migrant families, report says
09/04/2018 Local authorities often threaten to take children into care if their parents do not have the proper documentation to remain in the country, human rights groups warn. |
UK half way to meeting target of resettling 20,000 refugees
22/02/2018 The UK has passed the half way mark in its commitment to resettle 20,000 refugees by 2020. |
Council hits out at 'basic and unfair' migration funding
02/02/2018 The council that looks after 10% of the country's unaccompanied asylum seeking children has slammed the government's decision to award it less than 2% of the funding available. |
Councils given £29m funding boost to support vulnerable children
17/01/2018 Councils in England are to receive an additional £29m to help support unaccompanied asylum seeking children and care leavers. |
Scheme to share responsibility unaccompanied asylum-seeking children is extended
08/12/2017 A scheme to make sure local authorities share responsibilities for unaccompanied asylum-seeking children is to be extended to Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. |
New strategy unveiled to improve care of unaccompanied child migrants
02/11/2017 A review of council funding will be published as part of a wider strategy on improving care for unaccompanied migrant children and child victims of slavery. |
Immigration policies made ‘in the dark’, committee warns
21/07/2017 Immigration policies are being formulated ‘in the dark’, committee warns as it criticises the quality of migration data the Government bases its decisions on. |
British workers hit ‘hardest’ by immigration cuts, research reveals
30/05/2017 The Government’s net migration target of below 100,000 a year could lead to over 3 million people facing unemployment, new research reveals. |
MPs calls for regions to have control over immigration quotas
05/01/2017 City regions should be allowed to set their own quotas for immigration to help councils address specific economic and cultural needs, MPs have said today. |
Government pledges support to councils to help refugee children
25/10/2016 The Government will work with councils to help children from the 'Jungle' refugee camp in Calais who are eligible to enter the UK, home secretary pledged. |
Unaccompanied refugee children: an interview with a Kent councillor
25/10/2016 Closure of the Calais camp means the UK will receive more unaccompanied children. Cllr Peter Oakford talks about the challenges this may pose for councils. |
MPs call for action to help unaccompanied children with family in Britain
03/10/2016 A group of Tory MPs have urged home secretary Amber Rudd to to ensure that unaccompanied children with family connections in Britain are moved out of the ‘Jungle’ refugee camp in Calais before it is torn down. |
Former councillor candidate convicted for providing illegal immigration advice
30/09/2016 A former Waltham Forest councillor candidate has been convicted and fined for providing illegal immigration advice. |
Giving immigrants right to vote would 'change the electoral map'
29/09/2016 All immigrants with a legal presence and proven residence should be given the right to vote, researchers argue in a new report. |
London council offers help to refugee children
18/08/2016 Lambeth has committed itself to resettling unaccompanied refugee children and has urged central Government to provide the necessary funding. |
Council chiefs to visit ‘Calais jungle’ migrant camp
17/08/2016 Senior councillors will visit the ‘Calais jungle’ migrant camp tomorrow as part of a trip aimed at considering measures to keep unaccompanied children and young people safe. |
Post-Brexit uncertainty could cause ‘surge’ in migration, committee says
27/07/2016 A lack of certainty over immigration rules in the wake of Brexit vote could cause ‘surge’ in migration, select committee warns. |
All local government staff must now speak fluent English
22/07/2016 Councils must ensure all staff dealing with the public must be able to speak fluent English, under a new code of practice published by the Government. |
Council dismisses Sherwood Forest migrant camp story
04/07/2016 Nottinghamshire CC has dismissed rumours about an illegal migrant camp in Sherword Forest as untrue. |
Majority of population thinks immigration increases stress on public services, survey finds
04/07/2016 A large majority of the British population believes immigration puts pressure on schools and hospitals, according to an attitudes survey. |
Councils urged to share responsibility for asylum-seeking children
04/07/2016 Local authorities are being urged to sign a new voluntary scheme that aims to help share the responsibility of looking after unaccompanied asylum-seeking children. |
Higher migration would deliver £625bn economic boost, says report
20/06/2016 Higher migration could boost the UK economy by £625bn by 2064-65 and also relief some of the pressures caused by an ageing population, a new report has found. |
Coventry City Council takes in the most Syrian refugees
27/05/2016 New figures from the Home Office reveal Coventry City Council has supported more Syrian refugees than any other local authority since the expansion of the resettlement programme |
Eurpean immigration costs UK over £1bn a year claims report
17/05/2016 The cost of immigration from Europe totalled more than £1bn a year on the latest figures, according to new research, and is adding to 'rapidly increasing pressures' on housing and public services. |
Restricting support for migrant families puts children at risk, report says
28/04/2016 Moves to further restrict support to migrant families could leave children homeless and put them at risk of exploitation and abuse, a new report argues. |
Only 43 Syrian refugees have been resettled in London, charity reveals
26/04/2016 The capital has only taken 3% of all Syrian refugees given sanctuary in the UK since 2014, according to research by Citizens UK. |
UK to resettle 3000 individuals fleeing conflict in the Middle East
22/04/2016 The Government has announced it will resettle 3000 children and adults fleeing conflict in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) by the end of this Parliament. |
Councils to share responsibility for unaccompanied child refugees
21/04/2016 Unaccompanied children seeking asylum will be dispersed across the country in a bid to relieve the strain on those councils caring for a large number. |
Former councillor found guilty of providing illegal immigration advice
11/04/2016 A former councillor at Hounslow Council has been convicted of illegally providing immigration advice and services. |
Government defeated by peers over child refugees
22/03/2016 The Government will be forced to allow 3,000 unaccompanied child refugees to come into the country from Europe, after the House of Lords voted in favour of amending the immigration bill. |
What can local government do to manage the impact of migration?
01/02/2016 William Eichler examines how local authorities can best respond to demographic changes and rising levels of migration. |
Local authorities 'not doing enough' to ensure migrant children are in suitable housing
10/12/2015 Almost two thirds of the properties provided to migrant children in need are unsuitable and local authorities are not doing enough to rectify this, according to a new report. |
Councils struggling to provide adequate protection for asylum-seeking children
07/12/2015 A dramatic increase in the amount of asylum-seeking children that go missing in the UK raises concerns that local authorities are struggling to cope with the demands being placed on them. |
Adult social care faces a workforce gap of 200,000
17/11/2015 The adult social care sector in England faces a gap of 200,000 care workers because of restrictions on immigration and a failure to attract British workers, according to a new report. |
Mandatory right to work checks on taxi and private hire drivers
12/11/2015 Local authorities will have to conduct right to work checks on all taxi and private hire drivers, under new mesures in the Immigration Bill. |
Local authorities could learn from Canada and help to integrate migrants says think tank
02/11/2015 Local councils should play a prominent role in helping migrants to integrate, according to the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR). |
Councils promised more money to help refugees
05/10/2015 Local authorities will receive additional funding to help house and support refugees beyond the first 12 months, the Government has confirmed. |
Scottish councils agree to resettle 2,000 refugees before Christmas
02/10/2015 Council leaders in Scotland have confirmed that they will be able to take at least 2,000 Syrian refugees, many of whom are expected to arrive before Christmas. |
Report: asylum seeking children face ‘hostile’ and ‘confusing’ reception in UK
28/09/2015 Just seven local authorities look after 43% of lone children seeking asylum in England, according to new research. |
Betts joins calls for details on refegee funding
24/09/2015 The Government needs to provide urgent clarity on future funding to pay for Syrian refugees, according to a letter from Clive Betts. |
Councils call for clarity on refugee funding
23/09/2015 Council leaders have urged the Government to finalise the financial support available to authorities for helping refugees, after reports the first group of Syrian refugees arrived in the UK yesterday. |
Further funding for refugees to be considered
17/09/2015 The Government has pledged to consider continuing funding for refugees beyond the one year limit already announced. |
Councils to receive slice of foreign aid budget to help refugees
07/09/2015 Local authorities will receive money from the UK’s foreign aid budget to help house refugees from Syria and North Africa. |
Councils calls for Whitehall to fully-fund refugee support
04/09/2015 Town hall chiefs have warned that Whitehall must fully cover the cost of helping extra refugees, after prime minister David Cameron pledged asylum for thousands of people fleeing Syria yesterday. |
Councils could help an extra 10,000 refugees a year, says Cooper
02/09/2015 Labour leadership contender Yvette Cooper has called for a conference of local authorities to be convened to discuss how areas can accommodate more refugees. |
Survey reveals support for devolution to councils
01/09/2015 Some 56% of people believe the UK will have either broken up or become a lot more devolved by 2030, a poll has revealed. |
Town hall chiefs call for child asylum costs to be covered
03/08/2015 Council leaders have called for the cost of helping unaccompanied child asylum seekers to be covered by the Government. |
Kent social services struggling under 'strain' of child refugee numbers
31/07/2015 Kent County Council has warned its social services are at breaking point due to a huge rise in the number of children seeking asylum. |
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Lost in translation
04/05/2015 Adam Blau outlines some strategies to help local authorities reducing expenditure on translation |
Unemployed EU migrants face benefit ban
10/03/2015 New EU migrants will not be able to claim benefits until they find employment, under new regulations intended to crack down on the abuse of the system. |
This issue of Public Property examines how how flexible workspaces can lead the way in regeneration for local authorities, Why local authority intervention is key to successful urban regeneration schemes and if the Government’s challenge of embracing beauty is an opportunity for communities.
The March issue also takes a closer look at Blackburn with Darwen Council's first digital health hub to help people gain control over health and care services.
