Lord Dubs was just six years old when he escaped Czechoslovakia following the Nazi invasion. He was one of 10,000 refugee children whose lives were saved by being taken in by Britain from 1938-39. Watch his remarkable life story: www.refugeecouncil.org.uk/support-us/c...

It is heartbreaking to hear that four people have died in the Channel overnight while attempting to reach safety in the UK. Our thoughts are with their families and loved ones.

Today is the 75th anniversary of the UN Refugee Convention. To mark this anniversary, we're sharing the remarkable story of how Lord Alf Dubs escaped the Holocaust on the Kindertransport at just six years old.

Safe & legal routes save lives. The Government should urgently restore refugee family reunion, which was paused last September, so that women & children fleeing devastating wars and brutal regimes can join their families and rebuild their lives in safety. inews.co.uk/news/fled-ga...

I fled Gaza for the UK - I fear my family will never join me

Shahd, 36, says her life in the war-torn exclave is 'hell, literally hell on earth'

inews.co.uk

Safe and legal routes save lives. We welcome the government’s commitment to creating new safe routes, but these must not come at the expense of existing pathways that would have helped women and children to flee devastating wars and brutal regimes: www.theguardian.com/world/2026/j...

More than 16,000 refugees unable to reunite with families in UK, says Refugee Council

Suspension of family reunion route has left many stuck in conflict zones or using people smugglers to reach safety

theguardian.com

The government's new asylum bill risks creating more chaos for months and years to come. Imran Hussain, our Director of External Affairs, explains why in @labourlist.bsky.social. labourlist.org/2026/07/keir...

'It may be Keir Starmer's bill, but it will be Andy Burnham's problem' - LabourList

The progress Labour has made on restarting asylum decisions and cutting hotel use shows that reform is possible. But there may be more chaos ahead.

eur02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com

This week, the government introduced an Immigration and Asylum Bill that could cause chaos for years to come.

The sight of “modern-day pogroms” on the streets of Belfast last week was truly chilling, as our Director of External Affairs told The Times: www.thetimes.com/comment/lett...

Times letters: Britain’s slide down the Nato league table

Write to letters@thetimes.co.uk Sir, John Healey’s principled resignation brings the seriousness of our times sharply into focus (“Country Before Party”, leading article, Jun 12). As we all

thetimes.com

Fleeing your home country, and everything you know, because of war, violence or persecution takes incredible courage. To everyone who has recently arrived in London seeking safety: you are welcome here.

Last week, a new immigration bill was announced. We warned that the bill may force many into destitution, keep families separated, and damage integration. www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

The king’s speech: what is the government’s legislative agenda for the next 12 months?

Keir Starmer set out bills to abolish NHS England, overhaul Send provision, limit jury trials and forge ties with EU

theguardian.com

We stand united with over 100 organisations: Instead of investigations that contribute to division, we call for responsible reporting that sheds a light on systemic injustices and highlights the voices of those most affected by them. Read our joint statement buff.ly/OBWMGpq

Our thoughts are with the families and loved ones of the four people who have tragically died in the Channel attempting to reach safety in the UK. People who have escaped devastating wars and brutal regimes in countries like Sudan and Afghanistan are being driven into small boats by desperation.

Policing the Channel alone is not enough to stop small boat crossings. As we told The Independent, the government must address why people take dangerous journeys in the first place: there are not enough safe and legal routes to the UK. www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/poli...

UK and France fail to agree new deal to stop small boat crossings

The home secretary said a two-month extension to negotiations was necessary because the UK wanted ‘more bang for our buck’ from the deal

independent.co.uk

Children are children first. Our new briefing sets out reforms designed to centre and protect children in the wake of the government's new asylum and settlement changes: stable status, safe family reunion, fair age assessment and independent guardianship. www.refugeecouncil.org.uk/stay-informe...

Briefing: Protecting Children in UK Asylum & Settlement Reform - Refugee Council

This is our February 2026 parliamentary briefing setting out child‑centred reforms.

refugeecouncil.org.uk

Receiving refugee status in the UK should be a moment for people to celebrate and finally start rebuilding their lives in safety, after escaping war and persecution. Instead, they have to overcome endless bureaucratic hurdles and the threat of homelessness.

The government intends to ramp up deportations to so-called “safe” countries – including ones currently at war like Ukraine - before people have a chance to appeal failed asylum applications in the UK. But as we pointed out, many people are rejected unfairly and incorrectly.

Last week, it was revealed that a record high of 100,000+ people were waiting to appeal their asylum decision. Poor-quality decision-making by the Home Office is keeping people stuck in limbo for years, unable to work or rebuild their lives. www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026...

Asylum appeal backlog doubles in a year, Home Office statistics show

More than 80,000 people waiting to be reassessed after rejection at end of 2025 – 91% more than a year before

theguardian.com

Last week, it was announced that some people seeking asylum will lose support and accommodation. Forcing people into destitution or sleeping rough won't fix the system. Instead, it will shift costs to local authorities and the NHS, making cases harder to resolve www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

Asylum seekers waiting over a year for claim in UK may be allowed to work under new measures

Shabana Mahmood hopes to reduce number of claimants in hotels by enabling them to support themselves

theguardian.com

Making refugee status temporary will only keep people trapped in uncertainty, weaken integration and cost up to £725 million. Read our joint statement on these new asylum changes. @welshrefcouncil.bsky.social @scotrefugeecouncil.bsky.social www.refugeecouncil.org.uk/press-office...

Refugee families who have survived war and persecution will now face renewed uncertainty every 30 months. Refugees should be able to put down roots: settle into communities, learn English and find work. Our analysis also shows this new workload will cost up to £725 million over the first 10 years.

The Guardian@theguardian.com · 5mo ago

Shabana Mahmood to limit refugees to 30 months in UK

People fleeing war and oppression are being pushed into dangerous journeys because safe and legal routes are being shut down. In the last three months of 2025, there was a 35% drop in people granted protection through resettlement schemes, compared to 2024. www.mirror.co.uk/news/politic...

Minister makes major vow on safe routes - 'alternative to small boat crossings'

Home Office minister Mike Tapp said the Government is committed to extending safe and legal routes to the UK - as he pointed to a rise in grants last year

mirror.co.uk

Although today's immigration statistics show progress, tens of thousands of people are still stuck in hotels for months or years, unable to legally work or rebuild their lives. Asylum hotels cost billions, spark division, and keep people trapped in uncertainty www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home...

More than 100,000 people claimed asylum last year, official figures show

Number of small boat migrants rose over past year as average of 71 people now being crammed onto dinghies

independent.co.uk

Today, on the four-year anniversary of the war in Ukraine, we're thinking of the Ukrainian refugees we work with every day at the Refugee Council, and their courage as they rebuild their lives here in Britain.

These findings will be heartbreaking for the families of those who died on 24 November 2021. This needless loss of life shows how desperate people are to reach safety, and why it is so vital to have safe and legal routes to allow people to get to the UK. www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026...

Loss of life was avoidable in worst small boat disaster in Channel, inquiry finds

Cranston report highly critical of systemic failings and missed opportunities around deaths of at least 33 people

theguardian.com

Our outgoing Chief Executive @enversol.bsky.social joined the Law & Disorder podcast for a wide-ranging discussion on asylum in the UK, and why it's so important that we continue our proud legacy of offering safety to those fleeing war and persecution: open.spotify.com/episode/0NAy...

Football is our national obsession - and one of the best ways to bring people together. Fair Shot's incredible team of refugees and people seeking asylum played football with Barnsley FC fans this weekend. Watch them talk to ITV Calendar about how sport unites us: www.itv.com/watch/news/b...

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...

Natasha Clark@natashaclark.bsky.social · 6mo ago

MAHMOOD: - Updated one in/one out figures: 350 people come in from France, and 281 removed - People smugglers are using adverts of hotels to draw people to Britain - military camps will end that - Burnham - I know people are upset but let’s pull together

Baroness Lister is right to challenge the absence of child rights impact assessments for the Government's latest asylum proposals. Leaving children in prolonged uncertainty is not only damaging for them, but undermines confidence that these policies will work in the long term.

Siham, Daneshgar, and Motaz are just three of the young people we work with. They told ITV News why education is so important for young refugees, to help them settle into Britain, rebuild their lives, and find work. www.itv.com/news/2026-01...

As CEO Enver Solomon leaves the Refugee Council, he reflects on the past five years in asylum policy - and how hostility and toxicity have reached unprecedented levels. www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

I never thought I’d see an asylum hotel on fire, or worry about my staff’s safety. The past five years changed that | Enver Solomon

As head of an immigration charity, I’ve seen firsthand how hostility and toxicity have reached unprecedented levels, says outgoing Refugee Council CEO Enver Solomon

theguardian.com