ICESCR concluding observations 2025, paragraph 27
Plain English recommendation
Government should:
(a) Review and remove laws that discriminate against migrant groups or limit the rights of asylum-seekers, refugees, migrants and stateless people. Make sure all laws fully align with the rights set out in the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR);
(b) Ensure all asylum and statelessness decision processes are accessible and that legal help in these processes is available to all. Work with the governments of Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales to improve plans to help asylum seekers settle in the UK, focusing on access to social security, healthcare, education (including language classes), keeping families together, plus finding jobs and employment support;
(c) Review the “no recourse to public funds” rule (which stops some migrants and asylum-seekers from getting certain types of government support, including most benefits). Ensure this rule does not lead to more poverty or hardship. The review should consider the Committee’s guidance on how countries should treat refugees and migrants under the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR).
Original UN recommendation
The Committee recommends that the State Party:
(a) Review and repeal any laws that discriminate against migrant groups or limit access to rights for asylum-seekers, refugees, migrants and stateless persons, ensuring full compliance with Covenant provisions;
(b) Guarantee access to asylum and statelessness determination procedures and to legal aid, without discrimination, and, along with the devolved governments of Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales, enhance its integration strategies focusing on access to social security, healthcare and education, including language courses, family unity and access to the labour market and employment services;
(c) Review the “no recourse to public funds” rule to prevent an increase in poverty and precarity among migrants and asylum-seekers, taking into account the Committee’s statement on the duties of States towards refugees and migrants under the Covenant.
Date of UN examination
12/03/2025
Original UN document
Download the original ICESCR concluding observations 2025 on the UN website.
Last updated on 21/08/2025