Home Office sitting on data about scale of eVisa errors (ComputerWeekly.com, May 2026)

What happens when the only way to prove your immigration status is a digital system that can display the wrong visa, the wrong passport details, or a “ghost” application? This short investigation reveals that the Home Office has so far denied Freedom of Information requests for more complete data. The article also covers a potential data protection investigation and ongoing concerns from migrant support groups that known cases are “just the tip of the iceberg.”

The True Cost (Migrant Voice, May 2026)

What happens when the cost of a visa application or a citizenship ceremony becomes an insurmountable barrier, even for those with a legal right to remain? This 60-page report from Migrant Voice documents the devastating impact of sky-high visa fees, the Immigration Health Surcharge, and citizenship costs. Based on lived experience testimonies, it shows how this ‘pricing’ policy traps people in precarity, separates families, and denies them a sense of belonging.

More Than a Label: Migration Law and Justice in the UK (Lawmanity, May 2026)

How has UK immigration law systematically criminalised and excluded people seeking asylum for over a century, and what can be done differently? This 38-minute episode of the Lawmanity podcast speaks with researcher, theatre-maker, and campaigner Pinar Aksu. She discusses the barriers to accessing justice, including legal aid pressures and miscommunication. She makes the case for “community lawyering”: bringing legal knowledge into grassroots spaces, centring lived experience, and using creative practice alongside organising.

What’s Really Happening Inside Asylum Hotel Accommodation (SOAS, March 2026)

What happens when accommodation meant to provide shelter instead feels like confinement? This 3-minute video and accompanying research project explore the rise of asylum hotels in the UK, where 45,800 people were living by December 2023. Here, residents consistently raised harmful and inadequate food as a key challenge to their physical and mental health, and described how food shaped wider feelings of imprisonment. The project has also produced evidence submissions to the Home Affairs Select Committee.

How the Home Office’s Flawed Assessments Trap People (Helen Bamber Foundation, May 2026)

Are we willing to accept a system in which a torture survivor’s GP provides clear medical evidence that shared smoking accommodation is triggering PTSD flashbacks, yet the Home Office refuses a move, preferring the opinion of an ‘Independent Medical Advisor’ who has never met him? This short and powerful article uses Dembe’s lived experience to expose the Home Office’s repeated accommodation failures for those seeking asylum. The Home Office consistently dismisses expert medical evidence, trapping vulnerable people in housing that damages their health. The cost is profound and long-lasting.

Migrants in the UK Labour Market: An Overview (COMPAS, May 2026)

Beyond the manic headlines and the hostility we’ve all become accustomed to, what does the data actually tell us about migrants and work in the UK? This short briefing (date updated to December 2025) paints a complex picture, one that lacks an easy answer but suggests that migrant men are leading in employment, migrant women are facing greater barriers, whilst whole sectors are depending on overseas workers, and frustratingly, highly qualified migrant professionals are pushed into jobs beneath their skills.

Home Office sitting on data about scale of eVisa errors (ComputerWeekly.com, May 2026)

What happens when the only way to prove your immigration status is a digital system that can display the wrong visa, the wrong passport details, or a “ghost” application? This short investigation reveals that the Home Office has so far denied Freedom of Information requests for more complete data. The article also covers a potential data protection investigation and ongoing concerns from migrant support groups that known cases are “just the tip of the iceberg.”

The Language of Exclusion (Crisis of Migration Discourse Project, May 2026)

What happens when the words used in policy documents do not just describe migration but actively shape it, and in doing so, help justify exclusionary laws? This article summarises early findings from the UK section of a five-country research project analysing institutional language on migration used between 2014 and 2025. The UK data draws on a 63-million-word corpus of parliamentary texts, Home Office documents, political manifestos, NGO reports, and court decisions, allowing researchers to grapple with how concepts such as speech and language affect migration and the experiences of migrants in the UK.

Building Resilience Through Co-Design (Refugee Action, May 2026)

How can frontline organisations move from ‘doing to’ communities to ‘designing with’ them, especially under immense pressure? This 14-page report shares learning and practical tools from a co-design project in the migration sector. It demonstrates how genuine collaboration with people with lived experience can build organisational resilience, improve service design, and prevent burnout among staff and volunteers.

Food aid as a source of support and visibility for migrants with NRPF (Thompson et al., May 2026)

What happens when the state refuses to support migrants, and food banks become the last line of defence against destitution? This 22-page academic report, based on interviews with 17 organisations and 13 migrants with NRPF, examines the role of food aid in the UK’s hostile environment. It finds that food banks provide crucial material support and a sense of visibility for migrants otherwise rendered invisible by the state. But it also highlights a contradiction: by stepping in where the state withdraws, the third sector inadvertently props up a “shadow welfare” system that lets government off the hook.

Work Isn’t Working (Institute for Public Policy Research, May 2026)

Why does work no longer guarantee an escape from poverty for most children in working households? This report from IPPR and Action for Children examines the data. It finds that part-time work carries a particularly high risk, full-time work is no longer a reliable defence, and childcare remains the main barrier to progression. The 52-page report also sets out practical recommendations for reforming Universal Credit, employment support, and the availability of flexible jobs.

The True Cost (Migrant Voice, May 2026)

What happens when the cost of a visa application or a citizenship ceremony becomes an insurmountable barrier, even for those with a legal right to remain? This 60-page report from Migrant Voice documents the devastating impact of sky-high visa fees, the Immigration Health Surcharge, and citizenship costs. Based on lived experience testimonies, it shows how this ‘pricing’ policy traps people in precarity, separates families, and denies them a sense of belonging.

Working Together for Disabled People Seeking Asylum (University of Glasgow, May 2026)

What happens when you are disabled and navigating the UK asylum system? This 42-minute podcast brings together community members and partner organisations in Glasgow to discuss the specific barriers disabled people face in the asylum process. It also offers practical advice and guidance for organisations supporting this group and is just one of many podcasts and pieces of media to be created by the project.

From The Ashes: The Oxford Phoenix Story (Asylum Welcome, May 2026)

What happens when you are a young asylum seeker or refugee trying to build a life in a new country? Oxford Phoenix is a football team that brings together young refugees and asylum seekers from across the world to play football in Oxfordshire. In this 10-minute episode of the Welcomecast, the official Asylum Welcome podcast, club members talk about how the team provides friendship, confidence, and a sense of belonging during difficult times. The episode also covers their recent run to a cup final.

Food Insecurity and Mental Health (shmu IN FOCUS, May 2026)

What is the link between not having enough food and your mental health? This 44-minute episode features a conversation with staff from Cfine, the University of Aberdeen and Robert Gordon’s University. They discuss how access to food affects stress, well-being, and daily life. A reality that many with NRPF are forced to navigate as a result of the UK’s hostile environment.

More Than a Label: Migration Law and Justice in the UK (Lawmanity, May 2026)

How has UK immigration law systematically criminalised and excluded people seeking asylum for over a century, and what can be done differently? This 38-minute episode of the Lawmanity podcast speaks with researcher, theatre-maker, and campaigner Pinar Aksu. She discusses the barriers to accessing justice, including legal aid pressures and miscommunication. She makes the case for “community lawyering”: bringing legal knowledge into grassroots spaces, centring lived experience, and using creative practice alongside organising.

What’s Really Happening Inside Asylum Hotel Accommodation (SOAS, March 2026)

What happens when accommodation meant to provide shelter instead feels like confinement? This 3-minute video and accompanying research project explore the rise of asylum hotels in the UK, where 45,800 people were living by December 2023. Here, residents consistently raised harmful and inadequate food as a key challenge to their physical and mental health, and described how food shaped wider feelings of imprisonment. The project has also produced evidence submissions to the Home Affairs Select Committee.

Engaging with the Refugee Workforce (Scottish Engineering, April 2026)

What happens when employers discover a pool of skilled, motivated professionals who often face needless, structural barriers? This 31-minute briefing hosted by Scottish Engineering, features Anita Yu, Employability Development Officer at Scottish Refugee Council, who breaks down who refugees and asylum seekers are, their right to work in the UK, and the skills they bring across engineering, healthcare, IT, and other sectors. Anita also shares practical challenges refugees face, along with actionable ways employers can create inclusive opportunities.

‘Putting ourselves in the Picture’ Migrant Heritage Project in Glasgow (Migrant Voice, December 2026)

What happens when migrant communities tell their own stories, rather than being spoken about? This 17-minute video documents a three-year heritage project in Glasgow, developed between 2022 and 2025. Migrants from different ethnic backgrounds worked together to create several exhibitions showcasing their experiences, contributions, and heritage in Scotland. The video offers a direct counter‑narrative to hostile-environment politics, anchoring migrants as heritage-makers rather than ‘problems to be managed‘.

A Super Simple Guide to the 7 May Elections (BBC News, April 2026)

What will this year’s national Refugee Week look like? This two‑hour recording captures the online gathering that brought together organisers, artists, educators, and community leaders from across the Refugee Week network. Sessions cover the current global context for refugees, the history of the movement, this year’s theme of “Courage,” practical ways to take part (supporting local events, Simple Acts, or organising your own activity), and how to use social media effectively.