The High Court ruled that a temporary cap on the number of skilled workers from outside the European Union allowed into the United Kingdom (ahead of a permanent cap) was introduced unlawfully, because ministers had 'sidestepped' parliamentary scrutiny. The government immediately reintroduced the cap after remedying a 'technicality' in the way the cap had been implemented.
Source: <:High Court 17 December 2010 | Debate 20 December 2010, columns 1181-1186, House of Commons Hansard/TSO
Links: Home Office press release (1) | Hansard | Home Office press release (2) | Statement | Labour Party press release | ECCA press release | Community Care report | Morning Star report | BBC report | People Management report
Date: 2010-Dec
The government set out a timetable for ending the practice of detaining children in immigration centres, including the immediate closure of the family unit at Yarl's Wood.
Source: Written Ministerial Statement 16 December 2010, columns 125-127WS, House of Commons Hansard/TSO | Review Into Ending the Detention of Children for Immigration Purposes, UK Border Agency
Links: Hansard | Home Office press release | Report | HOC research brief | Liberal Democrats press release | Barnardos press release | BID press release | Catholic Church press release | Childrens Society press release | Church of England press release | CRAE press release | Guardian report | Community Care report | Children & Young People Now report | Morning Star report
Date: 2010-Dec
A report by a committee of MSPs said that a campaign was needed to tackle misinformation about migrants, and to highlight the economic and social benefits that they brought to Scotland.
Source: Inquiry into Migration and Trafficking, 5th Report 2010, SP Paper 543, Scottish Parliament Equal Opportunities Committee
Links: Report | Scottish Parliament press release | Amnesty press release | SRC press release
Date: 2010-Dec
The Court of Appeal overturned a ban on non-Europeans under the age of 21 coming to live with British partners in the United Kingdom, describing its impact on innocent lives as 'impossible to justify'.
Source: Quila & Anor v Secretary of State for the Home Department, Court of Appeal 21 December 2010
Links: Text of judgement | BBC report | Guardian report
Date: 2010-Dec
A new book examined European immigration and asylum law.
Source: Kay Hailbronner (ed.), European Immigration and Asylum Law: A commentary, Hart Publishing
Links: Summary
Date: 2010-Dec
A think-tank briefing said that net immigration was unlikely to fall much below 200,000 in 2011 – roughly the annual level it had been at for much of the previous decade. If the United Kingdom economy continued to perform more strongly relative to Eurozone countries such as Spain, Portugal, and Greece, increased net inflows could be expected from the European Union (which was not covered by the annual cap being introduced in April 2011). Increased in-flows from Ireland – where the economy was in severe trouble – were also likely.
Source: Migration Review: 2010/2011, Institute for Public Policy Research
Links: Briefing | IPPR press release | BBC report
Date: 2010-Dec
A paper examined an alternative approach to the return of asylum-seeking families that did not rely upon detention and forced removal, but instead increased the scope for voluntary returns. It focused on alternatives to detention for children in asylum-seeking families for whom there might be particular barriers to return.
Source: Heaven Crawley, Ending the Detention of Children: Developing an alternative approach to family returns, Centre for Migration Policy Research/Swansea University
Links: Paper | Summary | Children & Young People Now report
Date: 2010-Dec
A think-tank report examined proposals and options for capping and reforming the routes that governed immigration for work from outside the European Union. The government faced an 'unpalatable' choice – between introducing a policy that it knew was damaging to the economy and public services, and finding a way to abandon or redefine its stated policy objectives.
Source: Capping Immigration to the UK: Where next?, Institute for Public Policy Research
Links: Report
Date: 2010-Nov
A collection of essays examined why the issue of immigration caused so many political problems for the Labour governments of 1997-2010.
Source: Tim Finch and David Goodhart (eds.), Immigration under Labour, Institute for Public Policy Research
Links: Report
Date: 2010-Nov
The government announced a range of new measures designed to control the numbers of people who could come to the United Kingdom and work from outside the European Union. The number of skilled non-EU workers that businesses could bring into the country each year would be capped at 21,700 – more than one-fifth below the previous level.
Source: Debate 23 November 2010, columns 169-188, House of Commons Hansard/TSO
Links: Hansard | Home Office press release | AOC press release | BCC press release | BMA press release | CBI press release | GuildHE press release | Law Society press release | NHS Employers press release | NIACE press release | REC press release | Scottish Government press release | Universities UK press release | Guardian report | Personnel Today report | People Management report
Date: 2010-Nov
A report by a committee of MPs said that the cap proposed by the coalition government on economic immigrant from outside the European Economic Area (EEA) would have little significant impact on overall immigration levels.
Source: Immigration Cap, First Report (Session 2010-11), HC 361, House of Commons Home Affairs Select Committee/TSO
Links: Report | Committee press release | Home Office press release | BCC press release | BMA press release | Migration Watch UK press release | UUK press release | Telegraph report | Guardian report | BBC report | People Management report | Public Finance report
Date: 2010-Nov
A think-tank report said that the United Kingdom could find itself competing for, rather than repelling, migrants in the future as global economic inter-dependency increased.
Source: Faiza Shaheen, Eva Neitzert, and Susanna Mitchell, Why the Cap Won't Fit: Global migration realities 2010-2050, New Economics Foundation
Links: Report | NEF press release
Date: 2010-Nov
A report examined the use of community-based forums to promote shared understanding between new migrants and settled groups around neighbourhood, community, and housing issues.
Source: Deborah Phillips et al., Neighbourhood, Community and Housing in Bradford, Joseph Rowntree Foundation
Date: 2010-Nov
An article examined a community research project aimed at building the capacity of refugee community organizations. It considered the rationale for adopting a community research approach, the meaning of community research to those involved, and the methodological challenges and practical concerns associated with the approach.
Source: Lisa Goodson and Jenny Phillimore, 'A community research methodology: working with new migrants to develop a policy related evidence base', Social Policy and Society, Volume 9 Issue 4
Links: Abstract
Date: 2010-Oct
A report said that 77 asylum-seekers and migrants had died either in the United Kingdom or attempting to reach it in the previous five years as a consequence of the direct or indirect racism of official policies. 44 had died by: taking their own lives when claims were not allowed; meeting accidental deaths evading deportation or during the deportation itself; being denied medical care; or becoming destitute in the UK. 15 had died using dangerous and highly risky methods to enter the country.
Source: Harmit Athwal, Driven to Desperate Measures: 2006-2010, Institute of Race Relations
Links: Report | IRR press release | Guardian report
Date: 2010-Oct
The Court of Appeal ruled that local authorities must provide accommodation for young people who were leaving care at age 18, including asylum-seekers. The case focused on whether the provision of accommodation to a care-leaving asylum-seeker should be the responsibility of the local authority or the National Asylum Support Service.
Source: SO, R (on the application of) v London Borough of Barking and Dagenham, Court of Appeal 12 October 2010
Links: Text of judgement | Children & Young People Now report
Date: 2010-Oct
An article examined how administrative data systems (such as those that captured registrations of recent migrants with a local doctor) could provide data to improve the understanding of patterns and trends in international migration. It proposed a model for the estimation of immigration at a local level, integrating existing national estimates with data from administrative sources.
Source: Peter Boden and Phil Rees, 'Using administrative data to improve the estimation of immigration to local areas in England', Journal of the Royal Statistical Society: Series A, Volume 173 Issue 4
Links: Article
Date: 2010-Oct
A report said that poverty remained a major problem for asylum-seekers in Scotland who gained refugee status. Refugees struggled with low incomes; had difficulty finding jobs, because their skills or qualifications were not recognized; sent money to support family members in their country of origin despite having very little themselves; and experienced social isolation and a lack of social support.
Source: Kate Lindsay, Refugees' Experiences and Views of Poverty in Scotland, Scottish Refugee Council
Links: Report | SRC press release | Glasgow University press release | Morning Star report
Date: 2010-Oct
An article outlined a framework designed to support the exploration of the neighbourhood effects of new immigration. Immigration was often assumed to be having a detrimental affect on the well-being of settled residents: but there was a dearth of evidence, and the evidence that did exist was 'curiously placeless'.
Source: David Robinson, 'The neighbourhood effects of new immigration', Environment and Planning A, Volume 42 Number 10
Links: Abstract
Date: 2010-Oct
An article examined the emotional well-being of young people seeking asylum on their own. Young people's decisions about how much of their existing or past lives they shared with others were more complex than indicated by earlier research.
Source: Elaine Chase, 'Agency and silence: young people seeking asylum alone in the UK', British Journal of Social Work, Volume 40 Number 7
Links: Abstract
Date: 2010-Oct
Researchers examined the behaviour of migrants entering the immigration system in the major non-visit visa routes; and the common pathways through the immigration system that resulted in settlement.
Source: Lorrah Achato, Mike Eaton and Chris Jones, The Migrant Journey, Research Report 43, Home Office
Links: Report | Summary | Home Office press release | Guardian report | BBC report
Date: 2010-Sep
A report said that more than one-half of the children detained for immigration reasons were psychologically damaged by their experience.
Source: Jon Burnett et al., 'State Sponsored Cruelty': Children in immigration detention, Medical Justice
Links: Report | Medical Justice press release | Barnardos press release | CRAE press release | Children & Young People Now report
Date: 2010-Sep
A paper examined the extent to which public concern about immigration affected trust in politicians and political institutions.
Source: Lauren McLaren, Cause for Concern? The impact of immigration on political trust, Policy Network
Date: 2010-Sep
A new book examined the smuggling of migrants and trafficking in human beings in the European Union, based on a comparative analysis of British and Italian legal approaches.
Source: Matilde Ventrella, The Control of People Smuggling and Trafficking in the EU: Experiences from the UK and Italy, Ashgate Publications
Links: Summary
Date: 2010-Sep
A report said that not giving refugees permanent leave to remain in the United Kingdom caused anxiety and stress, and acted as a barrier to rebuilding their lives. Many refugees were not aware that they would need to reapply for permanent leave to remain after their initial five-year stay ran out.
Source: Lisa Doyle, with Sarah Cutler and James Lee, The Impact of Limited Leave on Refugees in the UK, Refugee Council
Links: Report | Refugee Council press release
Date: 2010-Sep
In 2009, the overall number of visas issued was 1,995,730, an increase of 2 per cent compared with 2008 (1,954,770). 1,717,490 were issued to main applicants and 278,235 to dependants. 162,630 were work-related, a decrease of 21 per cent compared with 2008 (204,685); and 341,305 were study-related, an increase of 24 per cent compared with 2008 (275,155).
Source: Control of Immigration: Statistics – United Kingdom 2009, Statistical Bulletin 15/10, Home Office
Links: Bulletin | Home Office press release | CIPD press release | Refugee Council press release | People Management report
Date: 2010-Aug
A report examined the nature and extent of the trafficking of foreign nationals for sexual exploitation. Around 17,000 of the estimated 30,000 women involved in off-street prostitution in England and Wales were migrants. Approximately one-half come from eastern Europe and one-third from Asia.
Source: Keith Jackson, Jon Jeffery and George Adamson, Setting the Record: The trafficking of migrant women in the England and Wales off-street prostitution sector, Association of Chief Police Officers
Links: Report | Home Office press release | Amnesty press release
Date: 2010-Aug
An article examined welfare utilization among migrants in the United Kingdom and Ireland. It found little support for the 'moral hazard' view of migrant interactions with welfare systems. Migrants in Ireland's relatively more generous welfare system were seen to have no greater likelihood of welfare dependency, and in fact showed a lower usage of welfare (as a proportion of total income) than similar migrants in the UK.
Source: Owen Corrigan, 'Migrants, welfare systems and social citizenship in Ireland and Britain: users or abusers?', Journal of Social Policy, Volume 39 Issue 3
Links: Abstract
Date: 2010-Jul
The Supreme Court ruled that people who had submitted new evidence to support their claim for asylum, and who had waited longer than 12 months for a decision on their initial claim, should be given permission to work.
Source: R (on the application of ZO (Somalia) and others) v Secretary of State for the Home Department, UKSC 36 (2010), United Kingdom Supreme Court
Links: Text of judgement | Home Office press release | Telegraph report
Date: 2010-Jul
The border service inspectorate said that there were 'significant weaknesses' in family removal procedures, and that there were no processes in place to collect, analyze, and publish information on families who were subject to removal.
Source: Family Removals: A thematic inspection, Independent Chief Inspector of the UK Border Agency
Links: Report | ICI press release | Refugee Council press release
Date: 2010-Jul
The Supreme Court ruled that gay and lesbian asylum-seekers should not be expected to 'exercise discretion' in their home countries to avoid persecution.
Source: HJ (Iran) v Secretary of State for the Home Department, UKSC 31 (2010), United Kingdom Supreme Court
Links: Text of judgement | Home Office press release | EHRC press release | Stonewall press release | LGF press release | Amnesty press release | IRR press release | Refugee Council press release | TUC press release | Runnymede Trust press release | Liberal Democrats press release | Guardian report
Date: 2010-Jul
The High Court quashed the UK Border Agency's policy of giving less than the standard 72 hours' notice of removal from the United Kingdom in certain 'exceptions' categories (including unaccompanied child asylum-seekers) among foreign nationals refused permission to stay.
Source: R (Medical Justice) v Secretary of State for the Home Office, High Court 26 July 2010
Links: Text of judgement | Home Office press release | IPPR press release | PLP press release | Refugee Council press release
Date: 2010-Jul
An article reported a qualitative study of households that outsourced stereotypically male domestic chores – such as household and garden repair/maintenance. The paid domestic work sector was a critical 'nexus' at which gendered care and migration regimes intersected.
Source: Majella Kilkey, 'Domestic-sector work in the UK: locating men in the configuration of gendered care and migration regimes', Social Policy and Society, Volume 9 Issue 3
Links: Abstract
Date: 2010-Jul
The new Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition government announced that the number of workers entering the United Kingdom from outside Europe would be controlled by a new limit with effect from 1 April 2011. It said that net migration would be scaled back to the levels of the 1990s – to tens of thousands rather than hundreds of thousands. Details of how the final limit would be delivered would be agreed following consultation with businesses. In the meantime an interim limit would be introduced.
Source: Debate 28 June 2010, columns 585-597, House of Commons Hansard/TSO
Links: Hansard | Home Office press release | CBI press release | BCC press release | UUK press release | NHS Employers press release | SNP press release | Guardian report | Personnel Today report
Date: 2010-Jun
An audit report reviewed the data systems used to support delivery of the Labour government's public service agreement 3 – to 'ensure controlled, fair migration that protects the public and contributes to economic growth' – over the period from 2008.
Source: Review of the Data Systems for Public Service Agreement 3, National Audit Office
Links: Report
Date: 2010-Jun
An article used school census data in England to measure internal and international family migration patterns.
Source: Ludi Simpson, Naomi Marquis and Stephen Jivraj, 'International and internal migration measured from the school census in England', Population Trends 140, Summer 2010, Office for National Statistics
Links: Article | ONS press release
Date: 2010-Jun
A report said that up to 20,000 failed asylum-seekers were living in conditions of destitution, relying on charities for food. It criticized the asylum system as 'shameful' and 'inhumane'.
Source: Not Gone, But Forgotten: The urgent need for a more humane asylum system, British Red Cross
Links: Report | BRC press release | Childrens Society press release | Guardian report
Date: 2010-Jun
The new Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition government announced that compulsory English language tests would be introduced for migrants applying to come to the United Kingdom to join their partner or marry. From autumn 2010 all non-European Union migrants would have to demonstrate a basic command of English that allowed them to cope with everyday life before they were granted a visa.
Source: Written Ministerial Statement 9 June 2010, columns 11-12WS, House of Commons Hansard/TSO
Links: Hansard | Home Office press release | Telegraph report | BBC report
Date: 2010-Jun
A report said that the United Kingdom's anti-trafficking measures were 'not fit for purpose' and that the government was breaching its obligations under the European Convention against Trafficking.
Source: Wrong Kind of Victim? One year on – An analysis of UK measures to protect trafficked persons, Anti-Trafficking Monitoring Group
Links: Report | ASI press release | Amnesty press release | Home Office press release | Guardian report
Date: 2010-Jun
A paper examined the relationship between immigration and crime, based on data from two recent waves of immigration. The first wave (in the late 1990s/early 2000s) led to a small rise in property crime, although the second wave (after 2004) did not. There was no observable effect on violent crime for either wave.
Source: Brian Bell, Stephen Machin and Francesco Fasani, Crime and Immigration: Evidence from large immigrant waves, DP984, Centre for Economic Performance/London School of Economics
Links: Paper
Date: 2010-Jun
A report said that asylum-seekers who had been raped, tortured, and threatened with death in their home country because of their sexual orientation were being routinely deported because of systemic discrimination in the asylum system.
Source: Nathanael Miles, No Going Back: Lesbian and gay people and the asylum system, Stonewall
Links: Report | Stonewall press release | PinkNews report
Date: 2010-May
An article examined the main trends in nurse migration to the United Kingdom, and highlighted the importance of state policy as a major influence shaping employer utilization of migrant nurses. The introduction of the points-based immigration system was considered, along with the consequences for migrant nurses, employers, and trade unions.
Source: Stephen Bach, 'Managed migration? Nurse recruitment and the consequences of state policy', Industrial Relations Journal, Volume 41 Issue 3
Links: Abstract
Date: 2010-May
The new Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition government (formed following the general election in May 2010) published its policy programme for a five-year term of office. The programme included:
• A 'significantly accelerated' reduction in the structural public deficit, with the main burden of deficit reduction borne by reduced spending rather than increased taxes, and arrangements that would protect those on low incomes from the effect of public sector pay constraint and other spending constraints.
• Cuts of £6 billion to non-front line services in 2010-11, 'subject to advice from the Treasury and the Bank of England on their feasibility and advisability'. Spending would be cut on the child trust fund and tax credits for higher earners.
A full public spending review, reporting in autumn 2010.
• An independent commission to review the long-term affordability of public sector pensions, while protecting accrued rights. The earnings link for uprating the basic state pension would be restored from April 2011.
• The personal allowance for income tax to be increased in order to help lower- and middle-income earners. There would be a substantial increase in the allowance from April 2011, with a longer-term objective of increasing it to £10,000 per year: this would take priority over other tax cuts, including cuts to inheritance tax. Liberal Democrat MPs would be allowed to abstain on budget resolutions to introduce transferable tax allowances for married couples.
• Funding for the National Health Service would increase in real terms in each year of the parliament. Overall management responsibility for the NHS would be transferred to a new independent board.
• A commission would examine the future of long-term care, reporting within a year. Legislation giving free personal care to the most needy, enacted at the end of the previous Labour government, would be scrapped.
• An annual limit on the number of non-European Union economic migrants admitted into the United Kingdom to live and work. Detention of children for immigration purposes would be ended.
• The establishment of fixed-term (five years) parliaments. There would be a referendum on the introduction of the alternative vote system of voting in general elections. A committee would be established to bring forward proposals for a wholly or mainly elected upper chamber on the basis of proportional representation.
• A referendum on further Welsh devolution.
• A commission would investigate the creation of a British Bill of Rights that incorporated all existing obligations under the European Convention on Human Rights. The identity card scheme would be scrapped.
• 'Radical' devolution of power and greater financial autonomy to local government and community groups. There would be a 'full review' of local government finance.
• Phasing out of the default retirement age. There would be a review to set the date at which the state pension age started to rise to 66, although it would not be sooner than 2016 for men and 2020 for women. Rules requiring compulsory annuitization of pension savings at 75 would be scrapped.
• Replacement of all existing welfare-to-work programmes with a single programme. Jobseeker's allowance claimants facing the most significant barriers to work would be referred to the new programme immediately, rather than after 12 months. Jobseeker's allowance claimants aged under 25 would be referred to the programme after a maximum of six months.
•Reform of schools in order to ensure that new providers could enter the state school system in response to parental demand. All schools would have greater freedom over the curriculum. A 'significant' premium would be introduced for disadvantaged pupils, funded by cuts from outside the schools budget.
Measures to make the police service more accountable through oversight by directly elected police commissioners. There would be a 'full review' of sentencing policy. Anonymity in rape cases would be extended to defendants.
• Extension of the right to request flexible working to all employees. A 'fair pay review' in the public sector would consider how to implement a proposed '20 times' multiple limit between the highest and lowest pay rates.
Source: The Coalition: Our Programme for Government, Cabinet Office
Links: Programme | Downing Street press release | Press conference transcript | DH press release | ADASS press release | SCIE press release | Carers UK press release | Kings Fund press release | BMA press release | NASUWT press release | LGA press release | CIH press release | RTPI press release | Fawcett Society press release | Friends of the Earth press release | Community Care report (1) | Community Care report (2) | Personnel Today report | Children & Young People Now report | Pulse report | BBC report (1) | BBC report (2) | BBC report (3) | BBC report (4) | Guardian report (1) | Guardian report (2) | Guardian report (3) | Guardian report (4) | Guardian report (5) | Telegraph report | Womensgrid report
Date: 2010-May
A report said that increasing numbers of asylum-seeking and refugee families were falling into destitution – unable to get the help they needed from the state, and not allowed to work or claim benefits.
Source: Destitution Amongst Asylum-Seeking and Refugee Children, Children's Society
Links: Report | Children & Young People Now report | Inside Housing report
Notes: Original link removed by Children's Society
Date: 2010-May
A paper said that there were potential economic benefits associated with migration, especially to fill gaps in the labour market – where there were shortages of workers, whether high- or low-skilled. Although there might be costs to particular groups, there was little evidence of an overall negative impact on jobs or wages.
Source: Jonathan Wadsworth, Immigration and the UK Labour Market: The evidence from economic research, Centre for Economic Performance/London School of Economics
Links: Paper
Date: 2010-Apr
An article examined the extent to which refugee community organizations were able to engage with the public and wider voluntary sector in seeking to meet refugees' welfare needs. In addition to the much-researched functional barriers to engagement, there were major institutional obstacles.
Source: Jenny Phillimore and Lisa Goodson, 'Failing to adapt: institutional barriers to RCOs engagement in transformation of social welfare', Social Policy and Society, Volume 9 Issue 2
Links: Abstract
Date: 2010-Apr
A think-tank report said that it was not immigration that was the main driver of support for the far-right British National Party, but alienation and an inability to overcome social challenges such as isolation and low skills.
Source: Exploring the Roots of BNP Support, Institute for Public Policy Research
Links: Report | IPPR press release | Runnymede Trust press release | Guardian report | Ekklesia report
Date: 2010-Apr
A report said that child asylum-seekers arriving in the United Kingdom, some suffering from illness or serious injuries, were being denied basics such as rest, food, and medicine before they completed oppressive and unlawful interviews with the Border Agency.
Source: Safe at Last? Children on the front line of border control, Refugee and Migrant Justice
Links: Report | RMJ press release | Children & Young People Now report | Community Care report
Date: 2010-Mar
A report for the equal rights watchdog examined the situation of asylum-seekers and refugees from an equality and human rights perspective. It said that policies and practices within the asylum system covering the seven equality areas, as well as the treatment of vulnerable groups, were a cause for concern.
Source: Peter Aspinall and Charles Watters, Refugees and Asylum Seekers: A Review from an Equality and Human Rights Perspective, Research Report 52, Equality and Human Rights Commission
Links: Report
Date: 2010-Mar
A report said that unaccompanied immigrant children experienced racism, struggled to cope with the mental trauma experienced on their journeys to the United Kingdom, and were vulnerable to exploitation.
Source: Levelling the Playing Field, UNICEF UK
Links: UNICEF press release | Guardian report
Date: 2010-Mar
A report examined the way in which data relating to unaccompanied asylum-seeking children were handled, and whether information-sharing practices conformed to data protection and human rights requirements.
Source: Terri Dowty and Ian Brown, Unaccompanied Children Seeking Asylum: Privacy, Consent and Data Protection, Action on Rights for Children
Links: ARCH press release
Date: 2010-Mar
A report said that it was not the number of new migrants that caused tension in neighbourhoods, but rather a failure to manage integration properly. The two key drivers of integration were employment and fluency in the host language: minor provisions in these areas would benefit the integration of new migrants across all aspects of life.
Source: Zubaida Haque, What Works with Integrating New Migrants?, Runnymede Trust
Links: Runnymede Trust press release
Date: 2010-Mar
A report by the official ombudsman said that the UK Border Agency still had a 'long way to go' to demonstrate that it was meeting the principles of good administration and complaint handling. The Agency's failure to resolve applications within reasonable timescales could have serious implications for the individuals involved, for society in general, and for the public purse.
Source: 'Fast and Fair?' A report by the Parliamentary Ombudsman on the UK Border Agency, Fourth Report (Session 2009-10), HC 329, Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman/TSO
Links: Report | Guardian report
Date: 2010-Feb
The European Court of Justice ruled that some migrant families could stay in the United Kingdom and claim benefits – even if the main worker had left the country. The court said that some families should be allowed to stay when their child was in education. A child's education was paramount, so parents could not be told to leave if they could not support themselves.
Source: London Borough of Harrow v Nimco Hassan Ibrahim/Maria Teixeira v London Borough of Lambeth, European Court of Justice
Links: ECJ press release | BBC report
Date: 2010-Feb
An inspectorate report said that, based on existing staffing levels and the complexity and volume of asylum cases, the UK Border Agency's target of concluding 90 per cent of asylum cases within six months by December 2011 was 'unachievable'.
Source: Asylum: Getting the Balance Right?, Independent Chief Inspector of the UK Border Agency
Links: Report | ICIUKBA press release | Guardian report | BBC report
Date: 2010-Feb
The government published the results of consultation (in 2009) on a new points-based test for those seeking United Kingdom citizenship. Only 41 per cent of respondents were in favour of introducing a points-based test.
Source: Earning the Right to Stay: A New Points Test for Citizenship – Analysis of Consultation Responses, UK Border Agency/Home Office
Links: Link removed by Home Office
Date: 2010-Feb
An article examined the experiences of new immigrants and migrants within the social housing allocation process, and the common perception that they were unfairly advantaged in the process.
Source: David Robinson, 'New immigrants and migrants in social housing in Britain: discursive themes and lived realities', Policy & Politics, Volume 38 Number 1
Links: Abstract
Date: 2010-Feb
The UK Border Agency published a strategy document that clarified the extent of its law enforcement activities and set out how, over the following five years, it would develop its capability to protect the public from the harm caused by illegal immigration and smuggling.
Source: Protecting Our Border, Protecting the Public, UK Border Agency/Home Office
Date: 2010-Feb
An article examined the welfare citizenship experiences of older women who had migrated in later life to England, either as refugees or as post-retirement migrants. It called for greater recognition of the enabling role that informal systems of support provided by participation in community or cultural organizations.
Source: Joanne Cook, 'Exploring older women's citizenship: understanding the impact of migration in later life', Ageing and Society, Volume 30 Issue 2
Links: Abstract
Date: 2010-Feb
An article examined the policy impact of 14 judgments over a ten-year period of challenge to the removal of welfare support from 'late claimers' for asylum. It highlighted the force of general principles in yielding a solution, while also providing evidence of judgment as political dialogue over competing visions of society.
Source: Lydia Morris, 'Welfare, asylum and the politics of judgment', Journal of Social Policy, Volume 39 Issue 1
Links: Abstract
Date: 2010-Jan
A report said that people had little, if any, choice over which country they claimed asylum in, and that few knew what to expect before they arrived in the United Kingdom. Harsh policies that made the lives of asylum-seekers tougher after their arrival in the UK had no demonstrable influence over whether people claimed asylum in the UK.
Source: Heaven Crawley, Chance or Choice: Understanding why asylum seekers come to the UK, Refugee Council
Links: Report | Guardian report | BBC report
Date: 2010-Jan
A joint watchdog report said that human trafficking was an active but largely hidden problem in Northern Ireland. It called for a co-ordinated response to human trafficking and more support for its victims.
Source: Agnieszka Martynowicz, Sarah Toucas and Anne Caughey, The Nature and Extent of Human Trafficking in Northern Ireland, Equality Commission for Northern Ireland/Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission
Links: Report | ECNI press release
Date: 2010-Jan
A report for the equality and human rights watchdog examined the skills and employment patterns of eastern European migrants. These migrants were primarily working in low-skilled, low-paid employment. Despite having higher education attainment levels than local employees, eastern Europeans earned on average 12.5 per cent less than British-born workers. More than one-half of the 1.5 million people from 'new' European countries had returned home: only 700,000 people remained, with in-flows of Eastern European migrants to Britain dropping by more than 60 per cent in the previous three years. As a group, eastern Europeans enjoyed a significantly lower rate of unemployment compared with British-born workers, and their use of the welfare system was less than half that of British-born residents.
Source: Madeleine Sumption and Will Somerville, The UK's New Europeans: Progress and challenges five years after accession, Equality and Human Rights Commission
Links: Report | EHRC press release | Guardian report | Personnel Today report
Date: 2010-Jan
The government responded to a report by a committee of MPs on the detention of children in the immigration system. It said that it took seriously the need to respond to the needs and vulnerability of children, and that the aim was always to restrict detention to the shortest possible time.
Source: The Detention of Children in the Immigration System: The Government Reply to the First Report from the Home Affairs Committee, Cm 7795, Home Office/TSO
Links: Response | MPs report
Date: 2010-Jan