Irene Tsherit
@irenetsherit.bsky.social
Immigration and asylum lawyer. Own views, mainly immigration law and policy.
Reminder that the Tories believe any non-British person who commits more than a minor parking or traffic offence should be automatically deported. They “believe in second chances”, apparently, but only for literal Nazis.
Kemi Badenoch defends selection of man jailed for harassing Jewish MP in council election – as it happened
Conservative leader tells press she stands by decision to select Joshua Bonehill-Paine as a candidate for local election in Somerset
theguardian.com
We are looking for a new Head of Operations! Use your skills to help make a difference for survivors of #HumanTrafficking and #ModernSlavery Apply today! www.atleu.org.uk/join-us
1/2 This and similar incidents should be called out for what it is. A Home Office official manufactured country information to refuse an asylum case. Some lawyers have been doing the same to try to win their cases. www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026...
Home Office used ‘AI hallucinated’ information to refuse asylum claim, judge suggests
Upper tribunal unable to find document cited in case and claims it is ‘analogous to relying on bogus evidence’
theguardian.com
Lawyers have been facing serious consequences for this sort of thing. Will anyone at the Home Office take the blame for misleading the court? The buck should stop with the person at the top imho
The Guardian@theguardian.com · last wk.Home Office used ‘AI hallucinated’ information to refuse asylum claim, judge suggests
Just exempting care workers would be ridiculous. Basically it would be a case of designing a policy to kick out care workers, panicking when you realise how stupid an idea that is, and then kicking out a load of engineers, scientists etc out of sheer stubbornness.
Can't think of a worse own goal than re-appointing Mahmood as Home Sec. This should have been so obvious.
Councillor Adam Hug@adamhug.bsky.social · 2w agoBut the elephant in the room is the Home Office. At least 25% of people on Westminster's streets have no/limited recourse to public funds which makes helping them difficult (particularly when hostile to engaging with the authorities) and where support from voluntary sector partners is critical.
Would scarcely be the first time the Home Office’s deranged priorities are preventing much-needed social improvements, which is another reason why re-appointing an immigration ultra as Home Secretary is such a disaster for us all
Steve Peers@stevepeers.bsky.social · 2w agoThere's a Home Office-sized obstacle in the way of ending rough sleeping
We've been told hope is coming, but these cabinet appointments are anything but. I'm so tired of opportunities being squandered to pander to right wing press. Honestly the worst start, why do I bother trying to be optimistic 🤦♀️
Rather despondent this morning. Each and every of Shabana Mahmood’s planned reforms will cause immense harm for no benefit, be hugely costly to implement, and cause extensive upheaval and complexity. The excellent recent letter by various Labour MPs explained this very well.
Ultimately if rights are to mean anything, we must defend everyone’s rights together, and we can never accept a policy of division
Alasdair Mackenzie@alasdairmackenzie.bsky.social · 2w agoIf the price for a bit of mild social progress is more racist crackdowns led by Mahmood, that’s not only a catastrophe for migrants & their families, but also a catastrophe for the chances of all of us of resisting the far right
If the price for a bit of mild social progress is more racist crackdowns led by Mahmood, that’s not only a catastrophe for migrants & their families, but also a catastrophe for the chances of all of us of resisting the far right
Andy Burnham vows to ‘bring back hope’ as he unveils his cabinet
New prime minister says government must ‘do better’ to deliver change but promises prudent approach to economy
theguardian.com
Did you know a barrister is facing prison just for reminding a jury they have the right to vote with their conscience? This historic right has existed since 1670. We can't let it be silenced in court now. Add your name to help protect Britain's juries: you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/sa...
Save Britain's Juries
Juries have had the right to acquit based on their conscience for centuries. Now, a barrister is facing jail just for mentioning it in court. Add your name to help save Britain's juries.
you.38degrees.org.uk
Yes, as I recall the words were “island of strangers”, “one-nation experiment in open borders“, “squalid chapter” and “incalculable damage”
Adam Bienkov@adambienkov.bsky.social · last mo.Asked whether he accepts any responsibility for rising racism and hatred over the last two years he has been Prime Minister, Keir Starmer's spokesman tells me that "you've got his words about the responsibilities of parliamentarians in the space of this debate"
Where are we now on earned settlement? - With Starmer resigning and Burnham preparing to take the reins, a change of leadership is a chance to change direction. - 200,000 ppl responded to the public consultation on earned settlement, and 500 travelled to Parliament in March to lobby their MPs.
Greater Manchester Immigration Aid Unit (GMIAU)@gmiau.bsky.social · 3w agoThe government is under pressure. There’s still time to stop “earned settlement”. Write to your MP today to ask them to speak up for our communities. To find out how to use this digital postcard or write to your MP another way, read our blog: gmiau.org/write-to-you...
The new Immigration & Asylum Bill, a broken time machine www.ein.org.uk/blog/new-imm... "This resurrection of adjudicators siphons off immigration & asylum, marks it as an exception, not to enable judgment by one’s peers, but to deny castaways judicial time. This has clear rule of law implications."
The new Immigration and Asylum Bill, a broken time machine
Written by Zoe Bantleman, University of Oxford and Alex Papasotiriou, Richmоnd Chambers
ein.org.uk
Also: the unspeakable hypocrisy of these people saying refugees should 'pay their way'. We have spent years, decades actually, begging the Home Office to let asylum seekers work so their could have some meaning and material advantage in their life, to no avail.
Force people to live in grim, substandard accommodation and then make them pay for the privilege. Does she spend her spare time inventing ever more grotesque ways of humiliating people?
The Guardian@theguardian.com · last mo.Asylum seekers to pay £10,000 towards living costs under new UK law
Great way to disincentivise refugees from working and integrating. Also, we refuse to let them support themselves, force them to live in taxpayer funded accommodation for years and then force them to pay back some of the cost? Morally indefensible. How is this different from the far right?
Adam Bienkov@adambienkov.bsky.social · last mo.Taxing vulnerable people for the crime of fleeing from war, torture and persecution. A new low from Shabana Mahmood
I think that the worst thing about the "refugee tax" is that the high accommodation costs are caused by the Home Office, and in particular their inability to make fast AND accurate decisions, leaving people rotting in those grim places. Refugees are effectively being fined for HO incompetence.
Even if I trusted Labour to go through with the positive proposals here, I’d find it wildly offensive to be asked to accept that an expansion of some people’s rights was to be paid for with further performative trampling on others’, for the entertainment of racists
Mahmood outlines safe immigration routes plan to win over Labour left
Home secretary speeds up major part of bill governing asylum and refugees as new prime minister set to take over
theguardian.com
THIS is why the asylum appeal success rate is so high. It’s not a bunch of tree-hugging judges. It’s a bunch of utterly demoralised, very junior, badly-trained, badly-led officials at the Home Office consistently making bad decisions
I don't think the public realise the scale of the problem. I'm supporting several sponsored care workers to recover and get justice for the horrific exploitation they have experienced. Their exploiters used the Home Office's rules to abuse them. The rules also hinder them getting justice.
UNISON@unison.org.uk · 3mo ago✊❤️ National Day of Action for the Fair Visa Campaign Migrant care workers face exploitation and threats of deportation. This Friday 24 April, we stand with overseas colleagues who keep care running. Take action for fair visas and better treatment ⬇️ unsn.uk/4e0V4rs
Survivors of human trafficking in detention face huge barriers to disclosing their experiences. Yet, when they do, they are criticised for being 'last-minute'. This briefing by the Detention Taskforce examines survivors' experiences with the immigration system.
Briefing on Barriers to Disclosure: A survivor of trafficking's journey through the immigration process. - Detention Action
The Detention Taskforce on Survivors of Trafficking in Immigration Detention, of which Detention Action is a member, has published a...
detentionaction.org.uk
Gay folks who claim asylum have to “out” themselves to bureaucrats who ask invasive and demeaning questions, face stigma from their broader communities, have to deal with abuse from people sharing their accommodation. The idea it’s “easy” to just pretend to be gay for asylum is breathtakingly false.
1/3 Following recent reporting on LGBTQI+ asylum claims, we share the concerns highlighted by @rainbowmigration.bsky.social. "The asylum system is hostile and complex, and particularly difficult for LGBTQI+ people... www.rainbowmigration.org.uk/news/behavio...
Behaviour by a small number of bad-faith actors does not reflect the reality of LGBTQI+ people seeking asylum - Rainbow Migration
Every day we work with LGBTQI+ people who have fled life-threatening situations and are hoping to rebuild their lives in safety here. For many, claiming asylum can be their only way to escape persecut...
rainbowmigration.org.uk
The BBC’s claims on MVDAC-DVILR misuse do not reflect frontline reality. We see victim-survivors facing disbelief, delays, and barriers to safety. Misuse is the exception, not the norm. With 92 organisations, we have published this statement today: southallblacksisters.org.uk/news/false-d...
"False Domestic Abuse Claims": Exception, Not the Norm - Southall Black Sisters
We are aware of the BBC’s investigation into allegations of individuals facilitating false domestic abuse claims via the Migrant Victims of
southallblacksisters.org.uk
