Manchester has long been the UK’s "second city" for immigration—a vibrant hub of international students, thriving tech businesses at MediaCityUK, and a bustling airport gateway. But as we move deeper into 2026, the city is facing a unique storm of regulatory changes that are squeezing its international population from both sides:

 London is a city of dreams, but for migrants in 2026, it is also a city of surveillance. It is the headquarters of the Home Office, the location of the UK's busiest immigration courts, and the testing ground for the government’s most aggressive "Hostile Environment" policies. To live in London as a migrant is to live under a microscope.

 London is a city of dreams, but for migrants in 2026, it is also a city of surveillance. It is the headquarters of the Home Office, the location of the UK's busiest immigration courts, and the testing ground for the government’s most aggressive "Hostile Environment" policies. To live in London as a migrant is to live under a microscope.

 London is a city of dreams, but for migrants in 2026, it is also a city of surveillance. It is the headquarters of the Home Office, the location of the UK's busiest immigration courts, and the testing ground for the government’s most aggressive "Hostile Environment" policies. To live in London as a migrant is to live under a microscope.

 London is a city of dreams, but for migrants in 2026, it is also a city of surveillance. It is the headquarters of the Home Office, the location of the UK's busiest immigration courts, and the testing ground for the government’s most aggressive "Hostile Environment" policies. To live in London as a migrant is to live under a microscope.