Immigration News Weekly Roundup – 12 December 2025
This week marked International Human Rights Day, an annual occasion to celebrate the universal values of dignity, equality, and protection that underpin our legal systems. Yet, as the world reflected on these principles, the UK found itself charting a course that appears to contradict them fundamentally. Whilst Governments globally reaffirmed commitments to Human Rights. UK immigration policy moved forward with the measures outlined in the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Act 2025 and the Restoring “Order and Control” white paper, significantly restricting protections for some of the most vulnerable people seeking safety on our shores.
UK Government plans to overhaul the immigration and asylum system have triggered serious warnings from charities and legal experts about the potential consequences. The implementation of temporary refugee protection replacing the standard five-year grant with a shorter 30-month leave signals a major shift away from permanent stability for refugees.
Furthermore, proposed restrictions on Section 95 support for those seeking asylum at various stages of their claims have raised alarms. Organisations working in the sector believe these changes could push vulnerable individuals into homelessness whilst simultaneously creating additional administrative chaos. By dismantling the safety net that prevents destitution, these reforms could make it far more difficult for the Home Office to maintain contact with applicants, potentially exacerbating the asylum backlog.
The concerns are not merely theoretical. Britain’s asylum system already struggles with significant delays, but the new 10-year settlement route is set to extend the uncertainty. Under the “earned settlement” model proposed in the 2025 white paper, the standard timeframe for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) is increasing from five years to ten years.
Immigration advisors flagged concerns that clients exist in prolonged limbo, unable to plan their futures whilst awaiting resolution. Legal practitioners warn that this extended route to settlement creates a vicious cycle where the very measures intended to streamline the immigration system instead generate additional complications and costs.
Alongside these domestic reforms, the UK has taken a leading role in European debates on Human Rights. In a significant development this week, Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Deputy PM David Lammy joined 27 other nations at the Council of Europe meeting in Strasbourg to call for constraints on how Human Rights laws apply to immigration cases.
This represents a notable departure from established legal tradition. The UK Government is specifically seeking to “constrain” the interpretation of Article 3 (prohibition of inhuman or degrading treatment) and Article 8 (right to family life) of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). Immigration barristers have long relied on these protections to challenge deportation orders where individuals face genuine risks or have established lives in the UK. Legal experts caution that weakening these safeguards could expose vulnerable people to genuine danger whilst placing Britain in conflict with its international obligations.
The Government’s tightening of immigration controls extends far beyond asylum seekers. On 9 December 2025, the UK imposed a visa requirement on Nauru nationals, revoking their eligibility for the Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) scheme. This decision follows concerns regarding Nauru’s Citizenship by Investment programme, which the Home Office cited as an unacceptable border security risk.
According to the Government, the programme’s structure, granting citizenship for investments as low as $105,000 creates vulnerabilities that allow individuals to access a new identity with minimal ties to the issuing jurisdiction. This week’s UK immigration news reflects increased scepticism toward “golden passports,” impacting those seeking nationality for mobility rather than just those fleeing persecution.
The tightening of UK immigration policy signals a broader shift in how Britain approaches access to its shores. With the Immigration Skills Charge set to increase on 16 December 2025 and stricter B2 English language requirements for Skilled Worker visas looming in January 2026, the opportunities for migrants is becoming increasingly restrictive. For those navigating this complex environment whether fleeing persecution or seeking employment understanding one’s rights and obligations under the new 2025 UK immigration rules has never been more critical.
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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
UK Strips Nauru of Visa-Free Access Over New Citizenship Program – Investment Migration Insider
The United Kingdom has imposed visa requirements on Nauru nationals effective 15:00 GMT on December 9, citing the Pacific nation’s citizenship by investment (CBI) program as an unsustainable border security risk. For full report, click here
Sussex group begins legal challenge over plan to house asylum seekers on military site – The Guardian
A legal challenge against Government plans to move hundreds of asylum seekers into a military camp in east Sussex has been launched in the high court. This is thought to be the first challenge against a mass accommodation site for asylum seekers to reach the high court since Labour came to power. For full report, click here
UK joins call for Europe’s Human Rights laws to be ‘constrained’ – The Guardian
The UK has joined some of Europe’s hardline Governments in calling for Human Rights laws to be “constrained” to allow Rwanda-style migration deals with third countries and more foreign criminals to be deported. For full report, click here
Asylum overhaul in UK could lead to rise in homelessness and backlogs, says report – The Guardian
Shabana Mahmood’s radical plans to overhaul the asylum system could cause “unintended consequences” such as increased homelessness among people seeking refuge and growing case backlogs. The head of the National Audit Office said that the home secretary’s policies, which are meant to accelerate case decisions and reduce appeals, would require “effective action on the bottlenecks” if they were to succeed. For full report, click here
Starmer urges Europe’s leaders to curb ECHR to halt rise of far right – The Guardian
Keir Starmer has called on European leaders to urgently curb joint Human Rights laws so that member states can take tougher action to protect their borders and see off the rise of the populist right across the continent. For full report, click here
Stephen Fry and Joanna Lumley among celebrities urging UK not to weaken torture protections – The Guardian
Actors Michael Palin, Stephen Fry and Joanna Lumley are among 21 well-known figures calling on Keir Starmer to drop plans to weaken Human Rights law and instead “take a principled stand” for torture victims, on the eve of a crucial European summit. For full report, click here
France and UK ‘failing to tackle anti-migrant activists’ – The Guardian
UK and French authorities have been accused of “encouraging violent and xenophobic practices” by failing to tackle anti-migrant British activists who travel to northern France in an attempt to stop small boat crossings. In an unusual move, nine French associations working with people camped in northern France have issued a statement condemning the UK and French Governments for lack of action. For full report, click here
UK charities face ‘culture of fear’ as threats and violence surge – The Guardian
A surge in death and rape threats and harassment has created a “culture of fear” at charities serving women and refugees, and at churches, mosques and synagogues, the head of the Charity Commission has warned. Mark Simms said he feared growing hostility towards charity staff, volunteers and beneficiaries, both online and on the streets. For full report, click here
UK asylum policy causes more violence and deaths, say rights groups – The Guardian
The UK’s policy to stop asylum seekers from crossing the Channel in small boats has led to an increase in violence, deaths and smuggler control, but has not deterred arrivals, according to a report by Human Rights organisations. The report from Humans for Rights Network, includes contributions from 17 refugee and Human Rights organisations operating in northern France and six in the UK. For full report, click here
UK-EU youth mobility scheme could let tens of thousands live and work abroad – The Guardian
Tens of thousands of young British and European citizens would be given the right to live and work in each other’s countries under plans for a scheme that ministers are aiming to finalise within the next year. Ministers want to secure a youth mobility scheme with the EU by the end of 2026, as part of a broader reset of Britain’s relationship with Europe six years after leaving the bloc. For full report, click here
Shabana Mahmood urged not to help those ‘seeking to build division’ – The Guardian
The Home Secretary has been urged not to “play into the hands of those seeking to build division” by more than 200 community groups across the UK who have described Shabana Mahmood’s plans to overhaul the asylum system as “cruel” and “ruthless” in response to her plan to no longer provide permanent protection for refugees, and the escalated removal of families with children whose claims have been refused. For full report, click here
Gaps in UK migration statistics hamper public debate and policy decisions, study shows – The Guardian
Gaps in official migration statistics are hampering public debate and policy decisions including on cases relating to Human Rights laws, according to a leading thinktank. The University of Oxford’s Migration Observatory has identified 10 areas where information is lacking, including immigration enforcement and returns, and the size of the population living undocumented in the UK. For full report, click here
Rising racism blamed for collapse in number of foreign nurses coming to UK – The Guardian
The number of overseas nurses and midwives coming to the UK is collapsing, figures reveal, with rising racism and changes to immigration rules blamed for the fall. Between April and September, 6,321 nurses and midwives from abroad joined the register of those licensed to practice in the UK, compared with 12,534 who did so in the same period in 2024. For full report, click here
UK’s new digital-only immigration system creating exclusion and fear, study finds – The Guardian
The UK’s new digital-only immigration system is creating stress, fear and exclusion for immigrants who rely on their status, a new report has found. The digitalisation of immigration status began in 2018 and in the middle of this year the Government set out that nearly all migrants entering or legally residing in the UK would have to obtain an eVisa to prove their rights. This would make them the first migrants to experience a mandatory digital-only identification system. For full report, click here
Case Law
Majera v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2025] EWCA Civ 1597
The Court of Appeal upheld the deportation order, establishing that whilst rehabilitation is relevant to Article 8 proportionality assessments, it ordinarily carries minimal weight and cannot overcome the substantial public interest in deporting foreign criminals sentenced to serious violent offences; the court also confirmed the Upper Tribunal was entitled to re-make the decision without remitting to the First-tier Tribunal. For full decision, click here
Secretary of State for the Home Department v Khera [2025] EWCA Civ 1571
The Court of Appeal allowed the SSHD’s appeal, holding that “could” in paragraph GEN 3.1(1)(b) of Appendix FM requires a “real risk” or “realistic possibility” of an Article 8 breach, not merely a “mere possibility”; as the Respondent could not demonstrate such a risk on the facts, alternative sources of income need not be considered and the refusal of entry clearance was lawful. For full decision, click here
OM v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2025] EWCA Civ 1585
The Court of Appeal upheld the dismissal of an Iranian asylum seeker’s claim based on sur place political activity in the UK, finding that his demonstrations and Facebook posts were contrived rather than genuinely motivated, and that the Iranian authorities had no knowledge of his activities; accordingly, he would not face persecution on return since he would not volunteer information about these fabricated activities when questioned. For full decision, click here
Home Office Guidance and Documents Policy Updates
Guidance: Eritrea: country policy and information notes has been updated on 10th December 2025. To View the updated Guidance, click here
Guidance: Register of licensed sponsors: workers has been updated on 10th December 2025. To view the updated Guidance, click here
Guidance: Register of licensed sponsors: students has been updated on 10th December 2025. To view the updated Guidance, click here
Collection: Immigration Rules: statement of changes has been updated on 09th December 2025. To view the updated Guidance, click here
Guidance: UK visa requirements: list for carriers has been updated on 09th December 2025. To view the updated Guidance click here
Guidance: Check if you can get an electronic travel authorisation (ETA) has been updated on 09th December 2025. To view the updated Guidance, click here
Guidance: Vietnam: tuberculosis test clinics for a UK visa has been updated on 09th December 2025. To view the updated Guidance, click here
Guidance: Failure to provide required information and attend interview: caseworker has been updated on 08th December 2025. To view the updated Guidance, click here
Guidance: Additional grounds for cancellation of entry clearance: caseworker has been updated on 08th December 2025. To view the updated Guidance, click here
Guidance: Returns preparation: caseworker has been updated on 05th December 2025. To view the updated Guidance, click here
Guidance: Powers and operational procedure: caseworker has been updated on 05th December 2025. To view the updated Guidance, 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.
