The government's immigration plans: a dog’s dinner of half-conceived policy, Reform rhetoric, mean-spirited sentiment, and profound intellectual muddle iandunt.substack.com/p/can-we-ext...

There will be many people coming together to think about legal challenges. HOWEVER There is still the opportunity for a political solution. There are many Labour MPs v.unhappy. There is a mass lobby in parliament on 11 March 2026 docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...

Can the government boost domestic training by restricting migration? In a new briefing, @msumption.bsky.social and I find that migrants on work visas are a small part of a much wider picture. Here's what you need to know, in three posts. migrationobservatory.ox.ac.uk/resources/co...

Given the increases in Home Office enforcement, the regulatory squeeze on Skilled Workers and the general market, this webinar will explore key legal and practical issues impacting this big and (increasingly) complex group.

Our webinar on 25 February will focus on how to advise sponsored workers through routine and complex circumstances, from curtailment and changing jobs to visa costs and compliance concerns. Book now to take advantage of our early bird discount! freemovement.org.uk/product/webi...

Immigration and the limits of "control": me in @prospectmagazine.co.uk on why, and how, Labour has got both the economics *and* politics of migration so wrong. www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/politics/724...

Thoughts on this: 1. The government hasn't addressed temporary status on the basis of long lawful residence. This seems necessary and likely especially in children's context 2. There is legislation coming in spring King's Speech to define family life. This is an important opportunity.

What a mess. Lots of folk are probably getting home from work with a view to doing this.

The consultation on the govenrment's earned settlement proposals is scheduled to close tonight, but this is what you get if you click on the "respond online" link now. Has the government closed it early? This is the link if others want to try: ukhomeoffice.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_...

www.gov.uk/government/s... Another fall in visa applications in January. Skilled worker and health and care visa main applicants down to 2,600 probably because of tougher English language rules. Student visa applications have seen a shocking fall from 28,700 in January 25 to 19,800 in January 26.

Britain’s care system promotes modern slavery. A genuinely humane government would reform it | Andrea Egan, UNISON general secretary writes in @theguardian.com unsn.uk/4kBe3Km

This is really encouraging. It's not too late to stop this.

70 parliamentarians have written to the Home Office saying the settlement proposals are unfair & need a significant rethink

📌 Any migrants or others affected by Labour's immigration proposals, please take a few minutes to respond to the Home Office consultation with your honest thoughts. I will provide some pointers on how to interpret deceptively worded questions in this thread soon 🧵

Did somebody say "last minute modern slavery claims"? A good day to keep these handy: freemovement.org.uk/briefing-is-... freemovement.org.uk/the-reality-...

Good to see some Labour MPs showing a backbone, but the problems with these proposals on settlement aren't limited to being applied retrospectively: they also favour the well-off, discriminate vs disabled people, women & people with caring responsibilities and are probably unworkable

Some genuinely good news - Home Office does the right thing. www.theguardian.com/world/2026/f...

The Home Secretary's response to moving the goal post is essentially 'rules change' and the risks to children are ultimately 'the parent's responsibility and they should plan their time in the UK better'. This is from the party webpage. Child poverty prevention is clearly not for everyone.

🚨NEW BLOG: Home Office plans could double the settlement wait from 5 to 10 years or more for people already living in the UK. Moving the goalposts mid-journey risks harming integration and increasing child poverty🔗 www.ippr.org/articles/far-from-settled-the-governments-earned-settlement-consultation

www.resolutionfoundation.org/comment/uk-p... The overlooked story of booming UK productivity?

More than 1 in 10 employers stripped of their licence had it reinstated to continue hiring - and exploiting - migrants. Shameful. Is the Home Office operating with its eyes closed? These employers must be fined, and that money must be used to compensate victims. www.thetimes.com/uk/crime/art...

I was at an event hosted and attended by back bench Labour MPs on the Earned Settlement proposals. We heard from a doctor, lawyer, carer and engineer who face waiting decades for the opportunity to settle in this country because they don't 'contribute' enough. Tolerant? Decent? Respectful?

This statement is based on zero net migration. Given the policies recently implemented and the future Earned Settlement proposal, there is a risk of negative net migration for a period.

Some excellent and passionate contributions from many back bench Labour MPs. The minister's statement affirmed most of what gov. says. Much was made of the consultation which, ultimately, is about the policy's implementation and not its substance. I don't think the minister addressed MP's concerns

The paperback's here! Lighter in weight, lighter on your wallet, with an update to boot. Wild that it's been out in the world for nine months. Best thing I've ever done (professionally, certainly!). Out 12 March, pre-orders wherever you usually get your books. 🧡

Debate now on Earned Settlement proposals. Big turn out showing significant strength of feeling / concern about what the government wants to do.

Wow. This is a busy Westminster Hall debate! rightly so. parliamentlive.tv/Event/Index/...

We need your help to take the Home Office to court. EU citizens waiting for EU Settlement Scheme decisions are being effectively trapped in the UK. 🧵⬇️ www.crowdjustice.com/case/eu-citi...

We're looking for an experienced trainer to drive the development and delivery of our new exciting training programme 👀 www.workrightscentre.org/publications...

I have spoken to lawyers who are extremely enthusiastic adopters of AI, and who had no idea that Law Society etc has issued guidance on what they should be doing. Speaks volumes imo. Anyway, my final post as Editor is a thinly-disguised AI hate piece...

Sad to say that I come across these sorts of schemes regularly and, what is neglected in the Times piece, they are used as vehicles for modern slavery. I have clients who have been lured into schemes (some do include 'jobs' ) and ended up Home Office recognised victims. Step 5 is the big 🚩

Politics on migration can be progressive.

“Seven years after the government apologised for the errors that led to thousands of people being wrongly categorised as illegal immigrants, individual Windrush cases continue to emerge...” www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026...

Amazing and wonderful to see the range of expertise and insight from across so many areas feeding into this.

‼️Breaking: An exclusive article published by @nicolakellywrites.bsky.social in @bylinetimes.bsky.social today reveals that the Home Office is failing to protect #LGBTQI+ people from bullying in immigration detention. Read the article and join our #NoPrideInDetention campaign!

A care provider attempted a judicial review of their sponsor licence being revoked. They had not paid staff the salary set out in the CoS. They attempted to justify this, amongst other things, by blaming the migrant workers. Permission was refused. www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWH...

This is the best the Treasury can get from the Home Office? Visa fee refunds and quicker sponsor licence application decisions (which I understood were quicker anyway). Staring down the barrel of negative net migration/economic woes and this is it... www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

I am no ardent defender of the Home Office. But effective reform will not come if they are to face / rely on reports like this. It is not a credible piece of work. These glimpses into how the Home Office was examined by the previous administration are instructive.

Claims of modern slavery, forced labour and exploitation against Dyson will be tried in April 2027, the High Court has ruled. Leigh Day partner Oliver Holland leads the claim. www.leighday.co.uk/news/news/20...

Getting ILR means the difference between being able to change jobs freely, and being tied to one employer with ultimate control over your life. Doubling the wait for ILR means doubling the time in precarity. Here's how to speak out against the plans⬇️ www.workrightscentre.org/our-campaign...

The ghost of that Ovenden piece from the other week lives on it seems. Wes right to push back but it's interesting that this argument is still rumbling on.

The immigration doom loop in full swing. Chasing the xenophobes is a doomed strategy both economically *and* politically. (1/3) archive.ph/pyVLg

British woman left stranded in Hungary after the Home Office refuse to let her bring 13-year-old niece to the UK. The girl, who was abandoned by her parents, could now end up in state care, following the Home Office's decision bylinetimes.com/2026/01/08/b...

Strong stuff from the Chancellor 💪🏻 One slight prob: her gov's NRPF policy (which restricts access to MOST benefits not just UC & which they're planning to extend to those w/ ILR) does precisely this: discriminates between children based on where parents are from www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

The last time I checked a couple of years ago, the Home Office cost recovery target on visa processing was 202%, but in the latest annual report it was 241% - meaning that for every £100 it costs to administer the visa system, the department aims to raise £241 in fees.

Home Secretary responds to the suggestion that she should deprive Alaa Abd el-Fattah of his British citizenship hansard.parliament.uk/commons/2026...

The government closed overseas recruitment of care workers. It has increased skills and salary thresholds effectively closing off overseas recruitment in most jobs. Settlement will be out of reach to many thousands by increasing the qualifying period forcing them to leave.

New Year Pop Quiz: Which of the 6 million + people with EU Settlement Scheme status has documentary confirmation that they are residing on the basis of the Withdrawal Agreement? Astonishingly, the UK government's position appears to be: none of them. But wasn’t that the whole point of the EUSS?

The Home Office essentially closed off private life applications to many via changes to the 'suitability' requirements. on 30 December they updated their guidance to limit the scope of this rule for private life applications. This will be a relief for many but only if you spot it.

It's a wonderful thing to welcome in 2026 with everyone here going after that silly Ovenden piece. Seems to have gone down well somewhere though...