Migration news roundup week commencing 20 April 2026

This Migration News Roundup presents a selection of news, policy, research and statistics from the previous week on migration-related topics. The contents of each story do not necessarily reflect the views of Migration Yorkshire.

• Specific migrant groups
• Cohesion and integration
• UK borders and migration policy
• International news
• Stories that inspired us this week

Specific migrant groups

Relating to asylum: 

• The Home Office has announced the closure of eleven asylum hotels, including two in Calderdale, as more people are moved into alternative accommodation, including army barracks. (Source: Home Office)   

• A BBC investigation into the ‘fake asylum system’ has been criticised by LGBTQI charities, who say the article focusses on isolated cases and does not reflect the lived experience of LGBTQI individuals that seek asylum, potentially facing the death penalty in their country of origin. (Sources: BBC, MicroRainbow)  

• Analysis by Amnesty International reveals the grant rate for Afghan asylum claims is now lower than it was before the Taliban returned to power. An increasing number of women are seeing their claims turned down despite the severe danger they face in Afghanistan. (Source: Independent) 

This article explores how changes to the immigration and asylum system could make life more uncertain for children. (Source: Children and Young people Now)  

On modern slavery, there’s new lived-experience informed guidance for first responders on the identification of victims of trafficking for criminal exploitation. (Source: Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe)  

On EU nationals, a watchdog confirms it’ll be monitoring the Home Office’s approach to removing pre-settled status from those who stopped meeting the criteria, the policy announced last week. Elsewhere, a new report indicates that there’s a lack of accountability in the EU Settlement Scheme that impacts the most vulnerable. (Sources: Independent Monitoring Authority, New Europeans)  

A Sri Lankan student faces possible deportation after a one‑day tuition fee processing delay led her university to withdraw visa sponsorship. The case raises policy concerns about the rigid application of immigration compliance requirements by universities and their impact on international students. Elsewhere, one international student reflected on key challenges they faced when studying at a UK university, including navigating large campuses, adapting to the UK climate and low contact hours. This highlights the importance of clear pre arrival information and support for international students. (Sources: the Guardian, University of Birmingham) 

Updated HMRC data on employment and pay by nationality show large increases in employment of non-EU nationals post Brexit. (Source: HM Revenue and Customs)   

Cohesion and integration

Diana Sutton of the Bell Foundation writes how the government’s promised review of ESOL provision presents a critical opportunity to address chronic under‑funding, fragmented oversight, and misalignment between language policy, skills provision, and integration goals. (Source: FE Week)  

A leading policy think tank welcomes the government’s new community cohesion action plan as a strong framework linking integration, tackling extremism, asylum reform and place‑based investment, but warns that ambition risks outstripping delivery capacity at local level. (Source: IPPR)  

A founder and chief executive of migrant housing provider ACH argues that well designed and accessible housing is essential to avoid ‘warehousing that results in refugees remaining in the same place’ without getting independence. (Source: Inside Housing)  

UK borders and migration policy

A 16-year-old, believed to be the first person charged with new offence of endangering others during a journey by sea, was due to appear in court last week. Meanwhile, another person has been charged with the same offence following the tragic loss of four lives in early April. The guidance on this offence is available here. (Sources: Sky News, National Crime Agency, Home Office)  

A trial of facial recognition technology on ferries between the UK and Ireland, designed to identify suspected immigration offenders, found no matches against thousands of passengers faces over a three-day period, leading critics to question the policy’s effectiveness. (Source: The Irish Times)  

A new report drawing on research with people awaiting an asylum decision in the UK, and people in northern France hoping to reach the UK, considers the impact of government border policies and the asylum system. (Source: Refugee Action)  

Based on analysis of data from the Migration Advisory Committee, Professor Jonathan Portes has argued that savings from the changes to settlement are likely to be far lower than anticipated by the government. Relatedly, this article looks at the potential impact of the proposals to increase settlement pathways by up to 20 years. (Sources: the Guardian, the Conversation)  

The BBC Verify page providing an overview of UK migration numbers has been updated to reflect the most recently released data. (Source: BBC)  

Following another increase in UK immigration fees, this updated briefing provides an overview of the various charges migrants pay when arriving and settling in the UK, and their impact. (Source: Migration Observatory)  

International news

Spain has approved a large-scale migrant regularisation programme, which could grant legal status to hundreds of thousands of undocumented migrants. (Source: Sky News)  

Outside of Europe, Costa Rica has received its first group of migrants deported from the United States under a new ‘third country’ agreement. (Source: Reuters)  

Meanwhile, the Danish Refugee Council warned that over four million additional people could be displaced due to declining humanitarian aid. (Source: Global Banking and Finance Review)  

Stories that inspired us this week

Daniel Sukula becomes the CEO of Be The Change Youth Project CIC which provides free services for young people. This is 20 years after the local community rallied against his family’s deportation following the rejection of their asylum claim. (Source: Manchester Evening News)  

A Newport project is celebrating the contributions of Black, Asian and minority ethnic people who have shaped Welsh history. It highlights stories of first-generation migrants and their descendants, and aims to strengthen visibility, recognition and inclusion. (Source: South Wales Argus)