Redacted Minutes from West Yorkshire Sub Regional Migration Group (SRMG) Meeting – 28 February 2025

Please find the redacted Minutes from the West Yorkshire Sub Regional Migration Group held on 28/02/2025 at the bottom of this post.

Alternatively here’s an AI-generated summary:

The meeting was chaired by Cllr Venner and included representatives from local councils, Migration Yorkshire, the Home Office, and various support organizations.
Minutes from the previous meeting (25 October 2024) were approved.

Over 500,000 visas were issued under the scheme since 2020, with 80,000 migrants arriving in Yorkshire & Humber.
Visa approvals have declined due to stricter regulations and abuse concerns.
Major challenges:
- Dependents are no longer allowed.
- Workers losing sponsor licenses only have 60 days to find a new employer.
- Strict 37-hour contract requirement prevents many from finding new jobs.
Support Initiatives:
- International Recruitment Fund (IRF) and Recruitment Hubs help displaced workers find employment.
- Low success rate: Only 71 out of 771 eligible workers secured new jobs in Yorkshire & Humber.
- Migration Yorkshire is developing a service directory to improve access to support.

New Afghan Resettlement Programme (ARP) starts 1 March 2025:
- Merges Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP) and Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS).
- All arrivals receive the same level of funding and support.
- Transitional accommodation limited to 9 months before moving into permanent housing.
- No separate funding for transitional accommodation, impacting local authority budgets.
- Expected 7,000 refugees per year nationally; Yorkshire & Humber allocation pending.
- No confirmed transitional housing in the region yet.

Launched 4 February 2025 to extend stay by 18 months for Ukrainians whose visas are expiring.
Application is free, but processing takes up to 8 weeks.
Concerns:
- No appeal process if an application is rejected.
- Housing and job instability due to visa uncertainties.
- Host payments reduced to £350/month from April 2025.
- Local authorities must manage additional administrative work without extra funding.
- Uncertainty about long-term future of Ukrainians in the UK (68% wish to stay permanently).

Better coordination needed between Home Office, local councils, and stakeholders.
Full Dispersal Model aims for fairer asylum seeker distribution.
Next regional meeting scheduled in the coming weeks.

Challenges:
- Banking issues: Some banks still reject e-visas as valid ID.
- Personal detail errors in visas (e.g., misspelled names, incorrect birthdates).
- Limited accessibility to e-visa accounts due to generic contact details used during creation.
- Expired BRPs and EU residence permits accepted until 1 June 2025.
Support provided by Migrant Help:
- Assistance with UKVI accounts, ID verification, banking issues, and correcting errors.
- Drop-in sessions available for vulnerable individuals.

Wakefield research study examined health and well-being challenges faced by migrants.
Findings:
- Issues accessing GP services and other essential healthcare.
- Local authorities urged to integrate research findings into future planning.

Age Assessments: Concerns about incorrect classification of children as adults.
Language Classes: Newly arrived asylum seekers cannot access ESOL classes for 6 months.
Asylum Interviews: Shortened interviews and translation issues persist.

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