I will make exception to my rule about EDMs to stand up for democracy and for refugees.

Making them fear deportation does nothing for border control, economy or their sanity.

ask other MPs sign EDM 2908 and ensure Parliament has a say on how we treat those we have already given sanctuary.

There is very unlikely to be anything to vote on. Changes will be implemented via the immigration rules - secondary legislation subject to negative procedure. People (especially MPs) need to understand this. The Home Secretary is operating unchecked.

I don't know where this narrative of "permanent" refugee status came from (right wing press), but it is wrong. The change is from a single grant of five years' leave followed by the ability to apply for settlement

The reality behind the Home Office's latest announcement on asylum work and study visas The Home Office has made another announcement ahead of tomorrow’s statement of changes.

I have written up some context and analysis of the latest Home Office nonsense

open.substack.com/pub/thoughts...

UK puts emergency brake on study visas for four countries’ nationals Shabana Mahmood says UK’s generosity abused as study visas halted for nationals from Afghanistan, Cameroon, Myanmar and Sudan

Let's see. So the Home Office wants to *checks notes* reduce small boat crossings by... removing safe routes for people to claim asylum by other means, from the perfectly safe countries of... Afghanistan, Myanmar and Sudan. Impeccable. www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026...

Reflecting on this and the fact that the UK is actually very good at economic and social outcomes for immigrants…

What if we built our immigration policy around the fact we’re GOOD at this stuff? And used the lessons of what has worked well to talk about national identity, welcome and integration?

A reminder of what some of these asylum policies are:

- giving refugees only 2.5 years of leave, meaning the Home Office has to review their status every 30 months
- quadrupling the time to settlement from 5 years to 20 years
- no automatic way to be reunited with close family members

The Home Office tweet here - referring to asylum seekers legally here and legally supported by the government as “illegal migrants” - is a deliberate attempt to stir up resentment and racial hatred.

I can’t see how else you describe it.

Number of homeless refugees in England soars, BBC has found Analysis of government data shows numbers increased from 3,560 in 2021/22 to 19,310 in 2024/25.

This is homelessness by design. It has to end - extending the move on period to allow more time for people to find accommodation is essential, as is fixing the flaws in the system that leave people without support as soon as they are recognised as deserving protection www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

At most, Crowborough will accommodate about 1.5% of the current hotel population. Camps are not the answer. As @refugeecouncil.bsky.social's Imran Hussain set out in the Times this morning, the way to end the use of hotels is to move people out of the asylum system www.thetimes.com/comment/lett...

Graphic with barbed wire background says "military camps are over 5.5x more expensive than safe hones in communities for people seeking sanctuary"

It costs:
💰 £144.98 a night to house someone seeking sanctuary in a run-down repurposed hotel
💰 £132 a night to ship them to an isolated, traumatising military camp
OR
💰 £23.25 a night to let them live in an ordinary, safe, community home

Destitute by design: trapped in the immigration system Migration policy is not only failing people forced to arrive in Britain by boats. In an extract from a new edited volume, Daniel Trilling reports on t...

In 2023 @tom-clark.bsky.social got me to write a chapter for his book on UK poverty about how immigration limbo, which Labour wants more of, makes people destitute. It was the most distressing piece I've ever worked on. We sent a copy to every MP. www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/society/6081...

Bit baffled how it helps to unite communities by giving examples that are clear outliers (the Audi?!?) and suggesting this is common. Absolutely feeding far right narratives and in no way reflecting the lived reality of people living - and leaving - the asylum system in dire poverty

Watching the abject race to the bottom that is this asylum statement in parliament

The Home Secretary says "we have become the destination of choice in Europe, clearly visible to every people smuggler and would-be illegal migrant across the world"

That is a factually untrue claim: the Home Office shows that the UK is fifth, getting 1/10 claims, while Germany gets 1/5 claims

Labour's MP for Folkestone says the government has taken "the wrong turning" on its plans for asylum seekers.

"The rhetoric around these reforms encourages the same culture of divisiveness that sees racism and abuse growing in our communities."

UK set to limit refugees to temporary stays Shabana Mahmood is expected to say the era of permanent protection for refugees is over, in major changes to the UK's asylum and immigration system.

This won’t stop people seeking protection in the UK. It will make it harder for refugees to rebuild their lives, feel secure and contribute to their communities. It will create a load more work for the Home Office, reviewing claims every three years.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Labour is a “godsend” for Farage says the far-right.

Refugee family reunion saves lives. Last year, over half of those reunited were children fleeing dangerous situations & joining their parents.

But the suspension of family reunion until next spring & plans to tighten rules afterwards could turn temporary separation into permanent loss for many. 1/3

The 56-day move-on period was working—giving newly-recognised refugees a fair chance to avoid homelessness. Now it has been reversed, people granted safety in the UK are being pushed straight into crisis.
📢 We need your voice to get 56 days back. Raise awareness, speak out, write to your MP.

Very fun thread

So happy ❤️🤍❤️ #upthearse

A photograph of a sign put up on a wall near the emirates stadium. The sign reads: we think you know sweet FA. Gooners support their trans sisters - keep transphobia out of women’s football

Spotted near the Emirates Stadium today ahead of Arsenal Women’s match against Manchester United women.

Keep transphobia out of women’s football!

🏳️‍⚧️⚽️🏳️‍⚧️

This is quite the outfit www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...

Yeah can we stop asking politicians ‘what is a woman?’ and start asking them ‘what proof are you insisting women give you before you’ll let them go to the toilet?’

Trans women are women, trans men are men, and trans rights are human rights.

This is absolute madness

No, Gen Z Do Not Want to Be Ruled by a Dictator The media has been full of incredibly dubious claims that young people want to be ruled by a dictatorship. The reality is very different, finds Natasha Devon

You've probably seen a lot of dodgy reporting over the past couple of weeks suggesting that Gen Z is desperate to be ruled by a dictator

The reality, as @natashadevon.bsky.social found this week, is very different

bylinetimes.com/2025/02/14/n...