Netherlands Proposes Criminalisation of Return Frustration for Foreign Nationals Without Lawful Residence

What changed

UK Visas and Immigration updated its guidance for local authorities on 6 October 2026, introducing the funding instructions and submission forms for the 2026 to 2027 financial year for Unaccompanied Asylum-Seeking Children (UASC) and care leavers. This update specifies the conditions for reimbursement of costs for supporting and caring for these individuals across England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland. The changes include revised funding rates and additional incentives for local authorities participating in the National Transfer Scheme (NTS). Local authorities must now utilise the new submission forms for their monthly claims to ensure continued funding.

What changed

The Netherlands' Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND) has announced a reorganisation of its asylum application processing. This new approach prioritises fresh asylum applications in line with the European Asylum and Migration Pact, effective from 12 June 2026. For over 54,000 outstanding applications submitted before this date, the IND will introduce a categorised and grouped processing method from 1 October 2026, with the aim of issuing a first decision within three years for as many as possible.

What changed

UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) has implemented a new process for handling protection claims, effective from 28 September 2026. New caseworker guidance details the use of a single protection interview to identify and process claims that may be suitable for refusal. This streamlined approach replaces the previous system of separate screening and substantive interviews, impacting how protection claims are assessed by immigration staff.

What changed

Ireland has reported early improvements in how it processes applications for international protection, about 100 days after the EU Migration and Asylum Pact began. Speaking at a conference in Malta on 28 September 2026, the Minister of State for Migration, Colm Brophy, noted that Ireland's experience showed the asylum system was now more efficient and effective thanks to the Pact's implementation. The government believes these early results come from planning before the new law started, new screening checks, better ways to verify documents, increased use of electronic evidence, and the new processing timelines brought in by the International Protection Act 2026.