1. Home Affairs Committee report issued
The Home Affairs Select Committee published a report on the Home Office Immigration Directorates, covering Q1 2016. On Eritrean applications, the Committee concluded that it is āunacceptableā that the Home Office is still getting so many of its decisions wrong and made a similar finding on Iranian cases (Paras. 31 & 32). It raised concerns over family reunion policy (Paras. 39 & 41) and the Governmentās ability to meet its resettlement commitment to Syrian refugees and vulnerable children (Para. 36). It noted that if the DWP review concludes that there is a need for the grace period to be extended this must be implemented swiftly. The Committee āwill return to this subject as part of our inquiry into asylum accommodation later this year.ā (Para. 46). For the full report go to:
http://www.parliament.uk/business/committees/committees-a-z/commons-select/home-affairs-committee/news-parliament-2015/160725-immigration-directorates-report-note/
2. DoW request for information
Doctors of the World is making a submission to the APPG inquiry āRefugees Welcomeā which will focus on how the current system negatively impacts on the health of refugees and their ability to integrate after getting status. They would welcome information/case studies from Still Human members which they could include in this health specific submission. If you have information you would like to share with them or would like to discuss further please contact Lucy Jones ljones@doctorsoftheworld.org.uk or Anna MillerAMiller@doctorsoftheworld.org.uk
3. British Future report on referendum
British Futureās new report Disbanding the tribes: What the referendum told us about Britain (and what it didnāt) looks at post-referendum polling on what voters thought about the campaigns. Their analysis of the local results found nuanced attitudes to key campaign issues, including immigration, and show not so much a sharply polarised nation as a complex patchwork of social economic and cultural differences. For a summary of the findings, go to: http://www.britishfuture.org/articles/news/disbanding-the-tribes/
4. NAT publications on health charging
NAT has a publication called Who has to pay? which explains how NHS overseas visitor charges apply to migrants and asylum seekers in England. For details go to:http://www.nat.org.uk/media/Files/Publications/Apr16_Who_has_to_pay.pdf
5. Home Office guidance on family reunion
On 28 July 2016, the Home Office issued new guidance on its refugee family reunion policy called New Asylum Policy Guidance on Family Reunion. For full details go to:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/family-reunion-instruction