Switzerland Temporarily Reopens Asylum Accommodation to Address Seasonal Increase in Applications

What changed

The Swedish Migration Agency has extended its recommendation to pause the assessment of protection grounds for individuals seeking asylum from Iran and Lebanon. This measure, initially introduced in January and March, will now remain in effect until at least 12 February 2027. The continued pause is due to the volatile and complex situation in both nations, which prevents a reliable forward-looking assessment of protection needs. Consequently, rejection decisions for international protection applications from these countries will not be made during this period.

What changed

On 12 October 2026, the UK Home Office announced that the government had put forward two changes to the Immigration and Asylum Bill. These changes aim to make the assessment of family-life claims under Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) stricter and to address asylum and other immigration claims made very shortly before someone is due to be removed from the UK. These proposals are part of a wider set of laws intended to strengthen immigration control, reduce chances for procedural delays, and change how human rights arguments are considered in immigration cases.

What changed

The Director-General of the South African Department of Home Affairs has withdrawn a directive, which is a set of instructions, that was issued on 28 September 2026. These instructions laid out the steps for processing applications from people seeking asylum. This decision, announced on 09 October 2026, cancels the immediate operational guidelines that Refugee Reception Offices were following to put into practice a Constitutional Court judgment from 7 July. The withdrawal means that the specific procedures set out in those instructions are no longer in effect. The Department will now create a new, long-term approach to manage asylum applications, making sure it still follows the Court's order.

What changed

The UK Visas and Immigration and Home Office have released detailed factsheets and an updated impact assessment for the Immigration and Asylum Bill 2026 on 8 October 2026, with an additional impact assessment published on 13 October 2026. These documents provide a comprehensive breakdown of the Bill's provisions, which aim to reform the immigration appeals system, amend the application of Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights, revise the modern slavery regime, and establish a single protection model for refugees and humanitarian protection. This publication clarifies the specifics of these significant policy proposals, which were first announced in November 2025.