Colin Yeo (@colinyeo.bsky.social)

Colin Yeo

@colinyeo.bsky.social

Barrister, blogger and author of Welcome to Britain: Fixing Our Broken Immigration System. Fully updated paperback out now.

22.8K followers 2.7K following5.6K posts

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Colin Yeo

@colinyeo.bsky.social

12 Nov 2024

“It isn’t unusual for a former asylum seeker like Paddington to become British. In fact, 70% of all refugees granted asylum over ten years ago ultimately went on to naturalise as British. What are the requirements that Paddington must have fulfilled?” freemovement.org.uk/an-immigrati...

freemovement.org.ukAn immigration lawyer reviews Paddington in Peru: A very British bear - Free MovementThey grow up so fast. As we will see, Paddington himself has almost certainly reached the age of ursine majority, whatever that might be. When I took my

Colin Yeo

@colinyeo.bsky.social

New: Home Office must return asylum-seeking mother and children to London after yo-yo accommodation dispute — by Ralitsa Peykova

freemovement.org.ukHome Office must return asylum-seeking mother and children to London after yo-yo accommodation dispute - Free MovementThe Home Office cannot rely on its general policy of dispersing asylum seekers to justify moving a family away from London after it had agreed to accommodate

Colin Yeo

@colinyeo.bsky.social

New: Is the government legislating against a caricature of Article 8? — by Zaki Sarraf

freemovement.org.ukIs the government legislating against a caricature of Article 8? - Free MovementArticle 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights has acquired an unusual reputation in the immigration debate. The media and politicians regularly portray

Colin Yeo

@colinyeo.bsky.social

New: Using the Public Sector Equality Duty in immigration cases — by Rebecca Hacker

freemovement.org.ukUsing the Public Sector Equality Duty in immigration cases - Free MovementDecisions by public authorities can have very different effects on different groups of people. The Public Sector Equality Duty requires public authorities,

Colin Yeo

@colinyeo.bsky.social

New: Job ad: OTB Legal are hiring a Personal Immigration Lawyer

freemovement.org.ukJob ad: OTB Legal are hiring a Personal Immigration Lawyer - Free MovementJob Type: Full-time, Permanent

Colin Yeo

@colinyeo.bsky.social

New: Upper Tribunal reaffirms Tanveer Ahmed as AI makes forged documents easier to produce — by Alex Piletska

freemovement.org.ukUpper Tribunal reaffirms Tanveer Ahmed as AI makes forged documents easier to produce - Free MovementThe Upper Tribunal has issued new guidance on suspected fraudulent applications which have been created using generative AI.

Colin Yeo

@colinyeo.bsky.social

New: Iraqi national successfully challenges visit visa refusal in SIAC — by Joseph Maggs

freemovement.org.ukIraqi national successfully challenges visit visa refusal in SIAC - Free MovementThe Special Immigration Appeals Commission (SIAC) has allowed a challenge to a visa refusal by an Iraqi national who was detained during the western

Colin Yeo

@colinyeo.bsky.social

New: Free Movement Weekly Immigration Newsletter #141 — by Alina Lor

freemovement.org.ukFree Movement Weekly Immigration Newsletter #141 - Free MovementWelcome to the weekly Free Movement newsletter!

Colin Yeo

@colinyeo.bsky.social

New: Proposed trafficking credibility rules risk punishing victims for being victims — by Aya Jamal

freemovement.org.ukProposed trafficking credibility rules risk punishing victims for being victims - Free MovementThe government intends to alter the way in which the credibility of possible victims of trafficking is assessed. According to clause 36 of the Immigration and

Colin Yeo reposted

Jim Waterson

@jim.londoncentric.media

Kneejerk response to this is nuts. My relative is alive because this summer, out of desperation, we keyed his symptoms (that had baffled NHS consultants) into Claude. It diagnosed a rare but simple inter-disciplinary issue. NHS docs swiftly did lifesaving surgery. AI is good at pattern recognition!

The Guardian@theguardian.com

New AI tool can predict cancer survival by a single patient selfie, study suggests

theguardian.comNew AI tool can predict cancer survival by a single patient selfie, study suggestsSystem can estimate a person’s biological age and predict chances of cancer survival from a single photograph Doctors have developed an artificial intelligence tool that can predict a cancer patient’s chances of survival from a single photograph of their face. The AI system was custom-built by experts at Mass General Brigham, a nonprofit, integrated academic healthcare system in Massachusetts, to estimate biological age and directly predict survival outcomes in patients diagnosed with cancer. Continue reading...

Colin Yeo

@colinyeo.bsky.social

New: Is Part Suitability being applied lawfully to Hong Kong BN(O) applications? — by Ralitsa Peykova

freemovement.org.ukIs Part Suitability being applied lawfully to Hong Kong BN(O) applications? - Free MovementRecent reporting has identified that the Home Office has been refusing British National (Overseas) visas to Hong Kong activists because of their criminal

Colin Yeo reposted

Rickard Olseke

@migration.se

"They fled Russia, but the West sent them back", BBC News reports.

bbc.comThey fled Russia, but the West sent them backOver the past year there has been a stark rise in anti-government activists deported to Russia from the EU and US where they were seeking refuge.

Colin Yeo reposted

GLOBALCIT

@globalcit.bsky.social

Citizenship in the News 🗞🇪🇪 Estonia mulls allowing dual citizenship in certain circumstances: The coalition parties want to allow Estonian citizens by birth to hold dual citizenship. The opposition questions what problem the change is intended to solve news.err.ee/1610167123/e...

news.err.eeEstonia mulls allowing dual citizenship in certain circumstancesThe coalition parties want to allow Estonian citizens by birth to hold dual citizenship. The opposition questions what problem the change is intended to solve.

Colin Yeo

@colinyeo.bsky.social

New: Home Office must reconsider applications by Palestinian families failed by unsafe journeys policy — by Daniel Rourke

freemovement.org.ukHome Office must reconsider applications by Palestinian families failed by unsafe journeys policy - Free MovementThe Upper Tribunal has concluded that refusing to consider visa applications by two Palestinian families in Gaza before they gave biometrics was irrational

Colin Yeo reposted

PassBlue

@passblue.bsky.social

The UN Refugee Agency Is Reckoning With an ‘Unprecedented Weakness’ passblue.com/2026/10/08/t...

Colin Yeo

@colinyeo.bsky.social

New: Reminder: judges should not go behind concessions without notice — by Colin Yeo

freemovement.org.ukReminder: judges should not go behind concessions without notice - Free MovementIn the deportation case of Kofi Osei-Bonsu v Secretary of State for The Home Department EWCA Civ 1304, the Court of Appeal found that it was an error for a

Colin Yeo

@colinyeo.bsky.social

New: High Court decides asylum hotel closure challenge is academic — by Colin Yeo

freemovement.org.ukHigh Court decides asylum hotel closure challenge is academic - Free MovementIn KGT & Ors v The Secretary of State for The Home Department EWHC 2583 (Admin) an Indian family had challenged Home Office decisions around their

Colin Yeo

@colinyeo.bsky.social

I had no idea the Home Office was actually returning people to Eritrea at all, never mind in growing and, so far, fairly substantial numbers. 147 in one quarter seems like a lot? www.gov.uk/government/s...

Colin Yeo

@colinyeo.bsky.social

Thanks @sonial77.bsky.social and @alasdairmackenzie.bsky.social. Those figures include returns of Eritreans to France. Figures for returns of Eritreans to Eritrea are... low. Fewer than 10 per year.

Colin Yeo reposted

Alasdair Mackenzie

@alasdairmackenzie.bsky.social

Replying to @alasdairmackenzie.bsky.social

My reading of "Returns detailed datasets, year ending June 2026", tab Ret_D02, in the link you've given, is that very few people have Eritrea as "country of destination", but I may be reading them wrong, I have never found them easy to decipher...

Colin Yeo

@colinyeo.bsky.social

New: Missing evidence in immigration applications: how evidential flexibility works — by Nath Gbikpi

freemovement.org.ukMissing evidence in immigration applications: how evidential flexibility works - Free MovementEvidential flexibility allows the Home Office to ask an applicant to fill a gap in their evidence before making a decision, rather than refusing the

Colin Yeo reposted

Jonathan Thomas

@jtmigratory.bsky.social

Sandwiched in my latest paper (pgs 27/28) I question where this government's asylum reforms leave Ukrainians in the UK who never wish to return. Short answer: in a potentially difficult spot. Actual answer: will likely be more complicated. Probably just as well. www.smf.co.uk/publications...

smf.co.ukInside out: Why and how falling immigration numbers could result in increasing political and public tensions and divisions over immigration in the UK | Social Market FoundationHow could falling net migration increase political and public tensions over immigration? Migration expert Jonathan Thomas explores.

Colin Yeo reposted

Jack Harrison

@jlharrison.bsky.social

Worth remembering that if she supported Patriotic Alternative instead she would be able to sell her books unimpeded because our government has its priorities straight.

Ian Dunt@iandunt.bsky.social

This is all utterly mad and the responsibility lies squarely with the British government www.rte.ie/entertainmen...

rte.ieSally Rooney's books to be withdrawn from sale in the UKFaber has confirmed it will stop supplying Sally Rooney's books in the UK, saying it cannot pay the Irish author royalties because of her pledge to support the banned group Palestine Action.

Colin Yeo

@colinyeo.bsky.social

Good article. The latest AI models are incredible and useful. Does anyone really need anything more advanced? There are already massive ethical, practical and environmental issues to resolve. www.theregister.com/columnists/2...

theregister.comIt won't kill you, or humanity, to get off the AI upgrade treadmillNew models arrive so fast, we already have more new tech than it's possible to understand in a career

Colin Yeo

@colinyeo.bsky.social

New: New Home Office policy on expanded scope of conditional cautions against foreign nationals — by Niamh Fegan

freemovement.org.ukNew Home Office policy on expanded scope of conditional cautions against foreign nationals - Free MovementOn 18 September 2026, the Home Office published guidance titled ‘Foreign National Offender (FNO) conditional cautions (policy)’, the first version of this

Colin Yeo

@colinyeo.bsky.social

New: Free Movement Weekly Immigration Newsletter #140 — by Alina Lor

freemovement.org.ukFree Movement Weekly Immigration Newsletter #140 - Free MovementWelcome to the weekly Free Movement newsletter!

Colin Yeo reposted

Refugee Law Initiative

@rli-sas.bsky.social

New on the #RLIBlog 'From displacement to return: the humanitarian realities facing Afghan returnees' by Mehrullah Rahmani. Available here: rli.blogs.sas.ac.uk/2026/10/13/f... #afghanistan #afghanrefugees #refugees #refugeepolicy

Colin Yeo

@colinyeo.bsky.social

I'll tidy up the design of this as well. This will stay free for the Immigration and Asylum Bill. But I'm starting to wonder about whether it would be (a) useful for other Bills as they go through Parliament and, if so, (b) so useful that people would pay enough for it to cover its costs.

Colin Yeo@colinyeo.bsky.social

I've updated the Immigration and Asylum Bill Tracker so that it is easier to find amendments. Going forward, it will incorporate most new amendments automatically but needs to learn grammar for some others. bills.freemovement.org.uk/amendments/l...

bills.freemovement.org.ukLatest amendments · Immigration and Asylum Bill · Bill TrackerRead a UK immigration or asylum Bill clause by clause, with the effect of each amendment on existing legislation shown underneath. A Free Movement tool.

Colin Yeo

@colinyeo.bsky.social

New: Upper Tribunal provides further guidance on higher standard of proof in asylum claims — by Joseph Maggs

freemovement.org.ukUpper Tribunal provides further guidance on higher standard of proof in asylum claims - Free MovementThe Upper Tribunal has returned to section 32 of NABA 2022 and clarified the ‘initial guidance’ from JCK on the standard of proof in asylum claims.

Colin Yeo

@colinyeo.bsky.social

Colin Yeo

@colinyeo.bsky.social

Not sure how I'm going to get it to cope with renumbering of clauses when that happens. Will cross that bridge when we reach it.

Colin Yeo

@colinyeo.bsky.social

New: Government legal team blasted with both barrels (and indemnity costs) — by Colin Yeo

freemovement.org.ukGovernment legal team blasted with both barrels (and indemnity costs) - Free MovementOuch. Chamberlain J in FRY & Ors v Secretary of State for Defence EWHC 2571 (Admin):

Colin Yeo

@colinyeo.bsky.social

New: Immigration roundup podcast: September 2026 — by Jasmine Quiller-Doust

freemovement.org.ukImmigration roundup podcast: September 2026 - Free MovementIf you listen to podcasts on your mobile phone, you can subscribe for free on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Using a mobile device and subscribing

Colin Yeo reposted

Sathnam Sanghera

@sathnam.bsky.social

Dear tv and radio producers. Thankyou for the invitation. But, no, I do not want to appear on your show to defend the idea that I am English, after 50 years of living and working here, because the increasingly feral right want to turn this into a "debate" and you cannot see how you're being played

Colin Yeo

@colinyeo.bsky.social

Good thread and responses.

Rob Ford@robfordmancs.bsky.social

It would seem the Home Office has now acquired the ability to impose, without visibility or accountability, shadow bans on students coming to British universities from particular countries. How? Because of the interaction between indiv visa decisions (made by HO alone) and visa rules for unis 1/?

Colin Yeo

@colinyeo.bsky.social

Weird, in the circumstances, that he didn’t like being publicly identified.

Sunder Katwala (sundersays)@sundersays.bsky.social

The Bjg Time Chatlie account seeking to identify & incite vs RNLI staff as traitors was run by a recruitment consultant in Worcestershire who is a Restore donor & Cromwell Club member. He hss now deactivated the anon troll account after being publicly identifird www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026...

theguardian.comRecruitment boss accused of being behind ‘doxxing’ campaign against RNLI and anti-racism activistsTom Watson, of Worcester, alleged to be behind Big Time Charlie X account that created so-called Traitorbase

Colin Yeo reposted

Sunder Katwala (sundersays)

@sundersays.bsky.social

Colin Yeo reposted

CJ McKinney

@cjmckinney.bsky.social

Small boat crossings have "replaced, indeed surpassed, the net migration target as an object lesson in the risks of government overpromising, then under-delivering, against expectations on immigration control" www.smf.co.uk/publications...

Colin Yeo

@colinyeo.bsky.social

New: Trafficking referrals increase while government targets ‘misuse’ — by Jasmine Quiller-Doust

freemovement.org.ukTrafficking referrals increase while government targets ‘misuse’ - Free MovementThe latest trafficking statistics for the year ending June 2026 show referrals to the National Referral Mechanism are at their highest since the record began,

Colin Yeo

@colinyeo.bsky.social

Trying to follow the progress of the Immigration and Asylum Bill? I've had a go at building in the amendments and showing their potential effects: bills.freemovement.org.uk

Colin Yeo

@colinyeo.bsky.social

New: Administrative Court tightens approach to urgent judicial review applications — by Aya Jamal

freemovement.org.ukAdministrative Court tightens approach to urgent judicial review applications - Free MovementFrom 19 October 2026, the Administrative Court will determine whether a judicial review application requires urgent consideration by examining Form N463 by

Colin Yeo

@colinyeo.bsky.social

New: Job ad: Solicitor/Senior Caseworker Legal Aid Immigration – Women’s Prison Project Lead

freemovement.org.ukJob ad: Solicitor/Senior Caseworker Legal Aid Immigration - Women's Prison Project Lead - Free Movement· Salary £40,000 + dependent on qualifications and experience

Colin Yeo

@colinyeo.bsky.social

New: Certification challenge fails but Home Office concedes unlawful separation of detained couple — by Parvez Anwar Pantho

freemovement.org.ukCertification challenge fails but Home Office concedes unlawful separation of detained couple - Free MovementThe High Court has considered procedural fairness in protection claims, including when the Home Office makes a certification decision.

Colin Yeo

@colinyeo.bsky.social

New: Immigration Caseworker/Solicitor

freemovement.org.ukImmigration Caseworker/Solicitor - Free MovementThe immigration team at Southwark Law Centre delivers specialist legal advice and assistance including outreach, telephone and email advice to frontline

Colin Yeo

@colinyeo.bsky.social

New: Members podcast: What happens when the Home Office says EU Settlement Scheme status was granted in error? With Mala Savjani — by Jasmine Quiller-Doust

freemovement.org.ukMembers podcast: What happens when the Home Office says EU Settlement Scheme status was granted in error? With Mala Savjani - Free MovementFrom when the EU Settlement Scheme opened to 30 June 2026, the Home Office has told 1,473 people that their status was 'granted in error'. But letting their

Colin Yeo

@colinyeo.bsky.social

New: Free Movement Weekly Immigration Newsletter #139 — by Jasmine Quiller-Doust

freemovement.org.ukFree Movement Weekly Immigration Newsletter #139 - Free MovementWelcome to the weekly Free Movement newsletter!

Colin Yeo

@colinyeo.bsky.social

New: High Court dismisses challenge over good character restrictions for registration as a British citizen — by Alexander Finch

freemovement.org.ukHigh Court dismisses challenge over good character restrictions for registration as a British citizen - Free MovementThe High Court has held that there is no variable approach to good character: it applies in the same way to both registration and naturalisation.