As we approach the current Government’s second anniversary, it’s clear that much has changed. Importantly, we have seen a clear commitment to tackling long-standing issues including moving away from hotel use and clearing the asylum backlog (even if the responses to both have been flawed).
However, while the latest immigration statistics demonstrate some positives, our asylum system sadly remains a hostile place for people seeking safety.
At HIAS+JCORE, we are dismayed to see the Government increasing a deterrence-based approach that criminalises and punishes people seeking asylum.
This tunnel-visioned strategy is not coupled with clear commitments to safe routes in numbers that reflect past schemes.
Moreover, there is a lack of wider vision around what we want our country to look like and how refugees and people seeking asylum fit into that.
Refugees and people seeking asylum are welcome in the United Kingdom, and we will always advocate for policies that support their long-term integration.
Instead of focusing on buzz words, we need responsible, forward-thinking vision and leadership on refuge and asylum.
Our latest blog post breaks down the latest asylum and immigration statistics release.
Has our asylum system become more efficient?
Amidst a negative backdrop, some positive steps have been taken by the Home Secretary.
The asylum backlog continues to fall, as the number of people waiting for an initial asylum decision is at 48,758, 55% lower than at the same time last year. Additionally, claims are being processed more quickly, with the majority of claims receiving an initial decision within six months.
However, the majority of initially rejected asylum claims are taken to an appeal, and many people seeking asylum are waiting over a year to have their claims resolved.
Are we better supporting newly granted refugees?
Newly granted refugees now have a 42-day period to move on from Home Office accommodation and support, a policy we have long campaigned on. This is a positive step which will decrease risk of homelessness and allow refugees to access financial assistance before they are removed from Home Office accommodation.
However, we remain committed to a 56-day move on period that would ease pressure further.
We are failing on safe routes
HIAS+JCORE has long called for the provision of safe routes, which prevent dangerous channel crossings and provide regulated and dignified pathways to settlement following displacement.
From the period of January to March this year, 25,368 people arrived on safe routes.
This includes Ukrainians, Hong Kongers and Afghans, who make up around 55% of entries through safe routes. The remainder of entries were families using refugee family reunification routes.
However, as the Government has paused processing of family reunification since September 2025, refugee family reunification is now 33% lower than this time last year.
Our Afghan resettlement programmes also closed unexpectedly in the summer, bringing 26,000 Afghans in need to the UK since August 2021. This compares with over 200,000 Ukrainians who were able to come to the UK since March 2022.
HIAS+JCORE works with young people directly affected by this policy, who are unable to reunite with parents and siblings.
We are clear: families belong together and we urge the UK Government to act at pace to reinstate family reunification.
The ‘one in, one out’ scheme is not working
The ‘one in, one out’ scheme is both cruel and not a credible policy approach.
Only 380 people have been able to come to the UK under the scheme, and just 2% of people who arrived via small boat have been returned. This comes alongside a renewal of our £662 million deal with French police for riot police, increased surveillance and deterrence.
The majority of people arriving on small boats come from Eritrea, Afghanistan, Sudan, Iran and Somalia and have no other means to reach UK shores.
If the Government is determined to pursue further deterrence, we must provide alternatives to channel crossings through accessible and larger scale safe routes.
What’s next?
It is clear – the UK is not currently a welcoming place to seek asylum. And worse is yet to come. As further reforms are enacted, refugees will be put on multi-year routes to settlement, with refugee status made temporary.
The Government has a choice: embrace refugees, and all that they bring to this country, or continue to restrict rights and our duty to those in need.
It is not too late to turn away from this approach and instate policies that strengthen our long history of providing sanctuary, including to the Jewish refugees that needed protection in the 19th and 20th centuries.
At HIAS+JCORE, we call for a values-led approach to our asylum system that shows compassion, responsibility, solidarity, and partnership.
In these challenging times, we continue to advocate for refugees and build a movement of welcome.
Our policy calls for 2026
1 – Grant refugees permanent protection and reverse the 30-month protection model.
2 – Ensure all refugees can access citizenship, ending the unfair irregular entry ban.
3 – Provide a managed and equitable transition through a 56-day move-on period for newly-granted refugees.
4 – Bring in full working rights at six months for people seeking asylum, allowing them to contribute and rebuild their lives.
5 – Reinstate refugee family reunion and extending sponsoring rights to unaccompanied children, bringing families together.
