News Update – 27 March 2026
An eventful week in UK immigration, with major policy developments touching on settlement reform, international returns agreements and the contested student visa brake.
The most significant political development this week, growing dissent within the Labour Party regarding Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood’s proposal to extend the qualifying period for indefinite leave to remain. The proposed revisions would require most migrants to wait ten years, as opposed to five, before becoming eligible for settlement, with potentially longer periods anticipated for care workers and refugees. According to the Home Office, these reforms can be enacted without the need for primary legislation and therefore would not typically necessitate a parliamentary vote.
A group of Labour MPs have obtained the signatures of approximately 100 colleagues on a letter addressed to the Home Secretary, expressing their opposition to the proposed changes. Several MPs have signalled an intention to utilize seldom-invoked parliamentary procedures to initiate a non-binding vote in the coming months, aimed at highlighting internal divisions on this highly debated issue.
The Government stated intention to apply the new rules retrospectively to migrants already residing in the UK, rather than limiting them to future arrivals. Angela Rayner, Labour’s former deputy leader, publicly criticised this approach as being contrary to British values. In response, Downing Street floated the possibility of transitional arrangements that might reduce the ten-year wait for some existing migrants, though critics dismissed this as insufficient.
The Home Office has received around 200,000 responses to its consultation on the reforms and is still weighing how the changes will apply to those already settled on existing routes. Opponents argue that the policy risks deterring skilled migration and could cost the Treasury billions. Particularly given that comparable economies such as Canada, Australia and major EU member states continue to offer settlement within five years.
The UK and Nigeria concluded a significant agreement during President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s state visit. Under the new arrangement, Nigeria will for the first time recognise UK-issued identification letters as valid travel documents for return purposes. This removes the previous requirement to obtain emergency travel documents before a removal can proceed, a step that has historically caused considerable delay.
The Home Office reported that annual returns to Nigeria have nearly doubled, reaching 1,150, and the two countries have committed to launching joint operations and sharing intelligence to disrupt criminal networks that exploit visa routes. A new standardised document-checking system will also be introduced to verify the authenticity of applications, following a series of high-profile cases involving fraudulent sponsorships, sham marriages and forged records. For advisers working on Nigerian cases, this signals a significantly more streamlined removals process and a tightening of compliance scrutiny across visa categories.
Finally, the student visa brake imposed on nationals from Sudan, Afghanistan, Myanmar and Cameroon is now facing a formal legal challenge. Six students, five Sudanese and one Afghan, who hold undergraduate degrees in medicine and science and have received offers from leading institutions including Oxford, Cambridge and Imperial College London, have sent a letter before action accusing the Home Secretary of racial discrimination. Their legal representatives argue that the blanket ban on student visas for nationals of these four countries is unlawful, irrational and a violation of human rights obligations.
The claimants also highlight the disproportionate impact on women from Afghanistan, where the Taliban’s restrictions on female education make international study one of the few remaining pathways to higher learning. The Home Office has justified the brake by pointing to a rise of more than 470 per cent in student visa applications from these countries between 2021 and 2025, coupled with a surge in asylum claims made by individuals already in the country on student routes.
The Government has stated that it considers the visa brakes lawful and will defend any challenge robustly. For advisers with affected clients, the coming weeks will be critical as the brake took effect on 26 March and the litigation progresses.
With recent waves of immigration policy changes, pathways to settlement in the UK have significantly narrowed, making it more important than ever for talented individuals to explore the viable routes that remain. For ambitious students and career-driven professionals, Global Talent visa continues to stand out as one of the few routes offering an accelerated path to settling in the UK, without the need for sponsorship.
If you are considering this option or advising clients who are, join HJTs live webinar, An Introduction to Navigating the Popular Global Talent Route, led by Vincent Chung. This detailed session will walk you through the key requirements, endorsement process, and practical strategies for making a successful application. 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 our Immigration News Update SEE BELOW
News
Labour MPs threaten vote to show opposition to Mahmood’s migration plans – BBC News
Labour MPs who opposed the Government’s immigration reforms are threatening to expose the party’s divisions by forcing a symbolic vote in Parliament unless ministers back down. A letter signed by 100 colleagues to the Home Secretary expressing opposition to the changes, told the BBC that transitional arrangements would only be a “sticking plaster on a scheme that was flawed from the beginning”. To view the full article, visit here
‘They singled out non-white, foreign-born workers’: the restaurants raided by Britain’s version of ICE’ – The Guardian
Immigration officers from South Central ICE, responsible for areas across southern England such as Portsmouth, Plymouth, and Surrey, conducted a raid on a local restaurant with the support of two Surrey police officers. The police walked through the dining area, observing both diners and staff, before securing access to the toilets to prevent movement. Meanwhile, the ICE officers proceeded to the kitchen, where they separated the restaurant employees and carried out individual interviews as part of the operation. To view the full article, visit here
UK has been tightening its immigration rules since last year, but the biggest change is still coming – The Economic Times
In 2026, the main changes include tougher English language rules for some work-related visas, possible tighter compliance rules for universities sponsoring foreign students, and more detail expected later in the year on a major overhaul of settlement rules, including longer waits for indefinite leave to remain for many people. To view the full article, visit here
Six students challenge Home Office visa ban on four countries – The Guardian
Six students from Sudan and Afghanistan have accused the Home Secretary of racial discrimination and launched legal action to try to overturn a ban on them taking up university places in the UK. Five students from Sudan and one from Afghanistan have undergraduate degrees in medicine and science-based subjects and received offers from universities including Oxford, Cambridge and Imperial College London. To view the full article, visit here
Border security chief to step down after 18 months in the job – BBC News
The former police chief tasked with cutting the number of small boat crossings across the Channel has resigned, just 18 months after being appointed by Sir Keir Starmer. Martin Hewitt’s appointment as the UK’s Border Security Command had been presented as a “a significant step forward in the fight against illegal migration and criminal smuggling gangs”. To view the full article, visit here
UK agrees deal to ease migrant returns to Nigeria- BBC News
The Government has agreed a deal with Nigeria to make it easier to remove people with no right to be in the UK. For the first time, the Nigerian Government will recognise UK letters – an identification document issued to individuals without a valid passport, so people will no longer have to wait for emergency travel documents to be issued before they can be returned. To view the full article, visit here
More British teenagers stranded abroad as result of new rules on dual nationals – The Guardian
Cases emerge after other people tell of change in Home Office policy on passports that has left people scrambling. Home Office has said on multiple occasions that it notified the public of the new rules with postings on its gov.uk website page in October 2024 and also refused all calls to introduce a grace period to allow those who did not read gov.uk, and who have now learned of the rules in the media, to get passports. To view the full article, visit here
Four arrested and one safeguarded during partnership visits to massage parlours across Tameside – Greater Manchester Police
Visits to seven premises were conducted with relevant partner agencies including HMRC, Immigration Enforcement, Social Care, Licensing, Environmental Health and Trading Standards to tackle any criminality and exploitation in massage parlours across Tameside. As a result of the day, four people were arrested on suspicion of immigration and modern-day slavery offences. To view the full article, visit here
Case Law
KD v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2026] EWCA Civ 349
The Court of Appeal overturned asylum protection for a Turkish national who had murdered his wife in the UK, finding that the lower tribunals wrongly concluded he was not a danger to the community and failed to properly apply the Devaseelan guidelines when reassessing a previously rejected political persecution claim. The blood feud human rights claim was sent back to the Upper Tribunal for fresh determination. To view the full decision, visit here
Independent Reports
Open call for evidence: Asylum: new Independent Appeals Body – UKVI
The Home Office has launched a call for evidence, open until 22 April 2026, on its plan to replace the First-tier Tribunal (Immigration and Asylum Chamber) with a new independent appeals body staffed by adjudicators. The consultation covers seven themes including access to justice, expert evidence, adjudicator recruitment and training, hearing methods, case management, compliance with timeframes, and accountability mechanisms, and invites submissions from legal professionals, charities, regulators and researchers to help shape the new body’s design within the reformed asylum system. To view the full report, visit here
Open consultation: Possible amendments to the Tribunal Procedure (Upper Tribunal) Rules 2008 in respect of applications for judicial review – UKVI
The Tribunal Procedure Committee has opened a consultation (closing 12 June 2026) on three proposed amendments to the Upper Tribunal Rules 2008, aimed at aligning immigration judicial review procedures with those of the Administrative Court. The changes would introduce an express right to file a reply to an acknowledgement of service within seven days, allow disposal decisions to be handed down in writing rather than requiring a hearing, and require applicants to serve a sealed copy of their judicial review application on respondents and interested parties. To view the full report, visit here
Home Office Guidance and Documents Policy Update
Transit: caseworker guidance has been updated on 25th March 2026. To view the updated Guidance, visit here
Caseworker Guidance: Worker and Temporary Worker sponsor compliance visits has been updated on 25th March 2026. To view the updated Guidance, visit here
Guidance: Register of licensed sponsors: workers has been updated on 25th March 2026. To view the updated Guidance, visit here
Guidance: Register of licensed sponsors: students has been updated on 25th March 2026. To view the updated Guidance, visit here
Migration transparency data has been updated on 25th March 2026. To view the updated statistics, visit here
Guidance: Right to rent document checks: a user guide has been updated on 25th March 2026. To view the updated Guidance, visit here
Caseworker Guidance: Family life and exceptional circumstances has been updated on 24th March 2026. To view the updated Guidance, visit here
Guidance UKRI endorsement: endorsed funders (Global Talent visa) has been updated on 24th March 2026. To view the updated Guidance, visit here
Caseworker Guidance: Deporting foreign nationals on conducive grounds has been updated on 22nd March 2026. To view the updated Guidance, visit here
Caseworker Guidance: EU Settlement Scheme has been updated on 22nd March 2026. To view the updated Guidance, visit here
Caseworker Guidance: Criminality guidance in article 8 ECHR cases has been updated on 22nd March 2026. To view the updated Guidance, visit here
Guidance Using the ‘UK ETA’ app has been updated on 20th March 2026. To view the updated Guidance, visit here
Caseworker Guidance: Exemptions for visa applications has been updated on 20th March 2026. To view the updated Guidance, visit here
Written by Shareen Khan – Legal Content Writer, HJT Training
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.