How the UK immigration system hurts people: December 2021

This final monthly recap features delays for visa application decisions and still refusing asylum seekers the right to work.

About my monthly recaps

I’m spending 2021 doing a monthly running challenge to fundraise for the Join Council for the Welfare of Immigrants (JCWI).

Read my blog post about why I’m fundraising for JCWI

Donate to my JustGiving page

As part of the fundraiser, I will be writing a monthly blog post on:

• how the monthly running challenge went (on my running blog)
• what happened in the world of UK immigration and asylum in the past month (here on Medium)

Past recaps

• January 2021
• February 2021
• March 2021
• April 2021
• May 2021
• June 2021
• July 2021
• August 2021
• September 2021
• October 2021
• November 2021

Now let’s get to December 2021.

Making free visa appointments consistently unavailable

Inspector reveals broken promises on free visa appointments - Free Movement

Having to make an exception in legislation to not make saving lives a crime

Patel bows to pressure to stop RNLI being prosecuted for saving migrants' lives

Breaching UK human rights obligations through pushback plans

New powers to pushback and criminalise Channel crossings breach UK's human rights obligations, JCHR…

Keeping 45% of EUSS applicants waiting on a decision by the end of September

Forcing a Windrush victim into destitution and barring them from returning to the UK for 2.5 years

A 975-day nightmare: how the Home Office forced a British citizen into destitution abroad

Allowing for 6 million people to be eligible to have their citizenship stripped

Exclusive: British citizenship of six million people could be jeopardised by Home Office plans

Promising to take refugees in as long ago as 2018 but still not bringing them in to the UK

Britain promised to take in these Syrians. Instead, they're scavenging to survive

Planning legislation which will impact vulnerable children seeking safety in Northern Ireland

Immigration plan to impact vulnerable children seeking safety in Northern Ireland

Refusing permission for 1,000 EU nationals to stay in Milton Keynes

Almost 1,000 EU nationals refused permission to stay in Milton Keynes after Brexit

Planning to process asylum applications offshore, potentially creating a British Guantanamo Bay

Home Office borders bill could 'create a British Guantánamo Bay,' says Tory MP

Taking a significantly long time to process visa applications

Britain's Post-Brexit Immigration System Cannot Cope - Byline Times

Not yet designing an Afghan resettlement scheme

Government admits Afghan resettlement scheme not yet designed

Not allowing Afghans to apply to a resettlement scheme

Looking to profit from closing borders to asylum seekers

The UK government is looking to profit from closing borders to asylum seekers

Allowing incompetent firms to provide legal advice to immigration detainees

Lord chancellor faces JR over immigration detainees’ legal advice (The Law Society Gazette)

Creating toxic and racist culture at an immigration removal centre

Guard tells of toxic and racist culture at G4S Gatwick immigration removal centre

Sending more than 100 UK asylum seekers back home after taking them in as kids

UK sends more than 100 asylum seekers back home - after taking them in as kids

Keeping the asylum seeker work ban in place

Asylum seekers will still not be allowed to work, Home Office review concludes

Trying to deport someone born in the UK and who had never left the country

Man who has never left the UK avoids deportation after seven-year legal battle - Free Movement

Continuing to house asylum seekers in military barracks

Home Office urged to stop housing asylum seekers in barracks

Planning to change the maximum prison sentence for overstaying your visa from 6 months to up to 4 years

Four-year maximum sentences for visa overstayers - Free Movement

Not giving the Afghan resettlement scheme appropriate resources

Fears grow that Home Office has lost will to resettle Afghans under threat

Only compensating 5% of Windrush victims in the last 4 years

Priti Patel faces legal action over Windrush compensation failures

Not allowing Afghan refugees to use more than 3,000 spare rooms offered by UK households

Afghan refugees unable to use more than 3,000 rooms offered by UK households, charities say

Making it more difficult for Afghans who worked with the British to seek protections in the UK

Making EU citizens with pre-settled status reapply for settled status or lose their right to live in the UK

Priti Patel rule creates extra hurdle for EU citizens to stay in Britain

Making it easier to deport long-term residents who claim right to family life to stay in UK

Human Rights Act overhaul to make it easier to deport asylum seekers

Not creating a firewall between police and immigration enforcement, which would have let victims report domestic abuse without fear

The 'Hostile Environment' Continues: Home Office Rejects 'Firewall' for Migrant Victims of Abuse …

Refusing to publish evidence to support claim that allowing asylum seekers to work would create a ‘pull factor’

Home Office accused of misleading public over migrant 'pull factors'

Denying settled status to a mother of British children who has lived in the UK for years

Woman with British children who has lived in UK for years denied EU settled status

Failing to act when a boat carrying migrants started sinking

British and French officials face legal action over Channel tragedy

Planning to penalise abuse victims for the criminal acts they were forced to carry out

Modern slavery victims may face 'barriers to justice under Patel's bill, MPs warn

Placing asylum seekers in accommodation that is not fit to live in

Asylum seekers in PM's constituency claim accommodation 'not fit to live in'

Triggering a wave of unlawful prosecutions by targeting asylum seekers who steer boats crossing the Channel

Exclusive: Home Office triggered unlawful prosecutions of asylum seekers

Planning to location-tag asylum seekers who cross the Channel

Cross-Channel asylum seekers could be tagged under Home Office plans

Planning to open Afghan resettlement scheme — 5 months after it was announced

Afghan resettlement scheme to open five months after being announced

Still leaving behind more than half of Afghans who were promised sanctuary in the UK for working with British forces

Afghans left behind after working with UK forces still trapped and 'fearing death'

Enabling more exploitation in the UK through new borders bill

Immigration bill will lead to more exploitation in UK, warns modern slavery tsar

Fixing figures to cover up resettling fewer Afghans than previously stated

Priti Patel 'fixing the figures' in row over resettling refugees from Afghanistan

Angry? Disgusted? Ashamed? Then donate

If you are in any way appalled at what you just read happens in a single month in the world of UK immigration, please consider donating to my fundraiser for the Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants.

They’re doing the important work to both help those affected by the system, and help end the abuses of the system.

Donate to my JustGiving page