The Home Affairs Committee has published the written evidence submitted to its 'Routes to settlement' inquiry, which include responses from numerous law firms and organisations in the immigration sector. Separately the transcript of the oral evidence session on 21 January 2026 has been published. This session was with Professor Alan Manning, Professor of Economics, London School of Economics; Nicolas Rollason, Partner, Kingsley Napley LLP; and Dr Madeleine Sumption, Director, Oxford Migration Observatory.

The Home Affairs Committee has published a report analysing the government’s response in combating modern extremism. The report notes that Prevent programme remains the main mechanism for dealing with extremism however it is outdated and does not solve modern extremism challenges in the digital space. The Committee recommends the Home Office integrates the Prevent programme within the wider safeguarding system and introduce a triage structure that sits above Prevent. This will ensure that cases suitable for the types of intervention that Prevent offers are directed to Prevent and cases suited to other forms of support are directed elsewhere, without having to first pass through Prevent. The report also recommends a long-term research programme on emerging forms of extremism.

The House of Commons Home Affairs Committee has published its Fourth Report of Session 2024–26, examining how the Home Office has responded operationally to an increase in demand for asylum accommodation since 2019. The Committee reviewed the department’s use of private sector contracts, reliance on hotels and the adequacy of accommodation standards, as well as the impact on local communities and public services. It found that the projected cost of asylum accommodation contracts for 2019–29 has more than tripled, from £4.5bn to £15.3bn, while the number of people accommodated rose from 47,500 in 2018 to 103,000 by June 2025.

The Home Affairs Committee has published a report asking the government to give the House of Commons time to debate the UK-Rwanda Treaty. This follows the government’s response to the Supreme Court’s judgment ruling plans to send asylum seekers to Rwanda as unlawful, in which the government renegotiated the Treaty and introduced the Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Bill. The Bill itself will soon reach committee stage in the Commons however the renegotiated UK-Rwanda Treaty has not yet been allocated a time to debate in the Commons.

The Home Affairs Committee has published a joint letter to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) from the Chairs of the Home Affairs and Justice Committees, seeking clarification on the Crown Prosecution Service’s (CPS) decision to drop charges against two individuals accused of espionage offences under the Official Secrets Act 1911 (OSA 1911). The letter stresses that the reason provided by CPS, that the ‘evidential standard for the offence indicted is no longer met’, provides insufficient detail, given the seriousness of the case and its impact on the ability of parliamentarians to perform their duties.

The Home Affairs Committee has initiated a new inquiry into the UK's asylum accommodation system. This comes in response to the government's pledge to end the use of hotels and reduce spending on asylum support. The inquiry investigates the current delivery of accommodation, including the effectiveness of provider contracts and the Home Office's collaboration with local partners. Key areas of focus include the impact on local services, regional distribution of accommodation, and support for individuals transitioning out of the system. The Home Affairs Committee is seeking written submissions by 3 February 2025, addressing specific terms of reference such as contract management, provider performance, and engagement with local authorities and health services. This inquiry aims to inform the government's future strategy on asylum accommodation and address challenges in the current system.

In her response to a Parliamentary debate on 22 January 2025 on the suggestion of a sector-wide Certificate of Common Sponsorship for the care sector as a means of reducing exploitation and poor employment practices by some sponsor employers, the Minister for Citizenship and Migration, Seema Malhotra MP, confirmed several significant recent and forthcoming relevant developments in Home Office policy and practice. These are set out below.

The Home Office has issued updated Sponsor Guidance on 22 July 2025, further to the changes to sponsored work routes that come into force on that date under Statement of Changes in Immigration Rules HC 997. There are not extensive changes to the three primary guidance documents, or Appendix D, beyond those consequential to the Statement, other than the imposition of new 24-month cooling-off periods for licence applications in certain circumstances, and revised information relating to the eVisa transformation. Also issued are various revised occupation lists/guidance relating to the Skilled Worker route, which may assist with navigating the HC 997 changes. For details, see below.

The Home Office and Ministry of Justice have published an independent report recommending changes to legal tests in police accountability proceedings following Supreme Court decisions in Maughan and W80. The review, conducted by Timothy Godwin OBE QPM and Sir Adrian Fulford between November 2024 and May 2025, recommends amending the Police (Conduct) Regulations 2020 to apply the criminal law test for use of force in misconduct cases, replacing the current civil law test. On unlawful killing conclusions at inquests, the reviewers recommend a full public consultation before any decision to change the standard of proof from the civil standard back to the criminal standard. The Home Secretary has accepted the misconduct proceedings recommendation and will lay changes to the Police (Conduct) Regulations 2020 following consultation with the Police Advisory Board for England and Wales. The Lord Chancellor is minded to accept the recommendation to consult on the unlawful killing standard of proof and will seek further agreement on consultation details.

The Independent Monitoring Authority for the Citizens’ Rights Agreements (IMA) has welcomed the Home Office’s response to its inquiry into delays in deciding EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS) applications. The Home Office accepted three of the IMA’s seven recommendations, including measures to improve application decision-making processes, strengthen escalation arrangements with international partners, and enhance communication with applicants. However, it rejected recommendations relating to data collection, oversight arrangements and stakeholder engagement.

The Home Office has published a paper summarising the preliminary findings from part one of the Independent Review of Disclosure and Fraud Offences. The paper highlights key emerging themes, which include problems in practical application of the Criminal Procedure and Investigations Act 1996 (CPIA 1996); a lack of consistency across the system regarding tests in CPIA 1996; solutions that artificial intelligence (AI) may offer and how AI may help improve case progression; the benefits of early engagement between prosecution and defence; and a need for better training and resources for disclosure issues.

The Home Office has published the meeting minutes of the Independent Review of Disclosure and Fraud Offences, from meetings between the independent reviewer and various stakeholders. Stakeholders include, but are not limited to, the Bar Council, City of London Police, Crown Prosecution Service, JUSTICE and the National Crime Agency.