Beyond Pakistan (high asylum numbers, high visa numbers, relatively low grant rate, drop in returns) where else is she targeting with this? Isn't going to mean much to the other top asylum nationalities: Afghanistan, Iran, Eritrea (low visa apps?) & they've just agreed a returns deal with Iraq so..?

Thank god that's over. So depressed by Cooper's best defence of our membership of ECHR as "it allows us to make returns agreements with 3rd countries so we can send refugees away". I get why she likes it, but a failure by Labour to articulate a compelling argument on ECHR will be its downfall

Government is effectively equating family unity with unauthorised working: both are apparently used by smugglers to sell places in small boats. Only one of these is a perfectly legitimate exercise of a right enshrined in international & domestic law, and a fundamental building block of safety.

We are watching the concept of refugee family reunion - built on the principle of the sanctity of the family, importance of family unit to enable integration & opportunity to rescue refugees directly from danger - being cynically spun into a politically expedient 'pull factor' exploited by smugglers

Cooper has helpfully clarified, in response to an impassioned intervention by Pete Wishart MP, that her compassion for refugees reaches no further than Ukrainian mums and Gaza students. We can only assume that the rest are considered to be abusing the system.

Have just heard from Chris Murray MP that Home Affairs Select Committee will be publishing the report of their inquiry into asylum accommodation shortly. @freedomfromtorture.bsky.social provided evidence to the committee of the harmful impact of hotels on survivors of torture in the UK asylum system

No real update on hotel closures except to say that they must all be closed.

Cooper also promised a 1k bed expansion of the immigration detention estate at Campsfield and Haslar Immigration Removal Centres.

"Overhaul of the asylum appeals system" = new asylum adjudicators body to deal with immigration & asylum appeals. She explained that it's for surge capacity, accelerate and prioritise cases. She also mentioned procedures to tackle repeat applications.

A new system for refugee family reunion will be brought in later this year including longer periods before refugees can apply to be reunited with their family, and new conditions in line with those that apply to non-refugee applicants.

New immigration rules will be published this week to temporarily suspend any new applications under Refugee Family Reunion route until a new scheme can be brought in. Refugees will be covered by the conditions and rules that apply to everyone else.