The Migration Advisory Committee has published its recommended list of jobs that should remain eligible for work visa sponsorship despite not being considered highly skilled (28 occupations, to be eligible for 18 months): www.gov.uk/government/p...

Temporary Shortage List: Stage 2 report

The Migration Advisory Committee’s final recommendations on occupations for the Temporary Shortage List.

gov.uk

In our paper, published last week, we identified a lack of political will as one of the biggest barriers to tackling homelessness and implementing a housing-led approach Today, Burnham made his 1st priority as PM ending rough sleeping 1/🧵 www.ippr.org/articles/hom...

Home truths: Housing-led approaches to homelessness | IPPR

The most meaningful progress has instead come from places where local leaders have made homelessness a priority, driving improvements in both the provision

ippr.org

🚨 | NEW BLOG: A new prime minister gets only one chance at a first impression. This new blog from @harryqp.bsky.social & @avneem.bsky.social sets out a blueprint for Andy Burnham’s first 100 days. Read here: www.ippr.org/articles/the...

🗳️ NEW REPORT: Democracy should mean more than casting a vote every few years. It should give people power, purpose and a stake in public life. That is the alternative to the populist right’s politics of resentment and division. The latest from us👇 www.ippr.org/articles/the...

The democratic citizen: Renewing citizenship and the public domain | IPPR

Often, this descends into little more than an argument about eligibility for welfare benefits. This is a disaster for progressives, who find themselves fig

ippr.org

New @ippr.org report out today sets out proposals for a British Business Investment visa. The new visa route would be designed to inject capital into the UK economy, channeling investment into innovative and strategically important sectors. www.ippr.org/articles/bri...

The British business investment visa: A new model for investment migration in the UK | IPPR

The UK suffers from persistent low investment which is holding back economic growth. Levels of business investment were at 11.1 per cent of GDP in 2023, pl

ippr.org

Some key questions for Home Office to consider over its plans to charge a proposed £10,000 flat rate for refugees who have received asylum support. 1) To what extent will this policy increase number of asylum seekers who avoid asylum accommodation and become homeless in order to avoid future debts?

🌍️NEW REPORT: Slow growth, unpredictable trade partners & geopolitical instability make the UK-EU relationship increasingly vital. An Enhanced Mutual Recognition Agreement could boost productivity, competitiveness and economic security on both sides. www.ippr.org/articles/eur...

New research out from my colleague Joseph Sassoon @ippr.org finds that UK goods exports to the EU are an estimated 14.5 per cent lower than they would have been without Brexit. This has cost the UK economy an estimated £18.1bn per year (0.63 per cent of GDP). www.ippr.org/media-office...

Brexit has cut UK exports to the EU by 14.5 per cent, costing the economy £18.1bn a year, finds IPPR | IPPR

New research from IPPR has found that:Reduced goods exports to the EU due to Brexit have cost the UK economy an estimated £18.1bn per yearReduced goods exp

ippr.org

Wendy Williams called 2018 Windrush scandal "foreseeable and avoidable". On Windrush Day, @ippr.org note future dangers of a mass loss of status in this parliament 2028 + starkly racialised pattern of who is at risk. An urgent need to "Windrush proof" the draft reforms www.ippr.org/articles/win...

Windrush Day: The unfinished business of immigration reform | IPPR

As we mark Windrush Day this year, it is an opportunity both to celebrate the immense contribution of the Windrush Generation and their descendants, and to

ippr.org

Happy Windrush Day. Today is the 78th anniversary of the arrival of the Windrush at Tilbury Docks on June 22nd 1948, an occasion being marked by events and activities around the country.

This proposal to reverse employer NI hike through an Employer Migrant Labour Levy looks like nonsense: - We already have such a levy - the Immigration Skills Charge - It raised around £560m in revenue in 2024-25 - compared to over £20bn a year cost of NI hike www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/poli...

Reform wants to hike taxes for employers who hire foreign workers

Robert Jenrick, Reform’s Treasury spokesperson, said companies which employ foreign workers would have to pay higher national insurance and a new ‘migrant labour levy’

independent.co.uk

The knife attack on Monday night in Belfast was a shocking act of violence, and the perpetrator must be brought to justice. In the following days, we have seen far-right actors exploiting this attack to sow division, target people of colour and incite violence. (1/6)

New: Asylum appeal backlog rises to 87,450 cases — by Colin Yeo

Asylum appeal backlog rises to 87,450 cases - Free Movement

The latest quarterly tribunal statistics show that the backlog of asylum appeals has continued to rise. The statistics cover the period January to March 2026.

freemovement.org.uk

🚨 | NEW REPORT: No one should be pushed into homelessness after leaving asylum accommodation. Ministers must act now to prevent a repeat of the 2023 spike - with enough notice, earlier council data and practical move-on support. 🔗 www.ippr.org/articles/clo...

Our analysis of the latest NEET figures just released by the ONS finds two concerning trends: 1️⃣ The number of young people who are NEET could rise from around one in eight today to one in six by the end of 2029.

Today's net migration statistics show that 171,000 more people arrived in the UK than left in 2025. That's down 82% compared to the historical high seen in early 2023 (944,000).

Lots in today's migration stats, but one striking new figure is the sharp fall in asylum seekers in hotels. In March 2026 hotel numbers were 20,900 - down by nearly a third from three months before. This appears to be driven by faster processing rather than a shift to different accommodation.

🚨 | NEW REPORT: Why have asylum hotels become flashpoints in some communities? Our latest research reveals it’s not just about their presence, but poor communication, misinformation and decisions that feel imposed. Here’s what needs to change 👇 www.ippr.org/publications...

ONS significantly downgrades UK population growth forecast on the back of falling net migration - with net migration central estimate reduced from 340k per year to 230k (means population of the UK would hit 71m by 2034, rather than 72.2m, as projected in 2022)

How much do migrants on Skilled Worker visas get paid? New FOI data show big differences by skill level and whether the job was in healthcare or other industries. For context, median earnings for full-time employees were £39,000 over the same period.

New paper! The UK plans to restrict visa access for ‘mid-skill’ occupations- except for those on the Temporary Shortage List of exemptions. We ask: What effects would loss of visa access have for labour supply? Which occupations should be on that list?

Which Occupations Should Get Skilled Worker Visas? Informing the UK’s Visa Reform

The UK’s 2025 immigration reforms will restrict Skilled Worker visas for many mid-skill jobs, raising questions about which roles should retain access given labour shortages and industrial strategy go...

cgdev.org

A few thoughts on earned settlement after a busy week. (1) Govt is going through consultation after over 200,000 people responded, far higher than other consultations of this type. This means there is still a lot up for grabs to shape the policy, including transitional measures.

Good speech by Rachel Reeves today with her clearest articulation yet of the government's growth agenda. She's right to be focussing on boosting succesful economic clusters. While also lifting employment rights, competition and devolution to make sure benefits are shared. (1/4)

Home Affairs Select Committee report highlights unanswered questions on settlement: "It is more important to get changes right than to implement them quickly" publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm5901/cm...

OUT TODAY: Our new report explores inclusion and belonging in Newham, the most super-diverse borough in the UK and possibly in Europe. It shares the findings and recommendations of an independent commission established by the Mayor and chaired by @sundersays.bsky.social

New stats show the asylum appeals backlog was over 80,000 cases at the end of 2025, relating to around 104,000 people - a 91% increase on a year before. 4 in 10 of all asylum appeals disposed of in the last 3 months of 2025 were withdrawals, the majority of which will be by the Home Office.

Protecting what matters: the government’s social cohesion action plan, published today www.gov.uk/government/p...

Protecting What Matters: Towards a more confident, cohesive, and resilient United Kingdom

This publication sets out this government’s vision for a fair, tolerant and decent country and the steps we are taking to tackle threats to social cohesion.

gov.uk

My thoughts on the Home Sec's immigration speech @ippr.org The Home Sec believes in control + compassion. It's the right ambition. But her plans may struggle to tackle small boat crossings and risk making integration harder. I make the case instead for a more focused approach to migration reform

Delivering control and compassion: Reflections on the home secretary's speech on immigration reform | IPPR

Since taking office in September, Shabana Mahmood has announced sweeping reforms to the asylum system, launched a major consultation on settlement, and beg

ippr.org

Home Secretary's statement on asylum changes now published ⬇️ No details on the work/study route yet - these will be expected in future Immigration Rule changes

Jon Featonby@jonfeatonby.bsky.social · 5mo ago

Written statement on the asylum changes confirms: - refugees will get 2.5 years leave instead of 5 - covers people who apply from today - details of 20 year settlement & core protection to come - doesn’t apply to unaccompanied children (for now) questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-stat...

Some headline thoughts on asylum stats out today: Government has made good progress on asylum backlog. Numbers have fallen from around 62,000 cases in September to around 49,000 cases at the end of December 2025. This is now well below half the peak in summer 2023.