Free Movement Weekly Newsletter #89

Welcome to the weekly Free Movement newsletter! 

The Prime Minister has referred to people recognised by the UK government as facing a real risk of persecution in their home country as having obtained a “golden ticket”. The government has made clear that it will not restore refugee family reunion rights in its previous form and has indicated that the current path to settlement for refugees may also be under threat. 

This statement followed hot on the heels of an announcement by the Home Secretary of the introduction of a new “contribution-based settlement model” for those in the immigration system. There is not much new in the announcement which was trailed in the immigration white paper a few months ago. The lack of detail has caused a huge amount of concern with those potentially affected, in particular because the government continues to provide mixed messages about whether or not any changes will apply to those already here. 

Last week the inquest into the death of Leonard Farruku on the Bibby Stockholm concluded that the move to the barge was not the reason for his death. However, unsurprisingly to those with any experience of Home Office safeguarding, the coroner also identified failings including a total lack of response by the Home Office to an email from Clearsprings raising urgent concerns about Mr Farruku’s mental health.

On Free Movement, in today’s post Ross Kennedy looks at the doubling in sponsor licence revocations over the past year and sets out what immigration lawyers need to understand about enforcement in this context. Last week we updated our briefing on Hamid hearings, to include some up to date examples including the recent case of the barrister who misused AI in an immigration appeal.

There were also case write ups including a successful challenge to certification of a human rights claim of a gay Indian man, meaning he will now be able to appeal the refusal. In another case, a grandmother deported from the UK over 20 years ago, whose family live in the UK, has lost her challenge to the refusal to revoke her deportation order.

For everything else on Free Movement and elsewhere, read on.

Cheers, Sonia

What we’re reading

How Reform ‘misinformation’ campaign sank town’s refugee sanctuary plan – The Guardian, 5 October

Reeves eyes asylum seeker costs to close £30bn gap in Budget – The i Paper, 3 October

How Will Labour Meet Its Promise To Close Asylum Hotels? – PoliticsHome, 3 October

Foreign staff have ‘changed our lives’: Scottish farmers fear for future after changes to skilled worker visas – The Guardian, 5 October

Unwelcome Remnant: Conor Gearty on the threat to the Human Rights Act – London Review of Books, 9 October

Cassandra Somers-Joce: A New Chapter for Governmental Candour? The Public Office (Accountability) Bill – UK Constitutional Law Association, 6 October

Home Office grants extra visas for UCL international students told to defer – The Guardian, 6 October

Legal aid lawyers spend quarter of day on unpaid work – Law Gazette, 29 September

Labour’s plan for migrants to ‘earn’ permanent residency turns belonging into an endless exam – The Conversation, 30 September