The long-trailed Immigration and Asylum Bill formally entered the committee stage in the House of Commons on 25 September. Introduced in June, the 250-page Bill represents the most substantial overhaul of the UK’s asylum, appeals and enforcement architecture since the 2002 Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act. Key provisions include replacing the First-tier Tribunal’s immigration jurisdiction with a new Independent Immigration Appeals Authority, tightening the legal weight given to Article 8 (right to family and private life) claims, and merging refugee status and humanitarian protection into a single “core protection” category. The Bill would also grant the Home Office power to recover certain asylum-support costs from migrants who later become self-sufficient. MPs on the Public Bill Committee will begin line-by-line scrutiny on 13 October, with the committee expected to report by 3 November. Government sources indicate that more than 200 amendments have already been tabled, covering issues from modern-slavery protections to the treatment of unaccompanied minors. Business immigration practitioners are watching Clause 48 particularly closely: from 1 October 2026 it would extend civil-penalty liability for illegal working to gig-economy platforms and subcontractors. For global-mobility teams the Bill’s progress matters on two fronts. First, appeals reform could alter litigation timelines, affecting how long sponsored employees without status may remain work-eligible. Second, expanded penalty regimes will require new due-diligence processes in supply-chain contracts and right-to-work audits. Employers should follow the committee hearings and be prepared to update compliance manuals rapidly once the final text is known. Trade bodies are still able to submit written evidence until 10 October – a window for businesses to influence operational details.
Source: HJT Training
