Immigration News Weekly Roundup – 26 September 2025
The UK government’s immigration agreement with France, which has effectively been a “one in, one out” deal, has entered into operational stage this week. Representing a substantial change to its Channel crossings deterrence approach. Having removed four asylum seekers to France over the past week, the agreement is now operational, with the first reciprocal arrivals occurring today, where a family of three, including a young child, arrived back instance under the agreement.
The removals have continued, despite legal challenges that have been brought forward. An Eritrean man is the second man removed under the scheme, following his unsuccessful High Court legal challenge. The judge determined that there was “no serious issue to be tried” as regards his claims as a victim of trafficking, ruling on the other claims brought against him about unfairness of the removal process; this ruling will help with the precedent of removing individuals under this agreement.
Despite this, the policy’s deterrent impact remains debatable, as Channel crossings persist at unprecedented levels. More than 1,000 individuals arrived in one day, last Friday, on thirteen distinct vessels, resulting in over 32,000 total arrivals this year to date. The scale of arrivals has revived scrutiny, with Conservative opponents branding the number removed as “pathetic” while ministerial comments called the policy an “immediate deterrent.”
The enforcement horizon has extended from Channel arrivals to those with protection status already. The Home Office has set up an urgent investigation into, an Afghan national who posted an extensive audience on social media of an eight-week “holiday” in Afghanistan, the same country he claimed was too hazardous to return to pursuing his asylum application. The situation has potentially raised systemic failure questions, around post-grant monitoring as the subject made a detailed video of his original Channel crossing and life before then returning to Afghanistan for leisure.
This development indicates a wider crackdown on abuse of the asylum system, with Home Office guidance making it clear that refugees “can generally travel to all countries except the one you’re from and any country you sought asylum from.” The inquiry arises amid concerns over people taking advantage of the protections while keeping links to the country of persecution.
The scrutiny goes beyond asylum claims to skilled worker visa holders, as indicated by the recent Upper Tribunal decision in R (Hridoy) v Secretary of State for the Home Department. The tribunal upheld the revocation of a Health Care Worker visa, where the visa holder was found to be working principally in a restaurant rather than at his sponsoring care home employer.
Even though there were arguments that the work at the restaurant was permissible supplementary employment within the 20-hour-a-week work limit, the tribunal used a “substance over form” approach. The decision noted that, in circumstances where the care home was not providing any regular work, the visa holder was not engaged in a genuine continuing sponsored employment relationship with his approved employer. The decision makes it clear that provisions allowing for an overlap with supplementary work are not interpreted as means to avoid obligations to primary employment.
Precedent reinforces the need for visa holders to maintain substance of employment relationships with their sponsoring employers. Immigration advisers should note that clients cannot rely solely on the technical niceties of provisions of supplementary work limits, if their primary sponsored employment relationship is nominal or non-existent.
The collective enforcement operations in the asylum and skilled worker program areas indicate a systematic approach to immigration compliance. It has become even more important that practitioners should remind clients to maintain genuine employment relationships, follow permitted activities under protection status or visa conditions, and avoid actions that could jeopardize their status.
The increased emphasis on monitoring social media sites and a “substance over form” legal analysis reflects a more zealous enforcement environment in every immigration category. These all reflect the government’s broader deterrent strategy through visible enforcement action, with ongoing ambiguity about potential implications on immigration flows and the trustworthiness of the system overall.
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This webinar will provide essential updates to meet strict CPD and regulatory requirements, helping practitioners stay informed of important rule changes and recent case law developments. For more information or to book, visit here
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For the full list of updates on media news, reports and Home Office Guidance and Policy updates, SEE BELOW.
Immigration News
Family of three are first arrivals in UK under ‘one in, one out’ immigration deal – The Guardian
A family of three including a small child have become the first arrivals from France under Keir Starmer’s “one in, one out” deal, the Home Office has said. The move follows the removal on Wednesday of the first four asylum seekers from the UK to France over the past six days, despite continuing legal challenges. For full report, click here
More than 1,000 people arrive in UK in small boats in one day – The Guardian
More than 1,000 people crossed the Channel in small boats on Friday, according to Home Office figures, ending a spell of more than a week with no new arrivals. Thirteen boats carrying 1,072 individuals made the crossing on Friday, which averages more than 80 people a boat. It is the third time this year the figure for a single day has surpassed 1,000 and brings the total number this year to a record 32,103. For full report, click here
Eritrean man is second to be deported to France under UK’s ‘one in, one out’ deal The Guardian
An Eritrean man has been deported to France under the UK government’s “one in, one out” deal with the neighbouring country. The man, the second to be deported under the agreement, was on a flight that left Heathrow for Paris at 6.15am on Friday, the Home Office confirmed after he lost a high court attempt to block the move. For full report, click here
Mahmood vows to change modern slavery laws after bid to deport Eritrean man thwarted – The Guardian
Shabana Mahmood has announced plans to change modern slavery laws to prevent migrants from making last minute attempts to “frustrate a removal” after her bid to appeal in a trafficking case was thrown out by the court of appeal. For full report, click here
Giving deported criminals £2,000 ‘doesn’t look good’, minister admits – The Times
The Home Secretary, Shabana Mahmood, has admitted it “doesn’t look good” after foreign criminals were filmed being handed bank cards loaded with £2,000 in return for leaving the country. Nearly 50 foreign offenders were shown on ITV News being taken from immigration removal centres to be flown back to Romania, where they were each given bank cards pre-loaded with up to £2,000. For full report, click here
Afghan refugee granted asylum in UK returned home for holiday – The Times
The Home Office is urgently investigating the status of an Afghan refugee who was granted asylum but later posted pictures of himself on holiday in his home country. Home Office rules state that refugees with a travel document “can usually travel to all countries except the country you’re from [and] any country you sought asylum from”. For full report, click here
Asylum seeker at centre of Essex hotel protests jailed for 12 months – The Guardian
An asylum seeker staying at a hotel in Essex that became the focus of protests, has been jailed for 12 months for the assault of a 14-year-old girl and a woman. Hadush Gerberslasie Kebatu, 38, from Ethiopia, who had been living in the Bell hotel in Epping, was found guilty last month of two counts of sexual assault and one of attempted sexual assault, committed days after arriving in the UK on a small boat. For full report, click here
Permanent residency for Hongkongers may be worth £4bn to UK economy– The Guardian
Allowing Hongkongers who have moved to the UK to stay permanently after five years could net more than £4bn for the Treasury by 2029, according to a thinktank. The analysis by the China Strategic Risks Institute (CSRI), which was sent to the Home Office before the budget, suggests the move could raise almost as much revenue as a year’s worth of air passenger duty by enabling Hongkongers to move their pension savings here For full report, click here
What are Nigel Farage’s immigration plans and do his sums add up? – The Guardian
Nigel Farage has set out a series of hardline immigration policies that were lauded by the right wing press. His Reform party would eject hundreds of thousands of people who have been granted indefinite leave to remain in the UK, a move he claimed would save £234bn over several decades. For full report, click here
Man who died on Bibby Stockholm ‘tricked’ into going on barge, inquest told – The Guardian
An asylum seeker who died onboard the Bibby Stockholm was “tricked” into going to the barge after “point blank” refusing, an inquest has heard. Leonard Farruku, 27, from Albania, was found unresponsive in a shower cubicle onboard the accommodation vessel at Portland Port, Dorset, on 12 December 2023. For full report, click here
Disabled Nigerian man living in UK for 38 years wins appeal against deportation – The Guardian
A disabled Nigerian man who has lived in the UK for almost 40 years has won an appeal to stay in the country despite the Home Office wanting to deport him. Anthony Olubunmi George, 63, came to the UK at the age of 24 in 1986. He has not left the UK since and has no criminal convictions. He had two strokes in 2019 that left him with speech and mobility issues. For full report, click here
UK considers visa fee cuts for highly skilled as Trump hikes US charges – The Guardian
Top US scientists could be enticed to the UK under proposals to fast-track visa applications and cut administration charges, challenging attempts by Donald Trump to retain homegrown talent. It is understood Keir Starmer’s “global talent taskforce” is examining plans to cut visa application fees and make it easier for foreign academics and digital experts to relocate to the UK. For full report, click here
Farage vows to scrap indefinite leave to remain, placing thousands at risk of deportation – The Guardian
Nigel Farage has pledged to abolish what the main route for immigrants to gain British citizenship, threatening tens of thousands of people legally living in the UK with deportation unless they meet strict rules. For full report, click here
More than 150 lawyers and refugee NGOs report being ‘pressured into silence’ by far-right protesters – The Guardian
More than 150 lawyers, human rights, refugee and environmental organisations have said they are being “pressured into silence” after some received rape and death threats from far right and anti-migrant protesters. For full report, click here
Lammy hints at U-turn to allow Palestinian scholars to bring children to UK – The Guardian
David Lammy has hinted that the UK Government could U-turn to allow Palestinian scholars to bring their children to the UK. A group of 34 Palestinian students, including Chevening scholars, with places at British universities have been given permission to continue their studies in Britain. But nearly all have been told by the Foreign Office that they are not allowed to bring their children with them. For full report, click here
Northern Ireland at risk of race riot ‘permacrisis’, Government files warn – The Guardian
Northern Ireland faces a “permacrisis” from recurring race riots and may need to use military bases to shelter people burnt out of their homes, Government documents reveal. Officials fear the region faces prolonged instability and that a single incident, local or international, could spark widespread disorder. For full report, click here
‘Good humanitarian reason’: Ed Davey calls for emergency programme to clear asylum backlog – The Guardian
Ed Davey has called for an emergency programme to clear the asylum backlog and treat refugees with compassion, before a Liberal Democrat conference where the party aims to target disillusioned Conservative and Labour voters. For full report, click here
Cafe owner angry at immigration raid – BBC News UK
The owner of an Indian cafe and food business in Surrey has condemned the Home Office for an immigration raid on her premises. Mandira Sarkar said 11 immigration enforcement officers, supported by police, turned up at Mandira’s Kitchen, near Guildford, on Wednesday. For full report, click here
Case Law
Kaya v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2025] UKSIAC SV/01/2024
SIAC’s decision in Kaya significantly restricts procedural fairness requirements for visit visa refusals, ruling that application forms and guidance provide sufficient notice to applicants without requiring advance warning of specific concerns or opportunities to respond before refusal. This narrow approach contrasts with higher court suggestions that procedural fairness may demand a right to respond when an applicant’s honesty or character is questioned, potentially weakening due process protections in immigration decisions. For full decision, click here
R (Hridoy) v Secretary of State for the Home Department JR-2024-LON-002819
The Upper Tribunal upheld the cancellation of a care worker’s visa after he was found working primarily at a restaurant rather than maintaining genuine employment with his care home sponsor, ruling that supplementary employment provisions cannot substitute for proper sponsored work. For full decision, click here
Home Office Guidance and Documents Policy Updates
Guidance: Iran: country policy and information notes has been updated on 24th September 2025. To view the updated Guidance, click here
Guidance: Register of licensed sponsors: workers has been updated on 24th September 2025. To view the updated Guidance, click here
Guidance: Register of licensed sponsors: students has been updated on 24th September 2025. To view the updated Guidance, click here
Guidance: Tamper evident bags: caseworker has been updated on 23rd September 2025. To view the updated Guidance, click here
Guidance: Vietnam: country policy and information notes has been updated on 22nd September 2025. To view the updated Guidance, click here
Guidance: Facial image search requests: caseworker has been updated on 22nd September 2025. To view the updated Guidance, click here
Form: Apply for the migrant victims of domestic abuse concession has been updated on 19th September 2025. To view the updated Form, click here
Written by Shareen Khan – Legal Content Writer, HJT Training
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Disclaimer: This blog post is intended for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Immigration advisors should consult the full decisions and official policy documents when advising clients on specific cases.
