Author: Fatimah Idera

Asylum

Rayner

House of Common

The UK Government is preparing to end automatic permanent protection for refugees, replacing it with a temporary status system that will require regular reviews of each individual’s need for sanctuary. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood is expected to announce the policy shift on Monday, signalling what government insiders describe as a significant change to the UK’s asylum framework. Under the new approach, people granted asylum will be allowed to remain in the UK only until it is judged safe for them to return to their home countries. Currently, refugees receive five years of leave to remain and can then apply for…

Reform UK has expelled Kent County councillor Isabella Kemp following an internal investigation into the leak of a video showing the party’s local leader swearing during a virtual meeting. Kemp, who was initially suspended, was removed from the party after Reform said it found she had created a WhatsApp group where making a screen recording of the meeting was discussed, and had encouraged a colleague to be dishonest about a no-confidence vote. Kemp rejected the allegations, insisting she had done nothing wrong and had even offered to hand over her phone and laptop for forensic examination, an offer she said…

A man has been charged after allegedly attending a remembrance Sunday ceremony in North Wales dressed as a senior Royal Navy officer. North Wales Police said the man was seen wearing “the uniform and medals of a high-ranking navy officer” during a wreath-laying service in Llandudno, Conwy, on Sunday 9 November. Officers arrested 64-year-old Jonathan Carley, from Harlech in Gwynedd, shortly afterwards. Carley has been charged with wearing military uniform or insignia without permission, an offence under UK law. He is due to appear before Caernarfon Magistrates’ Court on Thursday 11 December. Chief Inspector, Trystan Bevan acknowledged the strong public…

Asylum

The UK government has updated its travel advisory for Nigeria, warning British nationals of rising insecurity across the country and designating several states as unsafe due to escalating violence, terrorism, and widespread kidnapping. In the latest Foreign Travel Advice released by the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) and reviewed on Sunday, officials noted that “insecurity is increasing across Nigeria,” with violent crime and intercommunal clashes occurring nationwide. British citizens were urged to remain extremely cautious and ensure their security plans are up to date. The FCDO advised against all travel to Borno, Yobe, Adamawa, Gombe, Katsina and Zamfara, citing…

UK hospitals are preparing for what could be the most severe flu season in a decade, as a rapidly spreading mutated strain of the virus fuels an early and steep rise in cases, especially among children. Health officials warn that once the virus reaches older and more vulnerable groups, hospital admissions are expected to climb sharply. The threat has prompted NHS leaders to intensify flu vaccination campaigns, expand same-day emergency care, and shift more treatment into the community to ease pressure on hospitals. With resident doctors in England staging a five-day pay strike, many trusts are activating contingency plans to…

Following government plans to require refugees and asylum seekers to undertake mandatory volunteering as a condition for being allowed to settle in the country, More than 320 UK charities have declared and disagree they will not cooperate. The organisations including the National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO), the Charity Retail Association, and local branches of Age UK and Citizens Advice warned that compelling people to volunteer would be exploitative, unworkable and contrary to the core principle that volunteering must be freely given. In a letter to the home secretary, Shabana Mahmood, they said the proposal risked creating “a population of…