We are highly concerned about recent changes to the Immigration Rules (HC 259) which expand the circumstances in which asylum claims may be decided without a substantive asylum interview. 🧵

The Upper Tribunal has found a NAAB age assessment "quite wrong" and rejected the argument that NAAB decisions deserve special weight. The same settled principles apply regardless of which body conducts the assessment — including the benefit of the doubt owed to the applicant.

No special weight to be given to National Age Assessment Board decisions as tribunal finds assessment ‘quite wrong’ - Free Movement

The Upper Tribunal has rejected the Home Office’s argument that special weight should be afforded to age assessments carried out by the National Age

freemovement.org.uk

Submitting AI hallucinations to court is always professional negligence, but the potential consequences here are far more serious than any case I have seen before. Time to start disbarring lawyers for cases as serious as this. And the first instance judge missing it is unimpressive too.

Dmitry Grozoubinski@explaintrade.com · last wk.

I am normally the first to defend civil servants. However, if this reporting is true then there should be mass firings and if at all legally feasible, criminal charges. To butcher a West Wing quote: everyone who did it, everyone who ordered it, and everyone who knew about it.

The High Court has found that scrapping reconsiderations for negative trafficking decisions was unlawful. A significant check on flawed decision-making was removed without proper authority — and the court has now struck it down. Nath Gbikpi walks through what the ruling means in practice.

Home Office acted unlawfully by removing reconsiderations for trafficking decisions - Free Movement

The High Court has ruled that the Home Office acted unlawfully when it removed the ability to request a reconsideration of a negative trafficking decision.

freemovement.org.uk

🚨Yesterday, the Immigration and Asylum Bill had its second reading in Parliament. This is an opportunity to debate the principles and core purpose of a proposed Bill. We know it's cruel, performative, and will cause huge harm to people seeking safety. Here's a snippet of what happened 👇 1/🧵

Join us as Immigration Solicitor/Senior Caseworker, building a rewarding career on a pioneering project recognised for its innovation and impact. We'll support you to develop case preparation & strategic litigation skills alongside expertise in child-centred, trauma-informed practice bit.ly/4plRBqX

You cannot address human trafficking without supporting & protecting survivors. The government's new Immigration & Asylum Bill does the opposite. A system that punishes survivors doesn't fight trafficking but enables it. We will keep fighting this. 📑 more: www.helenbamber.org/resources/la...

Anti-slavery charities warn that the new Immigration and Asylum Bill will damage modern slavery protections as the Bill prioritises immigration control over safeguarding survivors of a serious crime. Read our full statement here: www.atleu.org.uk/cases-news/t...

There is nothing "fair" about Labour's plans. These are the most regressive and hostile changes to the asylum rules we have seen in decades, which is saying something considering those passed by Labour. They undermine human rights, and put trafficking victims at risk. They are abhorrent. 15/

A change in PM should be a chance to rethink, but it appears that the immigration and asylum bill will be introduced next week, a bill that will do nothing to help the asylum system run more smoothly while making life harder for those seeking protection in the UK. www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026...

Shabana Mahmood’s immigration and asylum bill to go before MPs next week

Refugee charities fear controversial changes, including on forced removals and age checks, are being rushed through

theguardian.com

Mahmood must have Burnham's support to make it virtually impossible to seek sanctuary in Britain let alone reunite with your family. Every refugee organisation opposes these 'reforms' which will lead to rushed & unfair decision making. The bill should be stopped. www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026...

Shabana Mahmood’s immigration and asylum bill to go before MPs next week

Refugee charities fear controversial changes, including on forced removals and age checks, are being rushed through

theguardian.com

After a decade of campaigning, the government has finally published data confirming what we warned for years: hundreds of child refugees arriving alone in the UK are wrongly treated as adults, with devastating consequences. 🧵 We speak to @the-independent.com www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home...

Migrant children put at ‘significant’ risk after being wrongly treated as adults

Exclusive: Home Office accused of ‘safeguarding failure’ as hundreds of migrant children initially assessed as adults

independent.co.uk

New: Nearly 90% of conclusive grounds reconsiderations result in positive outcome and more UK referrals than ever — by Jasmine Quiller-Doust

Nearly 90% of conclusive grounds reconsiderations result in positive outcome and more UK referrals than ever - Free Movement

We now have the latest quarterly trafficking statistics for January to March 2026. A few new records have been set, including UK national referrals which are

freemovement.org.uk

ECPAT UK Youth Advisory Group responds to the King's Speech and another Immigration and Asylum Bill. Their message is unequivocal, these proposals put children at risk and punish the very children who need protection, removing vital support at the moment they need it the most.  bit.ly/YAGMay26

Child Trafficking Survivors Warn: Government Proposals Will Put Vulnerable Children at Risk

The ECPAT UK Youth Advisory Group has issued a strong response to the King’s Speech with the announcement of a new Immigration and Asylum Bill as part of the government’s ongoing plans to reform the a...

bit.ly

New: Briefing: registering a child as British — by James Ritchie

Briefing: registering a child as British - Free Movement

In this briefing, we will cover the four most common entitlement routes for registering a child as British, alongside the discretionary route.

freemovement.org.uk

MICLU is a Kids in Need of Defense UK hub and provides free legal advice to children & young people looking to apply for British citizenship. If you're supporting a child who you think may be entitled to citizenship, you can make a referral to us here: bit.ly/4naD4gA

Caring about children's rights means caring about the rights of every child. That's why we and 140+ organisations are speaking out against new rules that put thousands of migrant and refugee children in the UK at risk of poverty, homelessness and trauma bit.ly/4sZazUt @asylummatters.bsky.social

A message to Government: Charities sound the alarm over ‘sustained attack on children’s rights’ - Asylum Matters

New migration rules represent a “sustained attack on children’s rights”, say children’s charities, social workers, lawyers and migrants’ rights groups. In a letter to the Prime Minister, nearly 150 ch...

bit.ly

Nearly 150 children's groups have accused the Government of a "sustained attack on children's rights" as they demanded a U-turn on proposals to handcuff kids during deportations.

Plan to handcuff migrant kids is 'sustained attack on children', Starmer warned

mirror.co.uk

The Home Office has extended the deadline for responding to this call for evidence to 6th May, but hasn't yet updated the webpage or issued public comms. If you want to confirm this, just email IABcallforevidence@homeoffice.gov.uk & you'll get an automated message with the extension info.

Immigration Bot@immigrationbot.bsky.social · 4mo ago

📢 Home Office launches call for evidence on new Independent Appeals Body for asylum reform. Seeks views on design, governance & processes to inform legislation. Deadline: 22 April 2026. Respond: IABcallforevidence@homeoffice.gov.uk

“I would say keep fighting: you have survived one time, you are going to survive each day, and one day the fairness in your life will come.”

The lunatic quality of these proposals is persistently underestimated. They are far, far worse than people recognise.

Sunder Katwala (sundersays)@sundersays.bsky.social · 5mo ago

Nobody understands this about the government’s settlement reforms. People think it's 10 years for most & 15 years for care workers But its 15 years for all midskill roles, whatever the salary, if not a graduate job role classified at RQF level 6. Lab technicians, data analysts, hotel managers

Latest post from us: Home Secretary concedes use of unlawful evidential threshold in trafficking decisions | Ralitsa Peykova

Home Secretary concedes use of unlawful evidential threshold in trafficking decisions - Free Movement

The Home Secretary has accepted that decision-makers applied an unlawful evidential threshold in trafficking cases.

freemovement.org.uk

These designs are awesome and have the added bonus of supporting young migrants!

Kazzum Arts@kazzumarts.bsky.social · 5mo ago

T-shirts designed for impact and awareness by our Brighter Futures group are on sale! "When people wear our t-shirts, they should believe they are champions of positive change." Buying a t-shirt will support the future of Brighter Futures and migrants everywhere 🧡 www.kazzum.org/news/brighte...

“It feels like you have tied a sack of rocks to someone and they are trying to drag those rocks along with them for a decade, or now for 15 years.” - MiCLU’s Anna Skehan recently spoke to the Home Affairs Committee about the impact of changes to routes to settlement on children.

The Home Office wants to handcuff children during forced removals of families. This level of violence & dehumanisation must never be normalised, our spokesperson Griff Ferris warns. Stand up for your neighbours. Organise locally. Boycott border profiteers. www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026...

Home Office may forcibly remove child asylum seekers from UK in handcuffs

Move is part of scheme to target families for expedited voluntary removals before enforced removal proceedings

theguardian.com

Home Secretary’s announcement that asylum support would be revoked for those who “have the ability to support themselves” risks pushing people who simply cannot work towards homelessness, poverty & losing access to legal aid. Our response: www.helenbamber.org/resources/la...

The recent flurry of policy announcements by the Home Secretary aiming to change “perceptions of what the refugee offer is” has been creating huge anxiety and distress among our client group.

Hi! Immigration lawyer here! Mahmood's view of the Refugee Convention as providing temporary protection just isn’t correct & AFAIK isn’t one anyone has ever adopted. On the contrary, the Convention is clearly predicated on a long-term need for protection. 1/🧵

Sunder Katwala (sundersays)@sundersays.bsky.social · 5mo ago

Mahmood says that Labour has made refugee protection temporary, because "the intention of the 1951 convention" is that refugee protection should be a "shelter from the storm" and "safe haven" until it is safe to go home.

First PAVA spray, then proudly announcing new powers to manhandle migrant kids. A Home Office made up of Trunchbulls...

Shoaib M Khan@shoaibmkhan.bsky.social · 5mo ago

Under a Home Secretary who is the child of immigrants, "Those who refuse the offer [to take money and leave the country] will be left vulnerable to forcible removal from the UK – including children, with new laws giving Home Office workers the power to physically restrain them".

Here's Mahmood's written statement to Parliament on changes to the treatment of refugees - as morally bankrupt and evidence-free as you might expect. A few initial thoughts > 1/

Written statements - Written questions, answers and statements - UK Parliament

Information from UK Parliament on written questions & answers, written statements and daily reports.

questions-statements.parliament.uk