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Sile Reynolds @silereynolds.bsky.social · 03/08/2026

“The rule is simple: return people lawfully. Prosecute criminals. Protect victims. But do not send anyone to torture.” Special Rapp on Torture, Alice Edwards, warning against State efforts to get around torture ban in order to speed up removals & introduce return hubs www.ohchr.org/en/press-rel...

ohchr.org

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Sile Reynolds @silereynolds.bsky.social · 30/07/2026

We're waiting to see guidance that will implement changes to Immigration Rules which, in our view, represent a substantial shift in asylum procedure & one which should have been subject to consultation & parliamentary scrutiny @freedomfromtorture.bsky.social @helenbamber.org tinyurl.com/2m6mjxj8

ein.org.uk

Lords committee draws latest immigration rule changes to House’s attention over ‘minor’ asylum interview reforms

Secondary Legislation Scrutiny Committee says Home Office failed to adequately explain new 'merged registration' interview

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Sile Reynolds @silereynolds.bsky.social · 15/06/2026

Officially the best use of holiday pics in a substack @sonial77.bsky.social: thoughtsonimmigration.substack.com/p/home-secretary-running-scared-of?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=email-restack-comment&r=2y9thk&triedRedirect=true

thoughtsonimmigration.substack.com

Home Secretary running scared of HASC, good character challenge in court, AI generated submissions lead to delayed removal, and lots more

The week in immigration law and policy. Warning: may contain rants.

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Sile Reynolds @silereynolds.bsky.social · 11/06/2026

The (fingers tightly crossed) final act of the cash-for-humans Rwanda saga. The whole thing is poetically summarised as: "...it was fitting that the scheme ended in a mess - for it was always a mess. It was always inherent and misconceived and unpleasant to contemplate."

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Sile Reynolds @silereynolds.bsky.social · 11/06/2026

Tribunal statistics out today show that asylum appeal backlog has grown. Could better use of pre-appeal review process be part of the solution? For those who also missed it, @icibi.bsky.social has just released a call for evidence on pre-appeal review: tinyurl.com/s7f6jbmz Deadline 24 June 😱

gov.uk

Call for Evidence: An inspection of the Home Office’s pre-appeal review process

The Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration invites anyone with knowledge and experience of the Home Office pre-appeal review process to submit evidence for the inspection.

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Sonia L @sonial77.bsky.social · 29/05/2026

I mentioned this in this morning's Substack, but worth highlighting here too for those who keep seeing myself and others discussing the worsening of Home Office stakeholder engagement in recent years. From this case: www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWH...

99. The fallout was immediate. During a SEG support subgroup meeting on 11 March 2024, stakeholders confronted the Home Office about the lack of consultation and the detrimental impacts of the new policy, asking to see an equality impact assessment which the Home Office confirmed had been carried out but which it had not shared or published. The Home Office defended the changes, arguing that not all victims of torture have the same needs and a case-by-case assessment was necessary. When challenged on why they had bypassed consultation, the Home Office representatives suggested that such consultative processes were "not collaborative or supportive," relying on the pace of work and the need to take ministerial instructions as further reasons for not consulting. The exchanges in which these reasons are recorded in the minutes are illuminating as to whether the Claimants had an expectation of prior consultation. FfT's representative was Sile Reynolds, identified as "SR", the Home Office representatives included Miv Elimelech, referred to as "ME", whilst Kat Lorenz (see above) was also present as co-chair and is referred to as "KL":

"SR, returning to the issue of getting a second opinion on the medical evidence, pointed out that caseworkers were not clinical experts so unless extensive support and guidance was provided to them, she anticipated that poor decisions would be made. This had already happened with the adults at risk procedures and with asylum casework. The foundations could help provide support to caseworkers.
She explained that voluntary sector organisations could have helped with all of these points had the Home Office come to them before creating the policy. Now organisations would have to monitor the implementation and feed that back. This was why consultation was so important. She expressed surprise that such a fundamental change was made to policy without consultation or even the courtesy of letting the foundations know about the change.

Whilst the policy might help the Home Office achieve a certain policy objective, it would increase the administrative burden on everyone. This was a significant, intentional change that would increase the risk that people would fall through the cracks because people won't be able to provide evidence. It also increases the workload of the foundation. Previously, being a foundation client meant that the person was identified as being vulnerable without having to disclose that they were suicidal etc. Seeing an equalities impact assessment would enable an understanding of the Home Office's thinking and to explain the justification for shifting away from a preventative approach to a risk approach.
ME thought the Home Office was being told off. SR explained that what she said was merely reflecting the level of surprise on the part of her organisation that this change was introduced with no consultation. ME explained that the Home Office had not wanted to consult because these processes were not collaborative or supportive. She asked that SR see things from the Home Office perspective: they take instructions from ministers and need to work fast. SR responded that this was exactly why voluntary sector organisations wanted to see the equality impact assessment. It would allow organisations to understand the Home Office's perspective better.

KL interjected that in the past, these meetings were co-operative. But in the last year there has been a shift. Everyone in this meeting understood that the Home Office was responding to ministerial directions but talking in advance of significant changes would be a better way of working together. She thought SR was only expressing disappointment and alarm at the shift away for the preventative model. Now it feels like the voluntary sector needs to identify people falling through the gaps. There has also been a concerning dip in the quality of decisions made by the Home Office recently. This change was worrying because it would generate a lot more work and put individuals are risk of harm. That is was what SR was explaining."

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Alasdair Mackenzie @alasdairmackenzie.bsky.social · 29/05/2026

If I’m understanding the Home Office’s trial age assessment tech, it gets people’s ages wrong by an *average* of 2.5-3 years, is inaccurate for the most crucial cohort (teenagers) and is worse in assessing women/girls and non-white people (umm…) but they’re going for it anyway, because computer

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Freedom from Torture @freedomfromtorture.bsky.social · 29/05/2026

We won! The Home Office’s changes to their “Allocation of Asylum Accommodation Policy” have been found to be unlawful. The changes forced survivors of torture to share rooms with strangers, placing them at risk of harm. We will never give up fighting for dignity and justice for survivors.

Breaking: Victory for survivors: we won our legal battle against the home office

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Helen Bamber Foundation 🧡 @helenbamber.org · 29/05/2026

🚨 WE CHALLENGED THE GOVERNMENT IN COURT — AND WON! Today is a huge victory for survivors of trafficking & torture. We successfully challenged unlawful policy changes affecting survivors of torture and trafficking 🧵 www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026...

theguardian.com

UK government acted unlawfully by forcing torture survivors to share rooms, court rules

Judgment is blow to Shabana Mahmood’s plans to send more asylum seekers to army barracks

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Sile Reynolds @silereynolds.bsky.social · 29/05/2026

Thanks to litigation by @freedomfromtorture.bsky.social & @helenbamber.bsky.social the High Court has found that the Government acted unlawfully in introducing changes to the asylum accommodation policy without consultation with experts or due regard to equalities duties tinyurl.com/yujhedzf

theguardian.com

UK government acted unlawfully by forcing torture survivors to share rooms, court rules

Judgment is blow to Shabana Mahmood’s plans to send more asylum seekers to army barracks

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CJ McKinney @cjmckinney.bsky.social · 13/05/2026

As expected, the King's Speech legislative programme includes a forthcoming bill on reforming/tightening asylum and human rights law www.gov.uk/government/p...

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Sonia L @sonial77.bsky.social · 25/04/2026

Sigh

Chart showing a huge increase in the number of withdrawn Afghan appeals in the past year, because the Home Office is making poor quality decisions and wrongly refusing people who will ultimately end up recognised as refugees. Once the case is appealed, the Home Office is withdrawing those refusals, in increasing numbers as seen in the chart

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Sile Reynolds @silereynolds.bsky.social · 20/04/2026

Launch event this Friday at the May Day Rooms of a comic based on lived experience of 8 young men who crossed from Libya to Italy as minors in the hope of a better future. interregnum.ghost.io/comic-book-launch-24-april-2026-the-game-of-chance/?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio

interregnum.ghost.io

Comic Book Launch 24 April 2026: The Game of Chance

Join us in London on April 24, 2026 for the launch of the English translation of The Game of Chance : Unaccompanied Minors in Italy and the Risk of ‘Going Back to Square One’ (May Day Rooms, 19.00 to ...

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Sile Reynolds @silereynolds.bsky.social · 20/04/2026

The Home Office has extended the deadline for responding to this call for evidence to 6th May, but hasn't yet updated the webpage or issued public comms. If you want to confirm this, just email IABcallforevidence@homeoffice.gov.uk & you'll get an automated message with the extension info.

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Sonia L @sonial77.bsky.social · 16/04/2026

As Bluesky was down (for me at least), I did my rage posting in here instead: open.substack.com/pub/thoughts...

open.substack.com

The BBC’s anti-migrant news spree, dissected

this is not the article I had planned to write today...

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Tony Vaughan KC MP @tonyvaughanmp.bsky.social · 12/03/2026

Reviewing refugee status every 30 months will be a bureaucratic nightmare for the Home Office, already drowning in backlogs. The Refugee Council estimates that these reviews will cost over £1 billion to the taxpayer over the next decade. #asylumreforms

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Sile Reynolds @silereynolds.bsky.social · 02/04/2026

Interested to see that ICIBI will be looking at (among other things): pre-appeal review process - an important stage at which HO could be identifying & correcting flawed asylum decisions ahead of appeal hearing. And adults at risk, bearing in mind HO plans to radically reduce these protections.

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Sile Reynolds @silereynolds.bsky.social · 28/03/2026

Together Alliance march, Green Park

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Sile Reynolds @silereynolds.bsky.social · 26/03/2026

Secondary Legislation Scrutiny Cttee published its report on the statement of changes that brings in 30-month refugee leave, which goes live today. Important read if you're doing advocacy on this. @freedomfromtorture.bsky.social & @helenbamber.bsky.social put in evidence tinyurl.com/mmnf9trv

publications.parliament.uk

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Jon Featonby @jonfeatonby.bsky.social · 05/03/2026

Thank you @stellacreasy.bsky.social for already tabling the motion opposing today’s immigration rules changes. The government should allow scrutiny of their plans and schedule a debate on this motion. edm.parliament.uk/early-day-mo...

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Jon Featonby @jonfeatonby.bsky.social · 05/03/2026

The statement of changes to the immigration rules www.gov.uk/government/p... and the written statement (which goes wider than the rules changes) are now out questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-stat...

gov.uk

Statement of changes to the Immigration Rules: HC 1695, 5 March 2026

Statement of changes to the Immigration Rules published on 5 March 2026.

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Sunder Katwala (sundersays) @sundersays.bsky.social · 05/03/2026

Watching 60 seconds of this film shifted "Britain should protect refugees fleeing war and persecution" to 67% agree, 9% disagree (+58) from baseline 57% agree, 16% disagree (+41) in split sample test. Images & voices of Ukranians had + impact on attitudes in 2022. Govt messages may do the opposite

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Sonia L @sonial77.bsky.social · 05/03/2026

The conditions of support policy, which already existed, has seemingly just had a minor change made today, to add illegal working to the list of reasons support can be stopped www.gov.uk/government/p...

Mahmood to set out curbs to asylum seeker support
People thought to be migrants onboard a small boat in Gravelines, France, during an attempt to cross the Channel. Picture date: Tuesday March 3, 2026.
Image source,PA Media
ByPaul Seddon
Political reporter
Published
8 hours ago
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood is set to detail new policy that will see asylum seekers who break the law, or work illegally, being thrown out of government-funded accommodation and losing their support payments.

Published 29 November 2010
Last updated 5 March 2026 ‐ hide all updates
5 March 2026
Updated guidance to add illegal working as a reason to suspend or stop section 95, section 98 and section 4 support.

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Sunder Katwala (sundersays) @sundersays.bsky.social · 05/03/2026

Tony Vaughan has a settlement rebellion in backbench signatures, double the welfare one. Neil Duncan-Jordan is another leading public advocate. Mahmood says 'transitional arrangements' are a consultation issue, where 200k responses were received, so decisions are "later this year" + "in due course"

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Sile Reynolds @silereynolds.bsky.social · 04/03/2026

A perfect bit of analysis right here 👇. While parts of the world burn, the Govt is busy making pointless but ultimately cruel & dangerous tweaks to work & study visas so that refugees fleeing the kind of chaos that we are seeing on our screens find it even harder to find safety in the UK. Well done!

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Jon Featonby @jonfeatonby.bsky.social · 02/03/2026

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...

questions-statements.parliament.uk

Written statements - Written questions, answers and statements - UK Parliament

Information from UK Parliament on written questions & answers, written statements and daily reports.

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Peter Walker @peterwalker99.bsky.social · 23/02/2026

Yusuf: "When Nigel is prime minister, there will not be a judge in the country that will be able to prevent flights from leaving." Worth noting that the political precedents for saying, 'The judiciary cannot in any way check the powers of the executive' is not a happy one.

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Peter Walker @peterwalker99.bsky.social · 23/02/2026

I'd argue that setting out the retrospective stripping of ILR, and plans for mass, ICE-style arrests, detentions and deportations, is a moment of some risk for Reform, despite immigration being their main policy focus, if and when voters realise what it will mean in practice.

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Sile Reynolds @silereynolds.bsky.social · 23/02/2026

Not content with seeking to dismantle constitutional safeguards that protect our democracy, Farage gunning for Church of England which has, in his words "gone to the dogs". Was its greatest crime allowing transfer of 41 churches to other places of worship or opposing his stance on refugee rights?

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Helen Bamber Foundation 🧡 @helenbamber.org · 04/02/2026

The government’s plan to make refugees wait up to 20 years to settle in the UK would leave people stuck in limbo, unable to properly put down roots, build careers, pursue education or feel a sense of belonging. Research across Europe shows that long-term uncertainty doesn’t support integration 🧵

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Sile Reynolds @silereynolds.bsky.social · 02/02/2026

Haven't seen as much coverage of Foreign Sec's migration cooperation negotiations with Ethiopia (compared to Iraq/KRI migration pact) & wondering how this will work. Ethiopians constitute v small proportion of small boat population so more about stopping Eritreans/Sudanese....? tinyurl.com/29fv5uzm

mirror.co.uk

NCA joins up with Ethiopia to nail global criminal gangs fuelling small boats

Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper will focus on tackling factors - including conflict and lack of jobs - that push people to make the dangerous journey to Europe and the UK

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Sile Reynolds @silereynolds.bsky.social · 02/02/2026

Useful resource for anyone submitting a response to Earned Settlement proposals from perspective of refugees - Home Office research on refugee mental health & access to employment: highlights barriers caused by mental ill health & need for e.g. benefits & secure housing www.gov.uk/government/p...

gov.uk

Refugee mental health and employment

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Migrant Voice @migrantvoice.bsky.social · 10/12/2025

Today is #InternationalHumanRightsDay, and also the day when UK and EU leaders discuss weaken the rights of people fleeing war and persecution. If the European Convention on Human Rights is to be reformed, it must be to strengthen it, not undermine it. Read our statement for #Humanrightsday here 👇

Today marks International Human Rights Day. Only last month the European Convention on Human Rights marked its 75th anniversary. Against the backdrop of this however we are seeing a concerted attack on human rights.
We see countries, including the UK, calling for the ECHR to be “reformed” to ensure that migrants, especially those seeking safety having fled war and persecution, have their rights reduced, or ignored entirely.
The argument put forward for this is that the rights of some need to be reduced in order to forestall the rise of the far right. We must remember, reducing rights for some reduces rights for everyone.
The ECHR was created in the wake of World War 2. Those creating it knew the dangers of extreme ideology better than anyone. They saw the need to protect refugees, and how people must be protected at all costs from having their rights removed.
To claim it is “outdated” is to ignore the reasons why it was created in the first place, the protections it provides. If we are to “review” in light of our current times then that must be to strengthen those protections, not weaken them.
The very basis of human rights is they must apply equally to all. Those who wrote the ECHR knew first-hand the harm which is caused by saying that some groups deserve fewer protections than others. Our current politicians must not undermine those protections now.

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CJ McKinney @cjmckinney.bsky.social · 20/11/2025

The UK government's proposals on changes to settlement (indefinite leave to remain) rules have now been published in a consultation paper, ahead of a statement from the Home Secretary to MPs shortly www.gov.uk/government/c...

gov.uk

Earned settlement

The government is consulting on how the current settlement system should be reformed and how those reforms should be implemented.

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Sonia L @sonial77.bsky.social · 13/11/2024

My spirit animal joins us (and I am particularly feeling him this week)!

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Sile Reynolds @silereynolds.bsky.social · 18/11/2025

The day after Home Sec announced a raft of punitive policies that deny refugees the safety & stability they need to rebuild their lives, @freedomfromtorture.bsky.social joins @helenbamber.bsky.social in challenging Govt’s failure to consult experts ahead of harmful changes to asylum housing policy

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Helen Bamber Foundation 🧡 @helenbamber.org · 03/11/2025

Leaving the ECHR won't stop people risking their lives through Channel crossings but it WOULD harm the rights of both migrants in the UK & our wider communities. On 75th Anniversary of ECHR, we call on politicians to stop scapegoating & defend human rights. www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/poli...

independent.co.uk

Leaving the ECHR won’t stop the boats, 300 organisations warn in rallying cry

Prime minister Keir Starmer urged to make positive case for ECHR after Kemi Badenoch pledged a Tory government would leave the treaty

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Sile Reynolds @silereynolds.bsky.social · 03/11/2025

FfT has published 'A Place to Heal' a powerful report centring the voices of those in asylum housing & exposing the devastating harm it causes to survivors. The solutions are simple: ✅ Better quality & faster asylum decisions to manage numbers ✅ Locally-tailored, well-resourced housing

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Sile Reynolds @silereynolds.bsky.social · 23/10/2025

I'm just gonna pop this here for any Sun readers who are interested in why refugees actually come to the UK... from @freedomfromtorture.bsky.social report Fleeing a Burning House: www.freedomfromtorture.org/sites/defaul...

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Sile Reynolds @silereynolds.bsky.social · 23/10/2025

Confirmation published yesterday by the Home Office, that Napier barracks will continue to be used to house people seeking asylum until December 2025. It was due to close in September this year following years of criticism and labelled as 'squalid' by a High Court judge: www.gov.uk/government/p...

gov.uk

Napier Barracks, Folkestone: factsheet

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Medical Justice @medicaljustice.org.uk · 16/09/2025

The vast majority of our clients detained under "one in, one out" scheme are survivors of torture and trafficking. Our independent clinicians have visited clients in immigration removal centres and found concerning levels of PTSD and suicidal thoughts www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...

theguardian.com

‘We can’t eat. We can’t sleep. It’s a disaster’: the small boat detainees waiting to be sent back to France

This week the first migrants could be flown out of Britain under the ‘one in, one out’ deportation scheme. They talk about their fears and incomprehension

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Freedom from Torture @freedomfromtorture.bsky.social · 09/09/2025

Last week the government suspended new refugee family reunion applications. This devastating move will deny family life to refugees. It will simply punish those who have already suffered. The Home Secretary must restore refugee family reunion rights and build strong communities.

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Jon Featonby @jonfeatonby.bsky.social · 08/09/2025

Confirmation of new migration ministers in the Home Office. Alex Norris takes over the asylum brief from Angela Eagle, while Mike Tapp is the new migration minister

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