Immigration roundup podcast: August 2025

Let’s face it, August was a rough one and hopefully most of you managed to escape it for a summer holiday at some point, in which case you definitely need Sonia and Barry to help catch you up! The UK announced its new arrangements to return people arriving across the Channel to France, hotels used as asylum accommodation hit the headlines as far right protests hit the streets, and the latest immigration and asylum statistics were out – with some notable omissions. In addition to this, Barry covers an unsuccessful attempt by the Daily Mail to publish the personal details of a woman who lacks mental capacity as well as a new registration process for Irish citizens to become British and how someone on a skilled worker visa can change employer.

Barry also covers the very sad case of a woman who was unsuccessful in her challenge to a refusal of indefinite leave to remain. Sonia highlights an unreported but useful case on public order disqualifications in trafficking claims, an essential read for anyone working on those cases. She also looks at an important change to practice in the First-tier Tribunal which has been endorsed by the Upper Tribunal. All this and more in our August roundup!

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The 41 minute podcast follows the running order below:

Statistics (00:45)

Latest statistics raise questions around sustainability of Home Office asylum decision making

Briefing: the sorry state of the UK asylum system

Asylum (07:00)

Briefing: how to come to the UK from France under the UK/European Applicant Transfer Scheme

Expression of interest form for France to UK transfers goes live

What do we know about the UK-France agreement on asylum returns?

Trading in human lives: unpacking the UK/European transfer scheme

Daily Mail publisher loses attempt to lift anonymity order

Home Office wrongly issued biometric residence permit to person refused asylum

Challenge to public order disqualification dismissed by Upper Tribunal

Epping Council succeeds in interim relief preventing use of hotel as asylum accommodation

Nationality (18:40)

Simplified registration process for Irish citizens comes into force

Detention (21:30)

Common issues with immigration bail conditions

Human rights (22:20)

Refusal of indefinite leave to remain because of false passport conviction upheld by Upper Tribunal

Work routes (27:50)

Changing employers on a skilled worker visa

Procedure (32:00)

Upper Tribunal endorses practice of judges considering permission to appeal applications against their own decisions

Procedural fairness challenge succeeds in Hong Kong case

Updates (37:50)

How to make a complaint to the Home Office

Good character and criminal convictions in British citizenship applications

Briefing: the inadmissibility process in asylum claims

How to apply for a UK domestic worker visa

What safe and legal routes are available for refugees to come to the United Kingdom?