Briefing: the sorry state of the UK asylum system
27 August 2025
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In this briefing we will take a look at what is really going on with the main features of the contemporary asylum system: arrivals, the
In this briefing we will take a look at what is really going on with the main features of the contemporary asylum system: arrivals, the
Anybody over the age of ten who applies for registration or naturalisation as a British citizen needs to meet the so-called “good character requirement”. This
An adult who is not a British citizen can apply to become one. This process is known as naturalisation. People will normally be eligible to
Over and over again we hear that refugees should claim asylum in the first safe country the reach. There are variations on the theme. Genuine
Asylum lawyers like me tend to focus on just one clause of the Refugee Convention: the definition of a refugee. This is the gateway to
The cost of making an immigration or nationality application has risen extremely steeply. Annual increases of 20% or 25% per year have become standard, but
This post is intended for refugees (including those with humanitarian protection), their families and their friends trying to understand the rules on refugee family reunion.
The “no recourse to public funds” condition is imposed on grants of limited leave to enter or remain with the effect of prohibiting the person holding that
The Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill has landed, along with a written statement from the Home Secretary. The Bill weighs in at 57 clauses
The Immigration Advice Authority, formerly known as the Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner or ‘OISC’, is a governmental body established by the Immigration and
In this briefing we will take a look at what is really going on with the main features of the contemporary asylum system: arrivals, the backlog, detention, removal and resettlement. The focus is on what caused the backlog and what consequences will flow from the large number of decisions being...
Anybody over the age of ten who applies for registration or naturalisation as a British citizen needs to meet the so-called “good character requirement”. This is a mandatory requirement set out in the British Nationality Act 1981. Where a person is deemed by the Home Office not to be “of...
An adult who is not a British citizen can apply to become one. This process is known as naturalisation. People will normally be eligible to apply for naturalisation under section 6 of the British Nationality Act 1981 if they: This post focuses on the final requirement: intention to settle. British...
Over and over again we hear that refugees should claim asylum in the first safe country the reach. There are variations on the theme. Genuine refugees claim asylum in the first safe country. Refugees should or even must claim asylum in the first safe country. The asylum seekers coming to...
Asylum lawyers like me tend to focus on just one clause of the Refugee Convention: the definition of a refugee. This is the gateway to formal recognition as a refugee and is therefore of vital importance to any person seeking asylum. From this definition, set out at Article 1A(2) of...
The cost of making an immigration or nationality application has risen extremely steeply. Annual increases of 20% or 25% per year have become standard, but now we’re seeing increases of 120%. An example is the Certificate of Sponsorship fee, which rose from £239 to £525 on 9 April 2025. The current...
This post is intended for refugees (including those with humanitarian protection), their families and their friends trying to understand the rules on refugee family reunion. The requirements to be met are fairly straightforward and simple for children and partners who existed at the time the refugee fled their country of origin. These...
The “no recourse to public funds” condition is imposed on grants of limited leave to enter or remain with the effect of prohibiting the person holding that leave from accessing certain defined public funds, set out at paragraph 6 of the immigration rules. A person who deliberately claims public funds despite such...
The Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill has landed, along with a written statement from the Home Secretary. The Bill weighs in at 57 clauses (“sections” once it is an Act), two schedules and 74 pages. Let’s take a look. You can also read the Explanatory Notes for yourself if...
The Immigration Advice Authority, formerly known as the Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner or ‘OISC’, is a governmental body established by the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 to regulate the provision of immigration advice and services throughout the UK. The Immigration Advice Authority has around 60 staff. The Immigration...