Immigration and Migration

First-tier Tribunal appeal receipts up 123% in a year, amid continuing concerns about Home Office...

First-tier Tribunal appeal receipts up 123% in a year, amid continuing concerns about Home Office... In July to September this year, the number of appeals received by the First-tier Tribunal (Immigration and Asylum Chamber) increased by 123%, to 30,000, compared to the same period last year. Disposals (the number of concluded appeals) increased by 50% ...

Will I need Electronic Travel Authorisation to enter the UK?

Will I need Electronic Travel Authorisation to enter the UK? The Electronic Travel Authorisation scheme was first announced in the March 2023 Statement of Changes to the immigration rules HC 1160. The first stage of the scheme launched in October 2023 and it was then gradually rolled out in phases. So far ...

National Audit Office publishes analysis of the asylum system

National Audit Office publishes analysis of the asylum system The National Audit Office has published their report “An analysis of the asylum system“. The report identifies “four key enablers needed for an effective, value for money asylum system”. These are: a whole system approach, addressing fundamental barriers, timely, robust, ...

Briefing: the implications of the “earned settlement” proposals and what they might mean in practice

Briefing: the implications of the “earned settlement” proposals and what they might mean in practice It seems it’s currently the Labour government’s turn to fervently and endlessly push the “fixing immigration once and for all” boulder up the very tall hill of British politics, as it inevitably rolls back down when it encounters reality. We’ve ...

Free Movement Weekly Immigration Newsletter #98

Free Movement Weekly Immigration Newsletter #98 Welcome to the weekly Free Movement newsletter! On Wednesday this week a Council of Europe meeting will take place at which there is expected to be discussion around “reinterpreting” article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights. Because of the reporting ...

Visit visa requirement imposed on Nauru because of “Citizenship by Investment” scheme

Visit visa requirement imposed on Nauru because of “Citizenship by Investment” scheme Statement of changes to the Immigration Rules: HC 1491 has just been published. It is the seventh (!!) statement of changes we have had this year. It is thankfully a short one. Visit visa requirement for Nauru: 3pm today Effective ...

Iranian man fails in asylum claim based on political activity in the UK

Iranian man fails in asylum claim based on political activity in the UK The Court of Appeal has dismissed the case of an Iranian man seeking asylum on the basis of sur place activity, namely his political activity after arriving in the UK. The case is OM v Secretary of State for the ...

Immigration roundup podcast: November 2025

Immigration roundup podcast: November 2025 What a month. Sonia kicked off the podcast with a run through of the major policy proposals which came out in November, including the changes to refugee settlement periods and a look at the earned settlement proposals (though not in ...

“Horrifying” levels of state violence at UK-France border detailed in new report

“Horrifying” levels of state violence at UK-France border detailed in new report Humans for Rights Network has published a new report “You can’t stay but you can’t go” – State violence at the UK-France border, evidencing the levels of violence perpetrated on people who are attempting to cross the border. The report ...

Vicarious trauma: what practitioners need to know

Vicarious trauma: what practitioners need to know When clients come to us, a key part of our role, as immigration legal advisors and advocates, is to listen sensitively and carefully to them: to what they have to tell us and to the particular threads of their lives ...

Suitability refusals: owing a litigation debt to the Home Office

Suitability refusals: owing a litigation debt to the Home Office Statement of changes HC877, of 11 March 2016, gave the Home Office yet another power to refuse applications for leave to enter or remain in the UK. For all applications made on or after 6 April 2016, having a “litigation ...

Home Office must consider whether to exercise discretion in Windrush cases

Home Office must consider whether to exercise discretion in Windrush cases The requirements for remaining in the UK under the Windrush scheme are outlined in the Home Office’s casework guidance. For the child of a Commonwealth citizen who was settled in the UK before 1 January 1971 the guidance requires that ...

The Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Act 2025 is in force – what has changed?

The Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Act 2025 is in force – what has changed? The latest of the – apparently now annual – immigration and asylum Bills has completed its journey through parliament, as the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Act 2025 received Royal Assent yesterday. You should read Colin’s write up of the ...

Home Office recommences processing of Syrian settlement applications

Home Office recommences processing of Syrian settlement applications It appears that the Home Office has started writing out to Syrian refugees who have pending settlement protection (SET(P)) applications. I know this is causing a lot of fear and worry and so I have tried to explain what is ...

Free Movement Weekly Immigration Newsletter #97

Free Movement Weekly Immigration Newsletter #97 Welcome to the weekly Free Movement newsletter! Some earned settlement updates from the past week. First of all, the Home Secretary tweeted that the illegal entry penalty will not be applied to people who have been recognised as refugees. Thanks to Jon ...

High Court clarifies meaning of “non-genuine vacancy” in sponsor licence revocation

High Court clarifies meaning of “non-genuine vacancy” in sponsor licence revocation The High Court has conducted a detailed analysis of what constitutes a “non-genuine vacancy” in R (Prestige Social Care Services Ltd) v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2025] EWHC 2860 (Admin). In doing so, the court introduced a ...

New legal aid rates for immigration and asylum work to take effect from 22 December...

New legal aid rates for immigration and asylum work to take effect from 22 December... The Civil Legal Aid (Procedure and Remuneration) (Amendment) Regulations 2025 have been laid before parliament today and will come into effect on 22 December 2025. The regulations will amend schedule 1 of The Civil Legal Aid (Remuneration) Regulations 2013. Some ...

Successful challenge to refusal of indefinite leave to remain in TOEIC case

Successful challenge to refusal of indefinite leave to remain in TOEIC case An applicant has successfully challenged a refusal to grant him indefinite leave to remain on the grounds that he did not meet the continuous residence requirement, after his leave was wrongly cancelled in 2014 when the Home Office alleged that ...

Job ad: Solicitor/IAA Level 3 Caseworker (IAAS Senior Caseworker) This post is based in Manchester providing face to face and online legal immigration advice and representation to people across North West England. GMIAU operates a hybrid work pattern with a minimum of 2 days per week to be spent ...

Revocation of deportation order case fails in the Court of Appeal

Revocation of deportation order case fails in the Court of Appeal The Court of Appeal has made clear that Part 5A of the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002, which sets out the public interest considerations when considering article 8 in a deportation case, applies to decisions on revocation of a ...

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