Immigration | LocalGov

Asylum seekers moved from RAF Wethersfield due to incomplete safety checks

18/04/2024

The Home Office has moved 70 people away from an asylum accommodation site after it failed to complete necessary safety checks on time.

Aslyum centre site could host prison

25/03/2024

Braintree DC has warned it faces intervention from a second Government department when the Home Office ends its use of a former airfield as an asylum centre.

Home Office 'chaos' leaves thousands of illegal arrivals in 'perma-backlog'

27/02/2024

The Government’s struggling asylum policy has heaped significant demand on cities’ housing services, experts have warned.

Ukrainian homelessness likely to rise

22/02/2024

The risk of homelessness among Ukrainians in the UK is likely to increase as arrangements with sponsors end or break down, MPs have warned.

Migrant care worker family ban ‘reckless’, union says

31/01/2024

The Government’s decision to ban migrant care workers from bringing family over to join them in England could ‘spell disaster for social care’, union warns.

Barge death concerns

18/12/2023

Concerns over conditions inside some asylum accommodation intensified last week, after the death of an asylum seeker onboard the Bibby Stockholm barge.

Gov’s migration plans threaten ‘recruitment crisis’

13/12/2023

Hundreds of thousands of non-UK nationals working in London’s health and social care sector are likely to be hit by the Government’s new migration policies, Mayor Sadiq Khan has warned.

Migration plans ‘spell total disaster’ for social care

05/12/2023

The Government has been accused of ‘playing roulette with essential services’ over its new plans to curb immigration.

Council directors call for ministers to ditch 'senseless' immigration crackdown

27/11/2023

An influential group of experts – including council directors – has urged ministers to ditch ‘senseless’ plans to tighten visa requirements for social care and health workers.

Councillors urge Government to respect Rwanda ruling

16/11/2023

Nearly 130 councillors have urged the Government to respect the Supreme Court’s ruling on its controversial plans to send people seeking asylum to Rwanda.

EXCLUSIVE: Home Office accused of misleading council over asylum plans

24/10/2023

The Home Office faces accusations in the High Court it misled a council over controversial plans for an asylum centre at a former military base.

Charities call for family reunion scheme for Palestinians

23/10/2023

Charities have called for an emergency family reunion scheme for Palestinians modelled on the approach introduced after the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

NAO calls for Homes for Ukraine clarity

17/10/2023

Ministers must prioritise ‘important decisions’ over Homes for Ukraine – including continued funding for councils, spending watchdogs have urged.

Asylum seekers to be returned to Bibby Stockholm

11/10/2023

Asylum seekers are being notified that they will be sent back to a migrant barge, which was closed after legionella bacteria was detected.

EXCLUSIVE: Council warning over asylum communication

03/10/2023

‘Limited’ Home Office communication over asylum – including poor data sharing - continues to stymie efforts to resolve accommodation problems, councils warn.

Further stop notice at RAF Scampton

25/09/2023

West Lindsey District Council has again told the Home Office to cease work at RAF Scampton.

Asylum ‘perma-backlog’ to impact councils

22/08/2023

Reforms to the UK’s asylum system are likely to pile more pressure on councils struggling to support unaccompanied children, a new report has found.

Approach to accommodating Afghan families ‘unacceptable’

15/08/2023

The approach to finding accommodation for Afghan families has been ‘unacceptable’ and represents a failure to ‘live up to Britain's values’, says think tank.

Glasgow refuses permission for asylum barge

08/08/2023

The leader of Glasgow City Council has told the Government that the local authority would not give its consent to dock a barge for asylum seekers in the city.

LGA: Councils already seeing homeless Afghan families

07/08/2023

Councils are already seeing Afghan families presenting as homeless due to the Government’s policy of moving them out of hotels, local authority leaders say.

Firefighters warn Braverman over asylum barge safety

03/08/2023

The Fire Brigades Union (FBU) has written to Suella Braverman about fire safety concerns in accommodation for asylum seekers, including the Bibby Stockholm.

Boston council set to approve housing scheme for Afghan refugees

02/08/2023

Boston Borough Council is looking to provide four homes for Afghan refugees as part of a £1m project.

Councillors told to refuse university’s ‘contentious’ asylum housing plans

01/08/2023

Officers at High Peak BC have recommended that councillors refuse the University of Derby’s plans to house asylum seekers in vacant student accommodation.

Exploitation warning after Illegal Migration Bill becomes law

20/07/2023

Unaccompanied asylum seeking children (UASC) could be in danger of being exploited after the Illegal Migration Act created an incentive for them to run away.

Council loses legal bid over asylum hotel plans

10/07/2023

Carmarthenshire CC has been unsuccessful in its application for an interim injunction to prevent asylum seekers being housed at a hotel in Llanelli.

Council launches legal action over hotel due to house asylum seekers

07/07/2023

Carmarthenshire County Council (CCC) is taking legal action over plans to use a hotel in Llanelli to house asylum seekers.

Kent launches legal action over asylum-seeking children

06/07/2023

Kent has issued a claim for judicial review against the home secretary, asking her to direct other councils to receive 'fair share’ of refugee children.

Afghan families face homelessness as councils at ‘crisis point’

04/07/2023

Afghan families are at risk of becoming homeless due to the acute housing shortage, council chiefs warn at the start of the LGA's annual conference.

Westminster Council seeks to become a Council of Sanctuary for refugees

28/06/2023

Westminster Council will vote today on whether it will set out to become a Council of Sanctuary, a designation awarded to institutions that welcome refugees.

Planning inspector green lights Stafford asylum centre

26/06/2023

A Government planning inspector has overruled the local planning authority and given the go-ahead for an asylum seekers centre in Stafford.

Plan to house asylum seekers on ship scrapped

12/06/2023

The latest plan for a cruise ship to house asylum seekers has been scrapped after it was turned down by the port operator.

Council chiefs call for ‘urgent solutions’ to refugee homelessness

09/06/2023

Local authority leaders have called for ‘urgent solutions’ to the issue of refugees being forced to present as homeless.

Aslyum barges plan branded ‘cruel and unworkable’

08/06/2023

A council leader has attacked plans to house asylum seekers on barges in ports.

Hundreds of refugees wrongly classified as adults, FoI reveals

25/04/2023

Hundreds of young refugees are being wrongly classified as adults by the Home Office, according to new research based on information provided by councils.

Councils offered £3,500 to house refugees on barges

05/04/2023

Councils are to be offered £3,500 per migrant for housing them on barges, according to reports.

Council leaders call for review of Homes for Ukraine scheme

14/03/2023

County council leaders are calling on the Government to review funding for the Homes for Ukraine programme.

Council's bankruptcy warning over Chagossian influx

16/11/2022

A council has warned it could be forced to effectively declare bankruptcy if it has to fund housing for thousands of people of Chagossian descent.

Council writs fly over asylum crisis

01/11/2022

Growing numbers of councils are securing injunctions preventing the use of hotels to house asylum seekers as ministers struggle to deal with an increasing backlog.

Charity shares best practice from councils tackling homelessness

29/06/2022

A new study has brought together examples of best practice from councils that have helped prevent homelessness amongst non-UK nationals.

Advisers call for minimum pay to ease care workforce crisis

27/04/2022

The Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) has said the Government should foot the bill for a minimum rate of £10.50 per hour for care workers in England.

Hundreds of councillors reject Rwanda asylum plans

21/04/2022

Local councillors across the country have come together to reject government plans to send asylum seekers to Rwanda.

Honouring the Ukrainian spirit

17/03/2022

The events in Ukraine have provided a timely reminder of how important our democracy is and how much we can lose. And, as Dr Jonathan Carr-West explains, councils have a vital role to play both immediately and further beyond back on home territory.

Research finds one in 10 children in care have unresolved immigration issues

18/02/2022

At least one in every 10 children in the care system have unresolved immigration or citizenship issues, a new report has found.

Landlords urged to put forward homes for Afghan families

15/02/2022

A new housing portal to match councils with private landlords who have suitable properties to house Afghan families has been relaunched by the Government.

Experts urge immigration rules change for care workers

16/12/2021

Restrictions should be relaxed for care workers ‘immediately’, according to experts appointed by the Government.

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.

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Banning urban pesticide use

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