News and Updates

For the latest news stories on migration, please visit the news section of our website. For the stories relating specifically to UASC from the last 6 months, please see below.

01 June 2026

• On young people, in light of national news about young people not in education, work or training (NEET), a centre-right think tank is blaming this trend on employers hiring young non-EU migrants rather than young Brits over recent years. (Source: Centre for Social Justice). 
• Meanwhile, concerns have been raised over the way young people that seek asylum are being age-assessed in the UK, after new data showed immigration officers are more likely than social workers to class them as adults. (Source: the Guardian)

25 May 2026

• The British Association of Social Workers (BASW) urged social workers to oppose the changes to support for children and families without secure immigration status outlined in the government's Family Returns Consultation and encouraged social workers to submit a response. (Source: BASW)
• The same professional body also warned against the government's proposed changes which would see all age assessments completed by the National Age Assessment Board as binding on local authorities. (Source: BASW)
• The British Red Cross spoke out against the government's ongoing suspension of refugee family reunion, highlighting that up to 1,360 children could remain separated from their family for every month the suspension remains in place. (Source: the Guardian)

18 May 2026

• New research suggests that for young people who arrived in the UK alone to seek asylum, in order to thrive support services should focus not only on trauma. Meanwhile, the ECPAT Young Advisory Group has issued a response to the government’s proposed reforms to the asylum and immigration system as outlined in the King’s Speech. (Sources: Social Care Today, ECPAT UK)  

27 April 2026

• A research project has concluded that the Afghan resettlement schemes have saved thousands of lives and that while some people are still finding life in the UK difficult, young people especially are adapting well to their new environments. However, some families who have been approved for relocation to the UK are taking legal action over an apparent ‘freeze’ on relocations currently. (Sources: UCL, Independent)

20 April 2026

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

30 March 2026  

• A new study will explore the educational journeys of children and young people who arrived in the UK unaccompanied to seek asylum, shedding light on the opportunities and challenges they face in further and higher education.  (Source: University of Exeter)  
• This practical guide explains how to support children with their asylum claims, focusing on identifying the right legal basis, gathering evidence, and ensuring the child’s best interests. (Source: Free movement)  
• This article explores how changes to the immigration and asylum system could make life more uncertain for children. (Source: Children and Young people Now)  

23 March 2026

• A leading children’s rights organisation has warned government plans to activate parts of the Immigration Act 2016 would leave many unaccompanied care leavers with no secure immigration status and without essential support when they turn 18, increasing risk of homelessness, destitution and exploitation. (Source: ECPAT UK) 

16 March 2026

• Leading charities are urging the next Scottish Parliament to recognise unaccompanied children primarily as ‘looked after children’ rather than through the lens of immigration control. (Source: Morning Star) 
• A recent UNICEF briefing highlights the rising number of children on the move globally and calls for stronger protection systems. (Source: UNICEF) 

09 March 2026

• A young refugee who experienced homelessness and attacks following the Home Office’s 28-day move-on period was part of a legal case that successfully challenged implementation of the policy, which should allow discretion where a person is at risk of homelessness. (Source: the Guardian) 

23 February 2026

• A partnership of universities urges exemptions from the international student levy for PhD students, fully funded scholars and short-term exchange visitors, arguing these measures are needed to protect research talent and minimise harm to universities. (Source: Russell Group)  
• A coalition of refugee and children’s organisations has called for the Home Office National Age Assessment Board (NAAB) to be disbanded. The group argues that the NAAB is traumatising young people who seek asylum, wrongly classifying many as adults, and putting children at serious risk. (Source: the Guardian) 

16 February 2026

• Lord Dubs has condemned the Home Secretary’s approach to children seeking asylum abroad who are trying to reunite with their families in the UK. (Source: the Guardian) 
• The Hong Kong BN(O) visa route is expanding to allow those who were children at the time of Hong Kong’s 1997 handover to China, who do not themselves have BN(O) status, to apply for the visa independently of their eligible parents. An estimated additional 26,000 people could arrive in the UK as the result. (Source: Home Office) 

02 February 2026

• The Home Office has introduced a pilot allowing eligible 16- and 17-year-old asylum seekers to proceed to a substantive interview without submitting a Statement of Evidence (SEF) form, if they have legal representation and have consented to take part. (Source: UK Visas and Immigration)