The updated Country Report on the United Kingdom provides a detailed account of developments in the area of asylum procedures, reception conditions, detention and content of protection.
Two new policies were introduced in relation to unaccompanied children brought by the UK government from other EU Member States. The first states that children transferred under Section 67 of the Immigration Act 2016 (‘Dubs Amendment’) would be granted leave even if they do not qualify for refugee or subsidiary protection. The second provides for similar leave to be granted to children transferred here when the Calais camp was cleared in October 2016.
Asylum procedure: Revised guidance in relation to inadmissibility, including the safe third country concept, policy and practice was published in October 2018. The Home Office also published updated guidance on the registration of asylum applications.
The Upper Tribunal found in the case of SM that the situation of a particularly vulnerable person warranted suspension of a Dublin transfer to Italy, as circumstances were “markedly different” from established High Court case law on transfers to Italy.
Reception conditions: There are no substantive differences in relation to the overall support available to asylum seekers, although significant developments include a successful legal challenge to the level of financial support given to people who are recognised as likely victims of modern slavery (trafficking).
With regard to living conditions in decentralised accommodation for asylum seekers, the Home Affairs Select Committee concluded in its December 2018 report that very little had improved and that the relationship between the Home Office and local authorities had deteriorated since its 2017 report. New contracts for the management of accommodation were approved in January 2019 for a ten-year period.
Detention of asylum seekers: Several detention policies were amended following the change in definition of torture used by the UK government. The Immigration Removal Centre Campsfield was closed down in December 2018.
*This information was first published by AIDA managed by ECRE
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