Immigration News Weekly Roundup – 9 January 2026
The UK Government is under intense scrutiny as asylum seekers and campaigners raise serious concerns about detention practices and new enforcement powers, which many argue violate basic human rights.
Eighty asylum seekers held at Harmondsworth immigration removal centre have compiled a report calling for UN investigation into their treatment. The detainees, who fled conflict in Sudan, Afghanistan and Iran, describe experiencing fear, humiliation and severe psychological harm. They report inadequate medical care, limited legal representation and insufficient time to recover from traumatic journeys before facing detention. Many young adults held at the facility suffer from depression, anxiety and insomnia, with some attempting self-harm.
These allegations emerge as new Government powers permit border officials to seize mobile phones from asylum seekers without arrest. From this week, those arriving at Manston processing centre face searches for electronic devices, including examinations inside their mouths. Critics condemn these invasive searches as profoundly inhumane, particularly when applied to traumatised people immediately after dangerous Channel crossings. Legal experts question whether adequate oversight exists to ensure searches remain lawful and proportionate.
Meanwhile, inspection findings at Derwentside women’s immigration centre reveal nearly sixty per cent of detainees were released rather than removed, leading campaigners to argue many are held unnecessarily. The remote location severely limits family visits, with only seventeen per cent of women receiving visitors. Five women left the centre homeless, raising further concerns about discharge planning.
Despite the Government’s “one in, one out” scheme with France, only 193 people were returned in the first three months whilst 41,472 migrants crossed the Channel in 2025, the second highest annual figure on record. The Home Office insists welfare remains paramount and the scheme targets criminal smuggling gangs, but detainees argue their treatment amounts to punishment for seeking protection. As political pressure mounts with Reform UK surging in polls, the Government faces difficult questions about balancing border security with humanitarian obligations to vulnerable people seeking sanctuary.
The on-going news and Government policies announced last year, indicate 2026 is bringing significant changes to UK immigration rules and procedures.
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For the full list of updates on media news, reports and Home Office Guidance and Policy updates, see BELOW.
Immigration News
Eighty ‘one in, one out’ asylum seekers accuse UK of degrading treatment – The Guardian
Eighty asylum seekers detained in preparation for being returned to France under the UK Government’s “one in, one out” scheme have called on UN bodies to investigate their treatment, claiming they have suffered “fear, humiliation and psychological distress” at the hands of the Home Office since arriving in the UK in small boats.For full report, click here
UK’s plans to seize asylum seekers’ phones condemned by campaigners – The Guardian
Home Office plans to immediately begin seizing asylum seekers’ mobile phones and sim cards without the need for an arrest have been condemned by a solicitor and anti-torture campaigners. People who arrive by small boats and are sent to Manston processing centre in Kent will be eligible for searches for electronic devices, with technology on site to download data. For full report, click here
Care worker visa changes ‘could overwhelm the NHS’ – BBC News UK
Changing visa rules for care workers could leave people without care and overwhelm the NHS, a care company boss claims. Shweta Dowlot Maulayah said the Government’s proposed immigration reforms would leave her company, Maucare Services, requiring an extra £15,000 annually per employee to retain staff. For full report, click here
Majority of immigration centre’s women released – BBC News UK
Almost two thirds of detainees at a women-only immigration removal centre ended up being released, according to prison inspectors. HM Inspectorate of Prisons (HMIP) said of the 723 women who left Derwentside Immigration Removal Centre (IRC) in Consett, County Durham, during a six-month period in 2025, 59% had been let go and 41% sent to other centres. For full report, click here
Documentary on Kenmure Street protest to open Glasgow Film Festival – BBC News UK
A documentary about a Glasgow protest that successfully stopped two Sikh men being taken away by immigration officers will open the city’s film festival next month. Everybody To Kenmure Street is centred on the events of 13 May 2021, when a Home Office raid in Pollokshields prompted hundreds of locals to take to the area’s Kenmure Street. For full report, click here
Case Law
Jen and Jamie Ltd v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2025] EWCC41
In the first-instance appeal against a civil penalty notice for illegal working, HHJ Robinson held that two individuals performing unpaid “voluntary training” shifts for promised future pay of £5.50/hour constituted employment under contract, establishing the necessary mutuality of obligation. The judge upheld the £80,000 penalty (£40,000 per worker) as correctly calculated under the statutory Code of Practice, finding courts have no discretion to reduce penalties outside that framework. The appeal was dismissed entirely. For full decision, click here
(Nisar & Ors) v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2025] EWCA Civil 1646
The Court of Appeal held that costs should be awarded where the Home Office breaches an agreed deadline for a visa decision, but not where the applicant fails to comply with the pre-action protocol by omitting a specific pre-action letter on the delay issue (Mr Mammedov’s case). The decision reinforces that strict adherence to the pre-action protocol is essential, particularly when time permits compliance. For full decision, click here
Home Office Guidance and Documents Policy Updates
Guidance: Iran: country policy and information notes has been updated on 07th January 20236. To view the updated Guidance, click here
Guidance: Register of licensed sponsors: workers has been updated on 06th January 2026. To view the updated Guidance, click here
Guidance: Register of licensed sponsors: students has been updated on 06th January 2026. To view the updated Guidance, click here
Guidance: Syria: country policy and information notes has been updated on 06th January 2026. To view the updated Guidance, click here
Guidance: Namibia: country policy and information notes has been updated on 06th January 2026. To view the updated Guidance, click here
Guidance: Nigeria: country policy and information notes has been updated on 06th January 2026. To view the updated Guidance, click here
Guidance: Prove your English language abilities with a secure English language test (SELT) has been updated on 05th January 2026. To view the updated Guidance, click here
Guidance: Restricted leave: caseworker has been updated on 05th January 2026. To view the updated Guidance, click here
Guidance: Immigration Rules archive: 30 December 2025 to 31 December 2025 has been published on 02nd January 2026. To view the Guidance, click here
Collection Archive: Immigration Rules has been updated on 02nd January 2026. To view the updated Collection, click here
Written by Shareen Khan – Legal Content Writer, HJT Training
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Disclaimer: This blog post is intended for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Immigration advisors should consult the full decisions and official policy documents when advising clients on specific cases.
