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.

29 June 2026

• The Children's Commissioner for England has criticised government proposals to cut support for families and care leavers with a refused asylum application and to implement the use of force on children during removals. The Commissioner argues the plans breach the Children Act 1989 and urges the Home Office to ensure children are not left without support or put at risk during the asylum process. (Source: Children's Commissioner)

22 June 2026

• New guidance for those working with age disputed people in Home Office asylum accommodation includes the Standard Operating Procedure which details the information-sharing process to be followed when a person’s age is disputed. (Source: Home Office) 
• An investigation has raised concerns regarding Facial Age Estimation AI technology that the Home Office plans to roll out to estimate the age of young people seeking asylum. It claims data shows high margins of error for young people aged 16 to 18, teenage girls, and racial bias. This article says government was aware of similar concerns a year ago in a civil service report. (Sources: Lighthouse Reports, Independent) 

15 June 2026

• Proposed Home Office changes to asylum return arrangements have prompted concerns from the Association of Directors of Children’s Services about the potential impact on local authorities supporting young people. (Source: Children and Young People Now) 
• ‘Ny Name is Samim’, an award-winning novel drew inspiration from the experiences of a teenage refugee in Scotland. (Source: The Scotsman) 

08 June 2026

• Refugee children’s charities said Home Office plans to use AI to assess the age of young people seeking asylum should only be used in an advisory way rather than to make a determination. They fear it could result in more children in adult prisons or detention centres. (Source: the Guardian) 
• Freedom of information requests show lone children were held at UK-run short term detention centres in France on nearly 300 occasions in 2025. Conditions were described as ‘poor’ during inspections. (Source: the Guardian) 

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)