Asylum
Asylum policy is changing quickly on both sides of the Channel, and this page keeps the strands together. Stories here follow the promised independent appeals body as the tribunal backlog passes 139,000, the shift of asylum support from legal duty to ministerial discretion, and the temporary-protection and 20-year settlement overhaul taking shape. Channel crossings run through the coverage too, from arrivals falling sharply in early 2026 to the year's busiest single day of 710 people, along with the UK-France returns pilot and the backlash over family returns.
Supreme Court Immigration Rulings Hand Trump a Run of Wins
A series of decisions touching temporary protected status and asylum has strengthened the White House's hand and reignited the row over executive power.
New independent asylum appeals body promised as tribunal backlog passes 139,000
Ministers want to lift asylum and human-rights appeals out of the overloaded courts and into a faster body of trained adjudicators. Lawyers warn speed must not come at the cost of fairness.
Immigration becomes a fault line as Labour leadership race opens
With Sir Keir Starmer announcing his resignation, the battle to succeed him will be fought partly over asylum, deportations and whether Britain should stay in the ECHR.
Europe tightens its returns rules as the UK-France pilot enters its decision phase
Brussels has agreed a sweeping new EU Returns Regulation just as the New Pact on Migration and Asylum takes effect — reshaping the legal landscape around the UK's 'one-in, one-out' arrangement with France.
Family returns plan sparks backlash as charities warn of 'enforced destitution'
A 12-week consultation on returning refused families would scale back support for those with no legal right to remain. Refugee groups say the proposals risk pushing children into poverty.
Channel small-boat arrivals down sharply in early 2026 — but ministers brace for summer surge
Home Office figures show crossings 38% lower than the same period last year, yet officials caution the warmer months historically drive the largest numbers.
Backlog at five-year low as Home Office leans on cash-for-returns pilot
Initial-decision asylum cases have fallen to around 35,700, their lowest since 2020, while a new pilot offering families up to £40,000 to leave voluntarily faces questions over how many have actually taken it up.
710 in one day: Channel sees its busiest day of 2026 as summer crossing season opens
Some 710 people arrived on 11 boats on 15 June, the largest single-day total of the year so far, after a six-day weather lull — underlining how quickly arrivals climb once conditions calm.
Asylum support shifts from legal duty to ministerial discretion
From June, the Home Office no longer has a binding duty to support destitute asylum seekers, replacing it with a discretionary power and the ability to suspend payments for unauthorised work.
Temporary protection and 20-year settlement: the asylum overhaul taking shape
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood's reform package, set out in March, is now being implemented — with refugee protection becoming temporary and support shifting from duty to discretion.
Asylum hotels close as Home Office shifts to larger sites and discretionary support
The closure of eleven hotels is expected to save nearly £65m a year, as the government scales up alternative accommodation and changes the legal footing for support.
Channel crossings and asylum claims fall, but small boats remain stubbornly visible
Official figures show around 36,000 people arrived by small boat in the year to May 2026, down 13 per cent, as net migration drops close to pre-pandemic levels.
UK and France extend 'one-in, one-out' migrant returns scheme until October
The pilot, which swaps Channel arrivals for asylum seekers with UK ties, is extended and amended — but figures show it has so far affected only a fraction of crossings.