Here are 5 important things happening in the UK today, 1 September 2025.
- UK to make it harder for refugees to bring family members: Ministers are planning to make it harder for refugees to bring family members to the UK as part of a package of measures that Yvette Cooper will announce on Monday as she looks to get a grip on the fractious debate over irregular migration. The home secretary will tell MPs she plans to make a number of changes to the way asylum cases are treated, including to the family reunion policy, which officials believe is acting as a magnet for people crossing the Channel. [Guardian]
- Crossings of small boats to the UK in August fall to the lowest since 2019: This comes after Cooper announced a sharp drop in the number of small boat arrivals in August, hailing it as evidence that Labour’s plan to “smash the gangs” is having an effect despite the number of irregular migrants reaching the UK running at record levels so far in 2025. The number of small boats crossing the English Channel fell to 55 last month, down from 75 for the same period last year, the Home Office said on Monday. The figure was the lowest total since 2019, when it stood at 34. [Financial Times]
- Ticketless train travel to begin trials across the UK: Ticketless train travel that works by tracking passengers’ locations is being trialled in the East Midlands. The location-based technology will be tested by East Midlands Railway (EMR) from Monday, by up to 1,000 people travelling through Derby, Leicester, Nottingham, and the stations in between. [BBC]
- House prices drop unexpectedly amid property tax fears: House prices dropped unexpectedly last month, a closely watched survey showed, as Rachel Reeves considers plans to hit owners of expensive homes with capital gains tax in the upcoming Budget. [Telegraph]
- On Monday, Oil was trading lower at $66.91. The pound is trading at $1.35, €1.15, and ¥9.64.
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