Home Office wrong to refer to ‘activist lawyers’, top official admits – The Guardian

‘The most senior civil servant at the Home Office has conceded that officials should not have used the phrase “activist lawyers” in a promotional video posted on Twitter, although the tweet remains online.’

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The Guardian, 27th August 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com

Windrush payout scheme not fit for purpose, say lawyers – The Guardian

‘The Windrush compensation scheme is failing to provide access to justice and is worsening people’s trauma, according to a letter sent from nine law firms to the home secretary.’

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The Guardian, 27th August 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com

Asylum seekers in last-minute UK legal bid to prevent removal – The Guardian

Posted August 26th, 2020 in asylum, deportation, government departments, immigration, news by sally

‘Dozens of asylum seekers who arrived in the UK on small boats are due to be put on charter flights over the next two days, while lawyers have launched last-minute high court challenges to prevent their removal.’

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The Guardian, 25th August 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com

Council warns of potential breach of statutory duty in relation to unaccompanied asylum-seeking children – Local Government Lawyer

‘The Leader of Kent County Council has warned that the local authority “cannot safely meet our statutory duty” when it comes to its capacity to care for new arrivals of unaccompanied asylum-seeking children (UASC).’

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Local Government Lawyer, 18th August 2020

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Naturalisation for EU citizens: comprehensive sickness insurance, the elephant in the room – EIN Blog

Posted August 19th, 2020 in brexit, citizenship, EC law, health, immigration, insurance, news by sally

‘As we head towards the end of the UK’s Brexit implementation period on 31 December 2020, the thoughts of many EU nationals (here I use the term to include EEA & Swiss citizens too) who have lived, studied and worked in this country, often for many years, are turning to becoming British.’

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EIN Blog, 19th August 2020

Source: www.ein.org.uk

Fairness in “conducive to the public good” exclusion decisions – Garden Court Chambers

Posted August 19th, 2020 in chambers articles, criminal justice, deportation, immigration, news by sally

‘Exclusion decisions prohibit entry to the UK and are made under a non-statutory power exercised personally by the Home Secretary. They tend to be used against foreign national (non-EU) prisoners who have taken up the offer of assistance to leave the UK under the facilitated returns scheme. They are made on the basis that preventing the person’s return here is conducive to the public good.’

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Garden Court Chambers, 5th August 2020

Source: www.gardencourtchambers.co.uk

Successful TOEIC appellants to be granted 2.5 years Leave to Remain – Garden Court Chambers

‘The Home Office has agreed that any TOEIC appellants who succeed in their appeals on Article 8 grounds, should be granted 2.5 years leave to remain.’

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Garden Court Chambers, 4th August 2020

Source: www.gardencourtchambers.co.uk

Court of Appeal hands down ruling on changing nationality of children in care – Local Government Lawyer

‘A local authority cannot seek to change the nationality of children in care without the matter being considered by the High Court, the Court of Appeal has ruled.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 13th August 2020

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Lord Chancellor accepts unlawfulness of new Legal Aid scheme for immigration and asylum appeals – Garden Court Chambers

‘On 8 June 2020 the Civil Legal Aid (Remuneration) (Amendment) (Coronavirus) Regulations 2020 (the Amendment Regulations) came into force. The Amendment Regulations established a new fee regime for the remuneration of legal aid providers for appellants whose asylum and immigration appeals are being dealt with under a new Online Procedure which had previously been in pilot phase, but was rolled out widely by the First-tier Tribunal (FtT) in mid-March 2020.’

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Garden Court Chambers, 12th August 2020

Source: www.gardencourtchambers.co.uk

My Data Went to the Caribbean. Jamaica? No, It Went of its Own Accord – Panopticon

Posted August 11th, 2020 in appeals, data protection, deportation, human rights, immigration, news by sally

‘You have to admire the ingenuity of lawyers. Who would have thought that the GDPR could be a tool to try and force the Home Office to allow a deported overstayer with a lengthy criminal record back into the UK to conduct an in-person appeal? Not the Court of Appeal for a start in Johnson v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2020] EWCA Civ 1032.’

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Panopticon, 11th August 2020

Source: panopticonblog.com

New immigration system – key points for the life sciences and technology sectors – Technology Law Update

Posted August 11th, 2020 in brexit, EC law, freedom of movement, immigration, news, visas by sally

‘The Government has published further details about the new immigration system that is due to be implemented from 1 January 2021. The Further Details statement builds on the policy statement that was issued in February 2020. European freedom of movement will end on 31 December 2020 and the new system will apply to all European and non-European applicants.’

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Technology Law Update, 10th August 2020

Source: www.technology-law-blog.co.uk

UK plan to use navy to stop migrant crossings is unlawful, lawyers warn – The Guardian

‘Priti Patel’s plans to use the navy to tackle the growing number of migrants crossing the Channel from northern France would be unlawful and dangerous, lawyers have warned.’

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The Guardian, 7th August 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com

Windrush Lawyers: ‘The Government Is Placing Boulders In The Way Of Justice’ – Each Other

‘It has been more than a year since the government launched its scheme to compensate victims of the Windrush scandal, and at least five applicants have died before receiving a penny. EachOther speaks to Windrush lawyers about the “boulders” being placed in the way of justice and what needs to be done.’

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Each Other, 6th August 2020

Source: eachother.org.uk

Government Scraps Immigration “Streaming Tool” before Judicial Review – UK Human Rights Blog

‘In response to a legal challenge brought by the Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants (JCWI), the Home Office has scrapped an algorithm used for sorting visa applications. Represented by Foxglove, a legal non-profit specialising in data privacy law, JCWI launched judicial review proceedings,, arguing that the algorithmic tool was unlawful on the grounds that it was discriminatory under the Equality Act 2010 and irrational under common law.’

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UK Human Rights Blog, 6th August 2020

Source: ukhumanrightsblog.com

Home Office drops ‘racist’ algorithm from visa decisions – BBC News

‘The Home Office has agreed to stop using a computer algorithm to help decide visa applications after allegations that it contained “entrenched racism”.’

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BBC News, 4th August 2020

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

No recourse to public funds; no recourse to dignity – 1MCB

Posted July 30th, 2020 in benefits, children, human rights, immigration, news by sally

‘Geeta Koska recently published a blog on the future impact on the protection of children’s welfare of the High Court’s decision in R (W, A Child By His Litigation Friend J) v The Secretary of State for the Home Department & Another [2020] EWHC 1299 (Admin). The blog was published in “Children and Young People Now”.’

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1MCB, July 2020

Source: 1mcb.com

Immigration Bail policy found systemically unfair – UK Human Rights Blog

Posted July 30th, 2020 in bail, housing, immigration, ministers' powers and duties, news by sally

‘In three conjoined judicial reviews concerning the legality of the Home Secretary’s exercise of her power under paragraph 9 of Schedule 10 of the Immigration Act 2016 to provide accommodation to those who are granted immigration bail, Mr Justice Johnson held in R (Humnyntskyi) v SSHD [2020] EWHC 1912 (Admin) that each of the three claimants had been unlawfully denied such accommodation, and that the relevant policy was systemically unfair.’

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UK Human Rights Blog, 30th July 2020

Source: ukhumanrightsblog.com

Frozen pensions: injustices faced by Windrush generation in spotlight – The Guardian

‘Campaigners urge new working group to look into why some retirees living abroad are penalised.’

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The Guardian, 25th July 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com

Controversial immigration detention centre in Lincolnshire to close – The Guardian

Posted July 23rd, 2020 in detention, immigration, news, prisons, reports, self-harm, violence by sally

‘A controversial immigration detention centre where several deaths have occurred in recent years is to close.’

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The Guardian, 23rd July 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com

Asylum seeker to sue Home Office after falling ill with Covid-19 – The Guardian

‘An asylum seeker who became infected with Covid-19 after an outbreak in his accommodation – despite assurances from the Home Office that he would not be at risk from the virus there – is taking legal action against the government.’

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The Guardian, 21st July 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com