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Public Law Solicitors
Duncan Lewis legal challenge to Home Office student visa restrictions receives widespread media coverage (6 August 2026)
Date: 06/08/2026
Duncan Lewis is representing three Sudanese nationals in a legal challenge to the Home Secretary’s decision to introduce a ‘visa brake’ restricting student visa applications from nationals of a number of countries, including Sudan.
The case has been widely covered in the media and in education-focused publications including PIE News, the Independent and Times Higher Education.
It was heard in the Administrative Court and concerns the lawfulness of the policy, which has prevented highly qualified professionals from applying for visas to take up postgraduate places at leading UK universities, including the University of Oxford and University College London (UCL). A judgment is due this month.
The claimants, including doctors and a pharmacist, argue that the decision was unlawful because it relied on nationality rather than an assessment of individual circumstances, and that the Home Office failed to properly consider the evidence supporting the policy.
The challenge has received media attention, including coverage from The PIE News and Dazzling Dawn, highlighting the wider impact of the visa restrictions on international students and skilled professionals seeking to study in the UK.
One of the claimants is seeking public support to help fund the legal challenge through a CrowdJustice fundraising campaign.
Support the challenge here:
www.crowdjustice.com/case/help-me-challenge-the-home-office-ban/
The team at Duncan Lewis are Toufique Hossain, Manini Menon, Isabella Healey, Shanaya Weerakkody, and Susannah Eley. Instructed counsel are Tim Buley KC of Landmark Chambers, Grant Kynaston, of Blackstone Chambers, and Sophie Lucas of Garden Court Chambers.
About Duncan Lewis Solicitors
Duncan Lewis is one of the UK’s leading legal aid providers, which is multi award-winning and renowned for its exceptional legal services and commitment to justice. The company employs a team of highly skilled solicitors offering top-tier representation in 25 fields of law, and ranked as top tier by the Chambers and the Legal 500 legal guides, and as one of the top 250 law firms in the country by the Times. Duncan Lewis was crowned Law Firm of the Year at the Modern Law Awards 2023, further establishing its credentials as one of the leading law firms in the UK.
The firm’s Immigration and Public Law team is particularly renowned for handling complex and high profile cases involving human rights and asylum seekers. With landmark successes in cases such as Brook House, the Rwanda Challenge, and Manston House, Duncan Lewis continues to provide unparalleled legal representation, ensuring justice for the most vulnerable.