UKVI Blocks British Citizenship for those who enter the UK via 'dangerous journeys' & refusals nearly double
On the 10th January 2025, UKVI published an amendment to their Good Character caseworker guidance. This amendment blocks anyone who has previously entered the UK illegally from applying for citizenship from the 10th February 2025.
Those who fall under this category with citizenship applications pending from before the 10th February 2025 will continue to have their applications reviewed.
The change in the guidance, which was initially reported by Free Movement, also makes it clear that this block will be applied regardless of the time that has passed since the illegal entry, effectively making this a permanent ban.
Due to the specific mention of ‘dangerous journeys’ and small boats in the guidance, it seems that this change is not simply a ‘clarification’ of the rules but a deliberate attempt to prevent refugees from applying for citizenship.
This seems to have been confirmed by the Home Office via The Guardian’s most recent article on this matter. They have confirmed that these changes are meant to replace the ban on citizenship for those who arrive in the UK through irregular means which was originally imposed by the now scrapped Illegal Migration Act 2023.
The impact on thousands of refugees who have applied for asylum in the UK
Applications for British Citizenship continue to rise, however, so do refusals. Over 8,000 British Naturalisation and Registration applications were refused up to the year ending September 2024, nearly double that of the preceding year.
Contact Migrate UK
If you have any questions regarding British Citizenship, please reach out to Migrate UK to our specialist immigration team on info@migrate-uk.com.