👏👏👏 Huge congrats to the @futuregovforum.bsky.social team who were highly commended as 'One to Watch' at the Smart Thinking awards last night

We're looking for someone, with a deep understanding of health and social care policy, to lead act as our Head of Responsive Policy and Public Affairs for a year's maternity cover. Sound like it might be suitable for you? Find out more and how to apply: https://bit.ly/47ETat2

🚨 One day left to apply Could you be our Office Manager (mat cover)? We’re looking for an organised, proactive and friendly person to oversee our smooth running. 🗓️ Deadline: 13 Nov, 11:55PM www.refugeewomen.co.uk/office-manag...

Tories confirm Chris Philp's bill proposing mass deportation of people with indefinite leave to remain no longer party policy - www.theguardian.com/politics/liv...

Important new report on the failures of the asylum accommodation system by Home Affairs Committee.

Pretty frustrated at the front page of a UK newspaper today listing the method of suicide used by Ricky Hatton. I won’t share a screen shot because we should not share details of methods. I would urge all journalists to read the excellent Samaritans guidelines

Great to see Ben meeting with my @futuregovforum.bsky.social colleagues @emilyagraham.bsky.social and @bethgardiner-smith.bsky.social to talk reform of the asylum system. Ben wrote a great essay for our recent collection 'A vision for renewal': www.futuregovernanceforum.co.uk/resource/the...

Fantastic to meet @bengoldsborough.bsky.social today, who wrote an essay in @futuregovforum.bsky.social's new collection And it feels more relevant than ever: "Liberal, inclusive democracy cannot afford to respond [to populism] with hand-wringing. It must respond with clarity, courage & action" 👇

@alfdubs.bsky.social kindly wrote the foreword to FGF’s ‘Future of Asylum – a vision for renewal’ essay collection which includes contributions from charities, housing associations & MPs that consider how the government can reform the asylum system 🔽 www.futuregovernanceforum.co.uk/resource/the...

Don’t miss @alfdubs.bsky.social article on @labourlist.bsky.social that explains why leaving the ECHR would undermine 'Britain’s long-standing tradition of providing sanctuary to those in desperate need.’ Read it here 🔽 labourlist.org/2025/10/brit...

In @labourlist.bsky.social today, @alfdubs.bsky.social warns that Britain’s legacy is at risk But argues that Labour's leadership can save it if they rally behind Starmer’s message at conference & shift the narrative on asylum away from far-right's divisive rhetoric labourlist.org/2025/10/brit...

Govt plans to restrict family reunion for refugees is back in the news today - including the fact that there are different rules for refugee families to other migrants & British citizens So what are the rules for refugee families, and why are they different? Time for a thread on what's what 🧵

Kicking off our @futuregovforum.bsky.social event, ‘Labour, Populism & the Future of Asylum’, to a packed room at #Lab25

Populists want confusion. Democracy demands clarity, courage and action. The threat is real – but it’s not insurmountable. www.futuregovernanceforum.co.uk/resource/the... 4/4

Democracy isn’t self-defending. It needs us to stand up for it. I’ve written for the @futuregovforum.bsky.social's new report: The Future of Asylum – A Vision for Renewal. 👉 www.futuregovernanceforum.co.uk/resource/the... 1/4

"It remains our responsibility to provide a convincing counter to the politics of division, hate & fantasy solutions. Refugees will continue to come" Spot on from @alfdubs.bsky.social introducing this new collection, which attempts to meet this challenge & offer new ideas on the future of asylum 👇

The Trump administration is planning to push at UNGA to unravel our international refugee protection system & restrict asylum rights So what are they planning & what does it mean?

Looking forward to being at #Lab25 next week - make sure you save Sunday 3-4pm in your diaries for a timely discussion on "Labour, Populism & the Future of Asylum" 👀 More details & @futuregovforum.bsky.social's full event programme below ⏬ www.futuregovernanceforum.co.uk/party-confer...

📣 📣 New today The UK should lead a coalition to reform the implementation of the Refugee Convention and deliver a system that's fairer, safe and more controlled. A thread 🧵 futuregovforum.substack.com/p/the-refuge...

Seventy-five years on, calls to retire the Refugee Convention are growing - its critics argue that it's outdated and not fit for purpose in the twenty first century They're wrong. 🧵

This is part of @futuregovforum.bsky.social's Future of Asylum project, led by @bethgardiner-smith.bsky.social and @emilyagraham.bsky.social. Akiko's is the first of a series of essays to be published soon, and follows our first report on this in May www.futuregovernanceforum.co.uk/resource/asy...

Really timely piece from Akiko Hart, Director of @libertyhq.bsky.social, on the ECHR: context about what it does (and does not) do, options for reform at both UK and European level, and - most importantly of all - how progressives should talk about it futuregovforum.substack.com/p/rewrite-th...

📖 👇 First of a series of essays we have coming up tackling the big questions on the 'Future of Asylum' and how Progressives should respond. @akikohart.bsky.social on the ECHR argues we need fewer lofty appeals and history lessons, and more practical appeals to how it benefits each of us.

Here we go again - UK's membership of European Convention is once again hotly contested, this time because of small boats & migration In this essay, 'Rewrite the story or risk it all: Labour’s test on human rights', @libertyhq.bsky.social's @akikohart.bsky.social looks at why & what's at stake 🧵

📣 Mentors wanted! Have you studied at Master's degree level or higher? Have 4-6 hours a month to spare? 🙋 Oxford's Refugee-Led Research Hub is looking for mentors to provide application support to displaced students applying for master’s degrees. For more info ➡️ drive.google.com/file/d/113tv...

Opportunity to join Care Rights UK's board as a new trustee! This is a fantastic opportunity to support a brilliant charity that's helping older people in care, often at the sharp end of failures in the system. Please consider & share. Find out more: www.carerightsuk.org/news/join-ou...

Excellent response to the latest from Farage by Ben Goldsborough MP "Make no mistake: what Reform UK is offering is nothing less than the removal of your freedoms...It is an assault not just on migrants, but on you." 🧵
on what's at risk for women & girls www.politics.co.uk/mp-comment/2...

There's been a lot of talk about asylum hotels over the last few weeks, but little in the way of practical suggestions. Our new analysis at @refugeecouncil.bsky.social sets out how the government could end the use of hotels within months, rather than years www.mirror.co.uk/news/politic...

Opportunity to join Care Rights UK's board as a new trustee! This is a fantastic opportunity to support a brilliant charity that's helping older people in care, often at the sharp end of failures in the system. Please consider & share. Find out more: www.carerightsuk.org/news/join-ou...

Well. It seems even Farage thinks he went a bit far. www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

"meaningful international cooperation on migration and security depends not on weakening human rights protections, but on staying committed to them" Absolutely right - and great to see @tonyvaughanmp.bsky.social making the case for the UK's continued commitment to the ECHR 👇

"No one needed to attack anyone in my name" "It felt like people were using my gender to justify their own opinions or actions” "Where has hate ever got anyone?" Three women's take on the right-wing protests in their area - great to see this @glamour.com www.glamourmagazine.co.uk/article/far-...

There is now also caseworker guidance, setting out the prioritisation process: • Stage 1: high-grant and high-volume nationalities • Stage 2: connection to the UK • Stage 3: random selection of Expression of Interest application Connection to the UK means having previously been lawfully in the UK.

ICYMI - As the UK/France migration deal comes into force, you can read @bethgardiner-smith.bsky.social & my take here, drawing on our research with @futuregovforum.bsky.social 👇

"A tired tale of cuts, broken pledges, neighbourhood neglect and poor-value outsourcing. But a subplot fraught with rumour and racism is darkening the story." Important reporting on asylum hotel policy, but depressing read -

V powerful testimony from Care Rights UK’s Helen Wildbore, but difficult listening I don't underestimate the difficulty of decision-making for social care in face of new pandemic but must look at what happened & why - not only for future emergencies but also in fixing today's social care failures

Today (Weds) at 11.30 our webinar on the new British Seven Segments. More on the new fault lines, the segments and what it means for politics/issues/institutions. Sign up here moreincommon.zoom.us/webinar/regi...

V fascinating insights, especially for the political debate re: asylum - Asylum is top 3 issue for voters so 'do nothing' is not an option But how Labour communicates about asylum & what they're doing matters. Actively seeking conflict & attention risks increasing salience which benefits Reform 👇

The UK-France migration deal combines pragmatism with progressive principles. This new alliance might just have provided the answer to social democrats seeking a response to the populist right. Our piece for @labourlist.bsky.social @emilyagraham.bsky.social labourlist.org/2025/07/keir...

I've been reflecting on @adamterryfgf.bsky.social's key lesson from Labour's first year in office: the urgency of thinking long-term There's a particular relevance for asylum policy - particularly that 'tension of time horizons' between immediate challenges & longer-term solutions 👇

The UK's 2 Afghan relocation schemes are being quietly closed to new applications/referrals today ACRS aimed resettle around 20k people. It's relocated 12.8k in 4 years, around half of whom came in Aug 2021 ARAP has resettled 21.3k Afghans, with 22k cases still pending www.gov.uk/government/p...

Positive to see these discussions between UK & France on tackling Channel crossings, which go beyond existing enforcement & security approach Two things: 1) UK should get ‘admissions’ side of deal working hard (this shouldn’t just be about returns) 2) Needs scale 🧵 www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/...

The Centre for Applied Human Rights at the University of York is offering one scholarship worth £7,300 for the 2025/26 academic year. Deadline: 15 August 2025, 23:59 BST. Find out more and apply 👇 www.york.ac.uk/cahr/news/20...

FGF’s team of experts analyse what the #SpendingReview means for: * The government’s economic agenda * Local and regional government * Infrastructure * Mission-driven government * Transformative technology * Asylum. Read more ⬇️ www.futuregovernanceforum.co.uk/2025/06/11/w...

New @ippr.org analysis on govt plan to extend qualifying period for settlement from 5 to 10 years. - Around 1.7m people already in UK could be affected. - Evidence says restricting settlement could inhibit integration and earnings. - Public do not support 10 year wait. www.ippr.org/articles/not...

With new ONS net migration figures out today, we must note that public concern about immigration is largely focused on small boats, rather than work or study Today's Home Office statistics show that the number of people crossing the Channel was up 22% in the year ending March 2025 🧵

New ONS data published this morning shows a 50% fall in net migration - but new polling finds that this wasn't expected by the public, with most thinking numbers would go up This is both a challenge (need to realign debate with reality) & critically, an opportunity for a reset on migration policy

ICYMI last week, a great new report by my colleagues @emilyagraham.bsky.social and @bethgardiner-smith.bsky.social proposing 'Asylum Management Centres' as a new way of reducing the number of small boat crossings in the Channel www.mirror.co.uk/news/politic...

The new EU/UK deal includes a joint commitment to tackle Channel crossings, but what could such cooperation look like? Continued enforcement is only half the answer - UK Govt should also seek to open access to asylum from France to divert people into regular pathways & reduce Channel crossings 👇

Don’t miss this @hollybancroft.bsky.social story in today’s @the-independent.com on FGF's new report which proposes setting up Asylum Management Centres to cut small boat crossings 🗞️⬇️ www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home...