An AI tool used to speed up the processing of thousands of asylum cases is failing basic accuracy tests, documents dug out by the @openrightsgroup.org reveal. www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home...

AI tool used in thousands of asylum claims failing basic accuracy tests

Exclusive: MPs, charities and rights group warn that accuracy should not be sacrificed for speed in ‘life and death’ asylum decisions

independent.co.uk

The UK's one in, one out deal with France is at an end. The deal expires tomorrow and efforts to extend the arrangement have fallen flat. The UK is not processing any more cases, although flights will continue in Oct to remove those already detained. www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home...

UK’s flagship one in, one out migrant exchange deal with France to end

The one in, one out deal is being wound down, after it returned around 1,400 people back to France

independent.co.uk

Thanks to @britishfuture.bsky.social and @futuregovforum.bsky.social for the chance to chair this panel on ‘Can Labour get immigration right?’ at conference.

British Future@britishfuture.bsky.social · 2w ago

Starting our 10am Labour conference fringe ‘Can Labour Get Immigration Right?’ with @oliviabailey.bsky.social; @emilyagraham.bsky.social; @sundersays.bsky.social @hollybancroft.bsky.social

Mark Carroll's daughters, Ayisha and Danielle, are fundraising for a gravestone to commemorate him with. Mark Carroll was killed in a random, unprovoked attack in Camden in 2024. If you can spare anything, please do consider contributing to their gofundme: www.gofundme.com/f/help-us-gi...

Fear, danger and families torn apart: The new route for Afghans seeking safety in UK Afghan refugees who supported Britain are being forced to split up their families on the MoD's new pathway to settlement. www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home...

Fear, danger and families torn apart: The new route for Afghans coming to UK

Britain has told Afghans to find their own way to the UK. But the new route is paved with danger, as Holly Bancroft finds out

independent.co.uk

A violent teenager who was released on police bail twice – leaving him free to murder a beloved grandfather in a “shocking and cowardly” attack – has been jailed for life. www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crim...

‘Dangerous’ teenager who murdered grandfather while on police bail jailed for life

Rasheed Rahman had carried out another random stabbing attack two months before murdering Camden local Mark Carroll – but was not tracked down by police after delays in gathering CCTV

independent.co.uk

Very dangerous small boat crossed the Channel yesterday carrying 230 people. www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home... Earlier this year, I reported on where deaths are occurring along the journey, exploring the added risks of the 'taxi-boat' phenomenon: www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home...

Record 230 migrants cross Channel in single ‘mega-dinghy’

People smugglers have been increasing the number of migrants crammed into boats in recent months

independent.co.uk

Afghans waiting on relocation to the UK may be vulnerable to Taliban attacks, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) admitted in an internal risk review early this year. Comes as the UN continues to document deaths, arrests and detention of former security forces www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home...

Afghans waiting relocation are at risk from Taliban but UK still won’t help them flee

Exclusive: The UK admits those who helped British forces face fear of retribution, Taliban surveillance, and door-to-door searches – but still won’t help them escape

independent.co.uk

Palestine Action appeal against terror ban to be heard at the Supreme Court this autumn. www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home...

Palestine Action can appeal terror ban at the Supreme Court

Thousands of people have been arrested over support for pro-Palestine group

independent.co.uk

A Ministry of Defence data breach that exposed the personal details of thousands of Afghans was a “foreseeable failure” covered up by secrecy for “too long”, MPs conclude. www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home...

Interesting piece about Palantir's involvement in the Homes for Ukraine scheme www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

UK saves 'millions' of pounds by ditching Palantir for refugee system

The government said its in-house IT system was "more flexible" while meeting "high standards" of security.

bbc.co.uk

NEW: The Home Office is ploughing ahead with using AI to conduct asylum seeker age assessments despite knowing it's wildly inaccurate Its own internal report & our audit of public data find the tech often predicts kids to be adults, & performs worst on the top nationalities arriving on small boats

Lighthouse Reports@lighthousereports.com · 4mo ago

Britain will use AI to assess ages of asylum seekers in a world-first, with other countries likely to follow suit But our investigation, based on a leaked report and our own algorithmic audit, finds the technology is deeply unreliable

Important reporting from @lighthousereports.com published with @the-independent.com this morning on the reality of AI facial age estimation technology and warnings over the Home Office's plan to use it on migrant children. www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home...

Home Office knew AI age checks for migrants were flawed — but will roll it out anyway

Exclusive: Government advisors describe the tool as ‘hideously flawed’ amid concern facial age estimation has ‘baked-in racial bias’ — and can wrongly identify a 14-year-old as an adult

independent.co.uk

Also read, Exclusive: Britain is holding an ageing Iranian stalker whose deportation could help spare Lindsay and Craig Foreman from a 10-year jail sentence – so why won’t officials let him go?

Revealed: The stalker who could hold key to rescuing British couple in Iran jail

Exclusive: Britain is holding an ageing Iranian stalker whose deportation could help spare Lindsay and Craig Foreman from a 10-year jail sentence – so why won’t officials let him go? Crime corresponde...

independent.co.uk

This is the story of the death of beloved grandfather Mark Carroll, 55, who was killed by a complete stranger in an unprovoked stabbing in Camden, London. His attacker, Rasheed Rahman, was on police bail at the time of the murder, having been arrested twice in the days prior.

Exposing a global 'rape academy.' A months-long CNN investigation uncovers a hidden network of men encouraging each other to drug and assault their partners, and swap tips on how to get away with it. New from CNN's Saskya Vandoorne, Niamh Kennedy and Kara Fox. edition.cnn.com/interactive/...

Exposing a global ‘online rape academy’ that is teaching men how to abuse women and evade detection

CNN exposes an online network of men encouraging each other to drug and assault their partners, and swap tips on how to get away with it.

edition.cnn.com

We've been speaking to former prisoners and staff at HMP Dartmoor about Radon exposure. If you have information to share - please get in contact at holly.bancroft@independent.co.uk www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home...

From 2019 to 2023, there were 68 dead and missing from 21 fatal incidents in the Channel. Between August 2023 and January 2026, 129 people died or went missing in 48 incidents. At the same time the numbers of boats and people crossing fell. See @hollybancroft.bsky.social's article here 👉

Deaths in the Channel soared after signing of UK-France deal, report warns

Exclusive: Deadly incidents have moved closer to the French shore in recent years, new analysis shows

independent.co.uk

Excellent Sunday Times leader on the kneecapping of the public right to know currently being floated by officials Our secrecy-addicted state is at it again. It must be stopped www.thetimes.com/article/82a9...

Our secrecy-addicted state is at it again. It must be stopped

The suggestion that officials are considering curbing the scope of the Freedom of Information Act is deeply worrying

thetimes.com

Plans to modernise youth prisons will take inspiration from Spain, where inmates are given schooling, make mosaics and play sport. Justice minister Jake Richards last week visited youth custody facilities run by Fundación Diagrama to consider what could work. www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home...

Ministers look to emulate Spanish youth custody where inmates do art and play sport

Exclusive: Minister for youth justice Jake Richards says ‘we can’t afford to ignore what works’ after trip to Spain

independent.co.uk

I've been doing some reporting on conditions inside Brook House IRC. I'm keen to speak to anyone who's been held there or who has worked there. Please get in touch if you might be able to help. Story based on accounts of force used in a month last year: www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home...

Inside UK’s most notorious immigration detention centre

Brook House near Gatwick airport was the subject of an independent inquiry after G4S guards were filmed abusing detainees in 2017. Now, The Independent has obtained stark written accounts from officer...

independent.co.uk

Thousands of families, including more than 6,000 children, will be hit by the shutdown of a lifeline visa route that allows refugees to reunite in the UK, according to new analysis. Data projections from the British Red Cross show the impact of the pause. www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home...

Thousands of families hit by refugee visa route pause as scale of crackdown revealed

Exclusive: More than 6,000 children will be hit by shutdown after Labour said route was being manipulated by people-smuggling gangs

independent.co.uk

Poverty crisis laid bare as 500k+ children living in families trapped in benefits debt cycle - a damning sign of the broken welfare system. Forcing people to take out loans to survive the five-week wait for UC is pushing parents into poverty & food banks. www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home...

UK poverty crisis as 500,000 children in homes trapped in benefit debt cycle

Exclusive: Tens of thousands of families are forced to take out loans to cover the five-week wait until their first universal credit payment – but many struggle to pay it back

independent.co.uk

REVEALED | More than 16,000 Afghans were secretly brought to the UK in largest covert peacetime evacuation after MoD put them in danger of being targeted by the Taliban

worth reading from @hollybancroft.bsky.social on a government superinjunction that has just been lifted www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home...

My court fight to lift superinjunction and expose government’s secret failings

Social affairs correspondent Holly Bancroft was one of a handful of journalists who knew about a catastrophic Ministry of Defence data leak – but an unprecedented legal order meant it could not be rev...

independent.co.uk

New: 'Defects' in decision-making led to Afghan special forces being wrongly denied relocation to the UK, High Court rules Caseworkers weren't given access to relevant payment records & were 'overly reliant' on UKSF's input @hollybancroft.bsky.social write-up www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home...

Poor MoD decisions resulted in Afghan commandos being wrongly abandoned, judge finds

The Ministry of Defence ordered to publish ‘transparent and accurate’ information about review into Afghan commando cases

independent.co.uk

Afghan resettlement schemes to the UK have been closed to new applicants as of today. MoD's Arap scheme for those who worked alongside British was closed at 3pm today, and the ACRS scheme for Afghans at risk is also shut to new referrals. www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home...

Afghan resettlement schemes to the UK suddenly closed by government

Ministers close ‘lifeline’ sanctuary routes for Afghans who worked with British troops and who fought for democracy and womens’ rights

independent.co.uk

A Brazilian fine art student has said her “dreams are on hold” after being left in limbo for seven months due to Home Office visa errors. “I’ve had to give up on so many dreams and I feel lost in the system," Julia said. www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home...

‘I came to the UK for my dream career. Now Home Office errors have left me jobless’

Brazilian student Júlia Couto has been waiting for seven months to find out if she can stay in the UK

independent.co.uk

Man with cerebral palsy and epilepsy detained by Home Office for 10 months despite doctor’s warning www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home...

Man with cerebral palsy detained for 10 months by Home Office despite health warning

The shocking case emerged in a report into immigration detention which warned sites are becoming increasingly unsafe due to overcrowding

independent.co.uk

Repeated failings at migrant hotel where asylum seeker killed himself exposed www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home...

Repeated failings at migrant hotel where asylum seeker killed himself exposed

Special report: Staff at hotel were ‘not appropriately trained’ and Home Office officials didn’t know who was providing crucial services

independent.co.uk