Robots Over Rationality? The Use of Algorithms to Assess Visa Applications – Drystone Chambers

‘Traffic light coding has been used to determine green ‘low risk’ applications with ‘positive attributes and evidence of compliance’, amber ‘medium risk’ ‘with limited evidence or equally balanced evidence of negative and positive attributes so potential for refusal’ and red ‘high risk applications, appearing to have a greater likelihood of refusal because of the individual’s circumstances’. The coding is based on responses to a set of yes or no questions.’

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Drystone Chambers, 24th June 2019

Source: drystone.com

Anti-Islamic extremist permanently excluded from entering UK – The Guardian

Posted June 27th, 2019 in hate crime, immigration, news, proscribed organisations, terrorism by sally

‘A prominent anti-Islamic extremist whose organisation is being investigated in Austria over links to the Christchurch shooting suspect has apparently been permanently excluded from entering the UK.’

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The Guardian, 26th July 2019

Source: www.theguardian.com

Home Office payout for trafficked man detained in mistaken identity mix-up – The Guardian

‘Vietnamese national was illegally detained for five months after Home Office refused to accept he was not someone else.’

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The Guardian, 27th July 2019

Source: www.theguardian.com

MPs and lawyers call for investigation into privatised visa system which allows firms to make millions – The Independent

Posted June 24th, 2019 in auditors, contracting out, immigration, Law Society, news, parliament, visas by sally

‘Cross party politicians back demands for urgent review into Home Office partnership with French firm Sopra Steria following warnings legal migrants risk being ‘thrown into the hostile environment’

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The Independent, 23rd June 2019

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Investigation into abuse at Brook House IRC risks failure to meet requirements of Article 3 – UK Human Rights Blog

Posted June 21st, 2019 in detention, human rights, immigration, inquiries, news, ombudsmen by sally

‘MA, BB v Secretary of State for the Home Department (The Equality and Human Rights Commission intervening) [2019] EWHC 1523.
The High Court has held that an effective Article 3 investigation by the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman (“PPO”) into allegations of serious physical and mental abuse in an Immigration Removal Centre requires the PPO to have powers are to compel witness attendance, hold hearings in public and ensure that the claimants have properly-funded representation to enable them to review and comment on witness evidence and provide lines of enquiry.’

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UK Human Rights Blog, 19th June 2019

Source: ukhumanrightsblog.com

‘Discredited’ test used on two in five Syrian asylum seekers in UK – The Guardian

Posted June 18th, 2019 in asylum, examinations, government departments, immigration, news by sally

‘Almost two in five Syrian asylum seekers were made to take a widely criticised language test to prove their nationality, the Guardian can reveal. Campaigners and experts have criticised the Home Office for the widespread use of language analysis on those claiming to have fled Syria, describing it as “pseudoscience” and a political tool to exclude migrants.’

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The Guardian, 17th June 2019

Source: www.theguardian.com

Home Secretary apologises to members of Windrush generation – Home Office

‘The Home Secretary has written 46 letters to people who were sanctioned under compliant environment policies and 7 to people with criminal convictions who were held under immigration detention powers at the end of their prison sentence.’

Full press release

Home Office, 10th June 2019

Source: www.gov.uk/home-office

Gay rugby player facing deportation to Kenya gets reprieve from Home Office – The Independent

‘A gay rugby player has been given a reprieve from deportation to Kenya after losing his legal battle and being ordered to leave the UK.’

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The Independent, 6th June 2019

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Immigration lawyers sanctioned for ‘totally without merit’ JRs – Legal Futures

‘Two immigration lawyers who clocked up 14 judicial review applications in a single year found to be totally without merit have been fined by the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal (SDT).’

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Legal Futures, 5th June 2019

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Charity pours scorn on quality of immigration detainees’ advice – Legal Futures

‘Legal representation for immigration detainees is very poor, including the quality of advice given by solicitors, according to a charity that challenges detention in removal centres and prisons.’

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Legal Futures, 4th June 2019

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Home Secretary: EU Settlement Scheme is performing well – Home Office

‘Home Secretary Sajid Javid has confirmed that more than 750,000 applications have now been received for the EU Settlement Scheme.’

Full press release

Home Office, 30th May 2019

Source: www.gov.uk/home-office

UK government ‘risks another Windrush’ over EU citizens, MPs say – BBC News

‘The government runs the risk of another Windrush scandal if “serious concerns” about its EU settlement scheme are not addressed, MPs have said.’

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BBC News, 30th May 2019

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Investigation into the response to cheating in English language tests – National Audit Office

Posted May 24th, 2019 in auditors, examinations, fraud, immigration, press releases, statistics, visas by sally

‘The National Audit Office (NAO) has today published its investigation into the Home Office’s response to widespread cheating by international students in English language tests. Clearly widespread cheating did take place but some people may have been wrongly accused and in some cases, unfairly removed from the UK.’

Full press release

National Audit Office, 24th May 2019

Source: www.nao.org.uk

Tommy Robinson sued by Syrian schoolboy he accused of assault – The Guardian

‘The Syrian schoolboy who was filmed being attacked in a playground in Huddersfield is suing the far-right campaigner Tommy Robinson for accusing him of assaulting white schoolgirls.’

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The Guardian, 15th May 2019

Source: www.theguardian.com

Home Office abandons six-month target for asylum claim decisions – The Guardian

‘The Home Office is scrapping its target of processing most asylum claims within six months, the Guardian has learned. Human rights lawyers expressed alarm at the news, saying the number of vulnerable asylum seekers facing delays in having their claims processed could become even worse than its current level.’

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The Guardian, 7th May 2019

Source: www.theguardian.com

This week’s round up – Williamson fired over Huawei and the courts return after Easter – UK Human Rights Blog

‘Despite the return of the courts on Monday, it was another relatively light week in terms of decisions in the fields of public law and human rights. However, the High Court decided a number of interesting clinical negligence cases, whilst the Court of Appeal gave judgement in the case of TM (Kenya), R (On the Application Of) v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2019] EWCA Civ 784.’

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UK Human Rights Blog, 7th May 2019

Source: ukhumanrightsblog.com

Iraqi who brought baby to UK wins reprieve from deportation – The Guardian

‘A man who brought his baby niece to Britain in the back of his car from a French refugee camp after she sustained serious burns has had his deportation halted at the last minute by the Home Office.’

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The Guardian, 30th April 2019

Source: www.theguardian.com

Home Office faces investigation over Windrush scandal from equalities watchdog – The Independent

‘The Home Office has been referred to the equalities watchdog over the Windrush scandal and the wider “hostile environment”. More than 80 MPs from six political parties have called on the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) to investigate whether the department unlawfully discriminated against the Windrush generation and continues to discriminate against ethnic minority Britons as a “direct result” of its immigration policies.’

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The Independent, 1st May 2019

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Home Office chaos and incompetence lead to unlawful detentions, claim whistleblowers – The Guardian

‘Chaos, incompetence and bullying of Home Office employees is resulting in failed deportations and the unlawful detention of vulnerable and desperate people, whistleblowers allege.’

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The Guardian, 28th April 2019

Source: www.theguardian.com

Claim over solicitors’ negligence fails to establish loss of chance – Legal Futures

‘A married couple has largely failed in a claim of negligence against a firm of solicitors which had admitted that it failed to advise properly on a separate negligence case against another law firm.’

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Legal Futures, 29th April 2019

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk