Immigration roundup: February 2026

In the February round up, Jasmine and Barry discuss the Home Office's new pilot for children's asylum claims and dig into the latest immigration statistics. They cover some crucial advice for clients, including what to do if you're refused entry at the UK border, whether you can apply for settlement early to avoid the new ‘earned settlement’ proposals and how to fight a bank account closure on immigration grounds. There is also new Home Office guidance on EU Settlement Scheme derivative rights, trouble for dual nationals without British passports and yet more lawyers being caught out by fake AI-generated case law. Asylum and protection (02:08) Home Office introduces pilot to speed up children’s asylum claims Massive reduction in the backlog but questions over quality of decision making in latest trafficking statistics Latest statistics: overall decline in visa grants and concerns as Syrian asylum success rate plummets No breach of public sector equality duty by Home Office when housing LGBTQ+ asylum seekers Visitors (12:02) What to do if you are stopped and refused entry at the UK border Settlement (13:46) Can I apply for indefinite leave to remain early? A fairer pathway? How the “earned settlement” proposals risk discrimination against migrant women EU Settlement Scheme (17:35) New Home Office guidance on EU Settlement Scheme: derivative right to reside (Chen and Ibrahim/Teixeira cases) Citizenship (19:43) Will the UK really ban dual nationals who don’t have a British passport? Permission granted in judicial review challenges to British citizenship ‘good character’ policy High Court gives guidance on delay in applying for judicial review and human rights jurisdiction Deportation (27:37) Man stranded abroad challenges Home Office deportation decision taken whilst travelling Procedure (29:29) How to challenge closure of a bank account on immigration grounds Tribunal criticises two more immigration lawyers for suspected citation of AI-invented fake case law Updated (32:00) Youth Mobility visa: what is it and how does it work? How to apply for a UK spouse or partner visa How to become an Immigration Advice Authority (formerly OISC) Level 1 regulated adviser