How the UK immigration system hurts people: October 2021

This month’s recap features denying deportees access to justice and downplaying the number of deaths in asylum accommodation.

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

Now let’s get to October 2021.

Trying to send asylum seekers to Albania while their claims are being processed

Priti Patel wants to send asylum seekers to a centre in Albania while they wait for claims to be…

Unlawfully denying asylum seekers to right the work

Home Office work policy for asylum seekers broke law, High Court rules

Inflicting the hostile environment on undocumented immigrants but yet sending those with HGV licenses official letters to encourage them to work

Undocumented HGV drivers sent official letters encouraging them to work

Unlawfully not giving asylum seekers money to call friends and family during the pandemic

UK asylum seekers in hotels should have been given money for phone calls, judge rules

Losing track of the number of Afghan refugees

Home Office calls in military after 'losing track' of Afghan refugee numbers

Stating in official guidance that there is no real risk of harm to deport asylum seekers back to Afghanistan

Deporting Afghans presents no 'real risk of harm', says Home Office guidance

Telling asylum claim decision-makers to reject more claims than accept

The Home Office is failing refugees. I've seen it from the inside | Anonymous

Creating the conditions leading to asylum seeker suicides

Are asylum suicides an unfolding national tragedy?

Proposing a borders bill that breaks international and domestic law

Priti Patel's borders bill 'breaches international and domestic law'

Seeking immunity for Border Force if they kill migrants while conducting turnback operations in the Channel

Channel migrants: Patel seeks immunity for Border Force if new tactics kill

Keeping Afghan refugees stuck in hotels…

Homes intended for Afghan refugees stood empty for weeks as thousands stuck in hotels

…possibly for up to a year

Afghan refugees may be housed in UK hotels for up to a year, say councils

Blocking Afghan interpreters from the UK

'They will hang me': Afghan interpreters blocked by UK seek appeal

Threatening to use X-rays to verify asylum seekers’ ages

Priti Patel threatening to use X-rays to verify asylum seekers' ages

Threatening to suspend visas from countries not cooperating with deportations

UK threatens to suspend visas for countries 'not cooperating' with deportations

Routinely denying deportees access to justice before removal

Deportees 'routinely denied' access to justice prior to removal, lawyers warn

Moving an asylum seeker and then sending her asylum refusal letter to her old address

Increasing the risk to trafficking victims through immigration policies

Brexit and UK immigration policy 'increasing risks to trafficking victims'

Enabling employers to not employee immigrants who do not have indefinite leave to remain

Preventing migrant domestic abuse survivors from accessing refuge

Failing to enrol children of immigrants in food voucher scheme, despite court order

Government fails to enrol British children into food scheme, despite court order | Sustain

Disbelieving immigration detainees were vulnerable

Second annual inspection of 'Adults at risk in immigration detention.' July 2020 - March 2021

Still not opening the Afghan Citizen Resettlement Scheme

Making it difficult for young delegates to come to Glasgow for COP26 because of visa rules

COP26 plagued by 'nightmare' visa process and vaccine inequality

Downplaying deaths in asylum accommodation

Asylum accommodation deaths 'twice as high' as Home Office admitted

Refusing to reveal information about Afghan resettlement

Home Office refuses to reveal details of Afghans' resettlement

Excluding young Hong Kong nationals from BNO visa scheme and making them claim asylum instead

Young Hong Kong nationals who fled police brutality 'languishing' in UK asylum system

Creating the conditions leading to migrants losing their lives while trying to reach the UK

Harwich: Search called off after two rescued in North Sea

Peddling myths that asylum seekers are not genuine and just want to stay in UK hotels

People crossing Channel because they want to stay in UK hotels, Priti Patel claims

Claiming sending asylum seekers back to France saves lives

Priti Patel says she wants to force migrant boats back to France 'to save lives'

Re-traumatising asylum seekers who were imprisoned by putting them in prison cell accommodation

Home Office staff try to downplay 'prison cell' hostel housing asylum seekers

Planning a deportation flight to Jamaica

Home Office round-up Jamaicans ahead of mass deportation flight

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