What are the immigration rules for footballers from outside the EU? And what rules will apply to footballer transfers from abroad after Brexit? Here we look at the immigration aspects of football transfers using the recent successful but fraught transfer of Serge Aurier from Paris Saint-Germain to Tottenham Hotspur. Aurier is a particularly useful case study for two reasons. Firstly, he is a non-EU national, so he requires a visa to enter and work in the UK. After Brexit, the default position – unless some sort of special exception is made – is that these rules will apply to all footballers, so Aurier is doubly useful in that sense. Secondly, there…

Forget “hard Brexit” and “soft Brexit”. The leaked proposals for a post-Brexit immigration system suggest the pedal is already to the metal for full Thelma & Louise Brexit. The Brexit to-do list is the length of a constantly unravelling ball of string. One of the many items on that list is deciding what the post-Brexit immigration system will look like. Yesterday we caught a glimpse of recent thinking at one of the key departments responsible, the Home Office. Essentially, those responsible for the 82 page proposal, dated August 2017, want to sever ties between the UK and EU. There are concessions in the paper. It is accepted that different rules…

Panorama, Undercover: Britain’s Immigration Secrets is required viewing for anyone interested in immigration in the UK. It is also deeply uncomfortable viewing. It documents an undercover investigation into Brook House, one of the UK’s 13 Immigration Removal Centres. The episode shows detainees subjected to severe violence, taunting, and mistreatment. A widespread culture of disdain towards the detainees among staff permeates the detention centre. The investigation sheds light on alarming issues surrounding immigration detention, which have been subject to criticism and legal challenge since the beginning of the proliferation of detention in the UK. This tweet from the Panorama account gives a sense of the programme: WATCH: undercover footage shot by…

Fees for immigration applications continue to increase every year. Most applications for leave to remain submitted from the UK (other than under the Point Based System) cost £993. In addition, applicants may need to pay an Immigration Health Surcharge (usually £500). On average, therefore, an applicant will need to spend almost £1500 to get leave to remain in the UK. This is, in fact, the very bare minimum. One may also need to pay £150 to pass an English language test for applications where there is an English language requirement; £590 for the Premium Service Centre for those who simply cannot leave their passport with the Home Office for months;…

SENIOR IMMIGRATION LAWYER/CASEWORKER Organisation: WESTKIN Associates website: www.westkinassociates.com Location: Mayfair, central london deadline: ONGOING SALARY: Dependent on experience and ability (circa 80,000 plus plus inclusive of and subject to target based bonuses) HOURS: 40 hours a week Requirements & General Description of the role. Applicants must hold level 1 OISC / LSC accreditation or better and/or be actively working towards the same. An Immigration Caseworker occupies a vital place within our growing business, with support from other departments, we ensure that their time is spent servicing client needs and focusing on the satisfaction of their clients. Duties: Conducting client consultations and advising on immigration law Close management of client and…

The Upper Tribunal overturned several decisions concerning the grant of Discretionary Leave to Remain to a victim of human trafficking in FT, R (on the application of) v the Secretary of State for the Home Department [2017] UKUT 331(IAC). The background to the case is that of the Home Office failing to appropriately identify the individual concerned as a victim of human trafficking, and subsequently unlawfully placing him in immigration detention for four years. The facts of the case are stark. After a childhood of regular beatings with rods and belts by his mother and his alcoholic father, his uncle borrowed money from people traffickers to send him to the United Kingdom. The…