Home Office policy giving people little notice of deportation ruled unlawful (Multiple Sources) (21 October 2020)

The Independent and The Guardian report on how the Court of Appeal found that a Home Office policy on removing migrants from the UK without access to justice, was unlawful. The policy allowed the forcible removal of a migrant from the UK sometimes within hours and in many cases without access to lawyers. Solicitor Raja Uruthiravinayagan commented: “The importance of this judgment cannot be overstated. Access to justice is a fundamental principle of rule of law. Without it, individuals will not be able to challenge unlawful decisions and hold decision-makers accountable. It protects our fundamental rights and freedoms. The delivery of justice should be impartial and non-discriminatory, regardless of who is seeking it, if it is to protect and strengthen our democracy.” Solicitor Philip Armitage who represented an Afghan individual affected by the police also commented; “This is a landmark decision from the Court of Appeal which emphasises that everyone in the UK is entitled to access justice and to seek redress from the courts. Our client for weeks faced removal to Afghanistan where he feared his life was at risk but, through this case, he was able to challenge his removal and he is now a refugee. For individuals such as him, the ‘rule of law’ is not an intellectual theory but a lifeline. This judgment strengthens those protections for everyone in our society.”