How Local Authorities Can Lead Smarter, More Inclusive Procurement
The 2025 Local Government Procurement Report ranks councils on SME, VCSE, and local spend, with strategies to boost social value in procurement.
Home Office recommits to closing asylum hotels
31/07/2025 The Government has insisted it ‘remains committed' to ending the use of hotels for asylum accommodation after growing public anger. |
Reform UK council leader raises social care visa alarm
14/07/2025 The leader of Reform UK-controlled Kent County Council has urged the Government to rethink its plans to reduce health and social care visas to the UK. |
Reform UK: What Britain’s fastest rising party stands for
29/05/2025 Nigel Farage’s Reform UK is gaining greater political influence and visibility in local government. But what does the party stand for? |
Is immigration making the UK an ‘island of strangers’?
28/05/2025 LocalGov editor William Eichler spoke to Belong CEO Kelly Fowler to discuss immigration, social cohesion, and whether the UK was an ‘island of strangers’. |
What the changes to overseas recruitment mean for the care sector
15/05/2025 Melanie Weatherley MBE, co-chair of the Care Association Alliance, responds to the Government’s decision to end the recruitment of care workers from overseas. |
International recruitment of care workers to end
12/05/2025 The Government is set to end the recruitment of care workers from overseas to bring down the migration figures, but critics call the move a ‘crushing blow’. |
Combined authority plea ahead of Chagossian arrivals
05/02/2025 Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) has pleaded for help from other local authorities ahead of the upcoming arrival of hundreds of Chagossians. |
South East councils on brink of ‘crisis’
04/12/2024 The local government system in the South East of England is on ‘the brink of looming crisis’, according to a think-tank. |
Migrant care workers face ‘persistent breaches of employment rights’
12/11/2024 Migrants working in adult social care have reported facing unsustainable working hours, ‘demoralising’ financial insecurity, and persistent employment rights breaches. |
Council opposes controversial immigration centre
08/10/2024 Oxford City Council members have voted to oppose the controversial re-opening of Campsfield House as an immigration removal centre. |
Six-fold increase in reports of exploitative migrant care worker contracts
20/08/2024 The world’s largest nursing union has reported a six-fold increase in the number of migrant care workers in the UK complaining about exploitative contracts. |
Council leaders call for a voice on Cobra
12/08/2024 Local government representation on Cobra, the committee for dealing with national emergencies, is essential, council leaders say after last week’s riots. |
Councillor quits Labour over Starmer’s Bangladesh comment
28/06/2024 A Tower Hamlets councillor has left the Labour Party over a reference Keir Starmer made to Bangladesh in relation to illegal immigration. |
Ending asylum hotel use could put ‘unacceptable pressure’ on councils
29/05/2024 MPs have raised concerns that the Government has not engaged effectively with councils about the impact of its asylum policies on local areas. |
Agreement reached over asylum site
29/05/2024 West Lindsey District Council is set to launch a £300m regeneration scheme at RAF Scampton after the Home Office agreed to accommodate fewer asylum seekers at the site. |
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. |
