Immigration and Migration

Home Office fees going up from 8 April 2026, but child citizenship registration fees coming...

Home Office fees going up from 8 April 2026, but child citizenship registration fees coming... The government has published the new immigration and nationality fees which will come into effect from 8 April 2026. There are increases across the board, with most fees increasing by 6 or 7%. The application fee for indefinite leave to ...

Closure of Surinder Singh route on 9 August 2023 was lawful, High Court says

Closure of Surinder Singh route on 9 August 2023 was lawful, High Court says The High Court has found that closing the Surinder Singh route of the EU Settlement Scheme to new applicants on 9 August 2023 was a lawful decision open to the Home Office to make. The case is Lin & Anor, ...

Subjective fears of family members are relevant but not enough to prevent deportation

Subjective fears of family members are relevant but not enough to prevent deportation The Court of Appeal has ruled that the subjective, personal preferences of a partner do not constitute an exception to deportation. Subjective fears, such as their fears to relocate to another country, are not ‘immaterial’. However, those fears only form ...

Job Ad: The Unity Project is recruiting a Specialist Immigration Caseworker (maternity cover) About the role We are seeking an experienced and qualified immigration advisor to lead on key elements of our Change of Conditions casework service as maternity cover for the coming year including our ‘self-submissions’ support programme and second-tier CoC advice. ...

Free Movement Weekly Immigration Newsletter #111

Free Movement Weekly Immigration Newsletter #111 Welcome to the weekly Free Movement newsletter! The Independent Monitoring Authority has found that the Home Office has been failing to process EU Settlement Scheme applications within a reasonable timeframe, breaching the rights of EU and EEA citizens. The inquiry identified delays ...

Asylum support: what is available and what has changed

Asylum support: what is available and what has changed The cost of accommodating asylum seekers has become a central feature of the political debate on asylum policy. These policies have resulted in asylum accommodation ranging from Ministry of Defence military barracks and shipping vessels to hotels. This article looks ...

High Court upholds interim removal of EU national terrorism offender

High Court upholds interim removal of EU national terrorism offender In R on the application of Mina Dich v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2026] EWHC 502 (Admin), the High Court has dismissed a challenge to the interim removal of an EU national convicted of a terrorism offence. ...

Interim relief granted to prevent removal of trafficking victim under French one-in-one-out deal

Interim relief granted to prevent removal of trafficking victim under French one-in-one-out deal In AYA & Ors v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2026] EWHC 552 (Admin), interim relief was granted to a victim of trafficking to prevent his removal to France while his legal challenge was considered in full. Mr Justice Sheldon ...

When can you get a refund for the immigration health surcharge?

When can you get a refund for the immigration health surcharge? The immigration health surcharge is an additional fee that most applicants must pay upfront when applying for a visa. It essentially adds £1,035 per year per person to the cost of a UK visa, or £776 per person per year ...

High Court reiterates no right to consular assistance to leave Gaza under Article 8

High Court reiterates no right to consular assistance to leave Gaza under Article 8 The High Court has handed down its judgment in R (RKC1 & Ors) v Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs & Anor [2026] EWHC 440 (Admin). While the claimants secured narrow victories on procedural grounds and legitimate ...

New sponsor compliance duties you need to act on now

New sponsor compliance duties you need to act on now Buried beneath the headlines about visa brakes and Afghan nationals, the Home Office quietly updated its sponsor guidance on 6 March 2026, the day after HC 1691 landed. The refreshed parts one to three, Appendix D and a brand new ...

Latest statistics show asylum appeal backlog exceeds 80,000 cases

Latest statistics show asylum appeal backlog exceeds 80,000 cases The backlog of asylum appeals at the immigration tribunal has exceeded 80,000 cases, the latest tribunal statistics show. Some of those cases will include dependents as well as main appellants. As recently as 2023, there were only 9,000 cases in ...

Afghan national’s job too remote from counter-narcotics objectives to qualify for relocation

Afghan national’s job too remote from counter-narcotics objectives to qualify for relocation The High Court has dismissed a judicial review by an Afghan national refused relocation under the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy. The court held that the claimant did not make a substantive and positive contribution to UK national security objectives ...

Upper Tribunal politely declines to hear the majority of immigration judicial reviews in Scotland

Upper Tribunal politely declines to hear the majority of immigration judicial reviews in Scotland In R (on the application of EB) v Secretary of State for the Home Department (Scotland; Transfer of claims) [2025] UKUT 412 (IAC) the Upper Tribunal held that judicial reviews should only be transferred from the Court of Session in ...

Why the latest attempt to deter asylum seekers won’t work

Why the latest attempt to deter asylum seekers won’t work From 2 March 2026 refugee status in the UK became temporary rather than permanent. This dramatic change is the Home Secretary’s attempt to deter asylum seekers. Denmark adopted a similar policy in 2015 and has seen a fall in applications. ...

Free Movement Weekly Immigration Newsletter #110

Free Movement Weekly Immigration Newsletter #110 Welcome to the weekly Free Movement newsletter! Last week the Home Secretary spoke at the Institute for Public Policy Research to announce what are being called some of the most significant migration reforms in a generation. This was followed by a relatively ...

Failure to follow vulnerable witness guidance not always an error of law

Failure to follow vulnerable witness guidance not always an error of law Many appellants in immigration and asylum matters have vulnerabilities which impact their ability to participate in proceedings and give evidence. The Joint Presidential Guidance Note No 2 of 2010: Child, vulnerable adult and sensitive appellant guidance sets out steps the ...

Is it possible to apply to register as a British National (Overseas) for the first...

Is it possible to apply to register as a British National (Overseas) for the first... When I was writing up the High Court’s decision in Campbell, I was curious about this question as it was not fully addressed by the court. It would have been obiter in any case once the court had concluded that ...

Members Podcast: Episode 1 – Welcome to Free Movement Members Podcast An introductory episode for Free Movement members, exploring what the podcast will cover and how to get the most from your membership.

Immigration roundup podcast: February 2026

Immigration roundup podcast: February 2026 In the February round up, Jasmine and Barry discuss the Home Office’s new pilot for children’s asylum claims and dig into the latest immigration statistics. They cover some crucial advice for clients, including what to do if you’re refused entry ...

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