On 13th May 2026, the King made a speech in which he confirmed that new legislation will be introduced to ‘increase confidence in the security of the immigration and asylum systems’. The speech was followed by a government briefing. The section discussing immigration and asylum basically confirms proposals that have already been announced in the ‘Restoring Order and Control’ paper published in November 2025 which we explain here.

Keeping with the theme of the current (and previous) government, the focus remains on enforcement, with various restrictions of rights and immigration routes as well as ‘fast-tracking’ of decision making, appeals and removals. Perhaps one of the most concerning elements is the planned introduction of an ‘independent’ appeals body which is happening alongside a ‘tightening’ of the application of Article 8 (right to private and family life).

In this context, a ‘body’ refers to an official organisation established by law with specific powers and responsibilities

Remember that the briefing is not yet law, but it does lay out the government’s intentions for changes to law and policy. Some of the proposed changes might come through changes to the Immigration Rules which can be made by the government, but other changes will have to pass through parliament to become law. We explain more about how announcements become law here. 

What does the briefing say?

The government briefing explains planned changes to the immigration system via an Immigration and Asylum Bill which could then become part of the law as an Act.  We explain the difference between a bill and an act in more detail here and you can also read the previous link on how announcements become law to understand this.

The first part focuses on plans to replace the current asylum system with a ‘core protection’ model, with reference to earned entitlements, incentives to work and financial contributions from those in asylum support. What this means is that accessing asylum accommodation and support could lead to some kind of repayment fee later, and those granted protection status may face further restriction of rights or an increase in requirements for future applications. We have seen this approach in the earned settlement proposals which were first announced in November 2025 (discussed here).

The briefing mentions that the bill will define in law when protection status can be revoked – meaning taken away. This is not new but is most likely related to recent changes making refugee status more temporary (we explain this here). At the moment there are already rules around revoking status in the Refugee Convention as well as in UK law. It is unclear how these might change.

The briefing then focuses on removals and enforcement, confirming plans to create a new ‘independent’ appeals body, and focusing on ‘quick’ or ‘immediate’ removals. There is reference to improving age assessment processes – current processes are questionable and recent plans concerning, for example, the use of AI in age assessments which we discuss here, so who these ‘improvements’ will benefit is unclear.

Finally the section on ‘restoring order and control’ explains plans to tighten the application of Article 8 and define family life by limiting it to a ‘core family unit’  parents, partners and children. The briefing then mentions plans to change modern slavery legislation and, in fact, some concerning changes have already happened (read more about this in Helen Bamber’s Response). There is then a potentially positive paragraph focused on tackling exploitation and supporting children.

Some ‘key facts’ are then listed, which are all focused on an increase in asylum claims, the cost of these claims and the use of Article 8 to stop removals. There are no facts on how many of these Article 8 claims are successful (meaning there was good reason and a strong legal basis for removals to be halted) or mention of the Home Office delays and errors that are leaving so many asylum seekers stuck in limbo in state support.

What does this mean for our communities?

The government continues to focus on enforcement, and narrowing already complex and restrictive immigration routes. The recent briefing pushes the idea that the law is being misused to allow people to stay in the UK. The government’s proposed solution? Change the law to make it harder to stay in the UK, harder to settle in the UK and easier and quicker to remove people. 

The most worrying part of this is that appeals would be brought to a new ‘independent’ appeals body, which would be built into the immigration and asylum system, raising concerns about whether it will actually be independent and fair. We think this is a terrible idea and we explain why briefly here. The Law Society, who are the professional body for solicitors in England and Wales, summarises all the potential problems with the proposal in their statement. Similarly, responses from Asylum Aid, and Asylum Justice clearly explain some of the key concerns if you want to understand this further.

With all this in mind, we need to keep showing up as communities so that we can build collective knowledge, solidarity and power. The immigration system is not getting fairer or easier to navigate, and the hostile environment continues to push anti-migrant rhetoric and the restriction of migrant rights.

We encourage you to use and share our toolkit, and to join our regular online sessions on the toolkit as well as our Knowledge is Power workshops, and Solidarity Sessions. As communities, we can also support each other by gaining and sharing knowledge and information. We can build power as communities in so many ways, from demonstrations to a conversation over coffee. This might look like:

• Helping someone seeking asylum to gather important documents to build paper and online files (see our toolkit page on Evidence)
• Being a reporting buddy (see our toolkit page on Enforcement)
• Joining a local migrant support group – search online for your area
• Creating safe and welcoming spaces and taking an anti-racist approach
• Responding to the current consultation (more here) closing 28th May 2026
• Engaging in campaigns to challenge the hostile environment
• Signing up to our newsletter to receive up-to-date information about any changes