Colin Yeo
@colinyeo.bsky.social
Barrister, blogger and author of Welcome to Britain: Fixing Our Broken Immigration System. Fully updated paperback out now.
Going to leave you with a Home Office chart from their most recent asylum stats so you can decide whether the UK is a magnet for asylum seekers with a uniquely generous asylum system www.gov.uk/government/s...
November 17, 2025 at 4:44 PM
Going to leave you with a Home Office chart from their most recent asylum stats so you can decide whether the UK is a magnet for asylum seekers with a uniquely generous asylum system www.gov.uk/government/s...
Finally, there's to be a cap on safe and legal routes but no new details, really
November 17, 2025 at 4:37 PM
Finally, there's to be a cap on safe and legal routes but no new details, really
Looks like new asylum screening process, perhaps, with some refusals to follow immediately after initial screening. And the last example there sounds very unlikely indeed. Applications and appeals are already treated as abandoned where a person leaves the UK.
November 17, 2025 at 4:30 PM
Looks like new asylum screening process, perhaps, with some refusals to follow immediately after initial screening. And the last example there sounds very unlikely indeed. Applications and appeals are already treated as abandoned where a person leaves the UK.
Statutory definition of "family" to be introduced. Even though human rights law refuses strictly to define and limit family, in recognition of the infinite variety of human existence and the possibility of change over time. Might not seem important or have much real-world impact but this is Bad.
November 17, 2025 at 4:24 PM
Statutory definition of "family" to be introduced. Even though human rights law refuses strictly to define and limit family, in recognition of the infinite variety of human existence and the possibility of change over time. Might not seem important or have much real-world impact but this is Bad.
Some sort of further tightening of the rules that Theresa May introduced in 2012 is on the cards. Because Theresa May was such a softie.
November 17, 2025 at 4:22 PM
Some sort of further tightening of the rules that Theresa May introduced in 2012 is on the cards. Because Theresa May was such a softie.
And for this, it's "because" not "even though". Officials and judges allow cases because not to do so splits the family with an impact on the couple and any children.
November 17, 2025 at 4:21 PM
And for this, it's "because" not "even though". Officials and judges allow cases because not to do so splits the family with an impact on the couple and any children.
This sounds a lot like the existing fresh claim process. A lot of this reads as if the author(s) think no-one has ever thought of all this stuff before now.
November 17, 2025 at 4:16 PM
This sounds a lot like the existing fresh claim process. A lot of this reads as if the author(s) think no-one has ever thought of all this stuff before now.
There's some nonsense on visa penalties. Governments have been repeatedly saying this for years. Looks like they'll maybe try it on one country and see what happens. Which will likely be that they quietly drop the policy after a few months.
November 17, 2025 at 4:08 PM
There's some nonsense on visa penalties. Governments have been repeatedly saying this for years. Looks like they'll maybe try it on one country and see what happens. Which will likely be that they quietly drop the policy after a few months.
Child detention and forced removal is back:
November 17, 2025 at 4:05 PM
Child detention and forced removal is back:
This is the bit on seizing jewellery. Perhaps shave their heads as well, could get good money for all that hair? But again, this is likely to create lots of bureaucracy yet have little real-world effect because it is so hard to do in practice.
November 17, 2025 at 4:00 PM
This is the bit on seizing jewellery. Perhaps shave their heads as well, could get good money for all that hair? But again, this is likely to create lots of bureaucracy yet have little real-world effect because it is so hard to do in practice.
This passage is utterly incoherent. UK now to revoke an EU-imposed law... which several EU countries do not follow? Suspect this is going to create a lot of make-work for officials, humiliate refugees and yet also lead to very, very few denials of support.
November 17, 2025 at 3:58 PM
This passage is utterly incoherent. UK now to revoke an EU-imposed law... which several EU countries do not follow? Suspect this is going to create a lot of make-work for officials, humiliate refugees and yet also lead to very, very few denials of support.
A refugee's ability to live with their family -- and therefore the safety of their family -- will depend on their ability to work or study.
November 17, 2025 at 3:55 PM
A refugee's ability to live with their family -- and therefore the safety of their family -- will depend on their ability to work or study.
This passage is key. What will criteria and fee for this new route be? How many refugees are expected to qualify? Some refugees will be unable to work or study and they will be very harshly treated under this plan.
November 17, 2025 at 3:53 PM
This passage is key. What will criteria and fee for this new route be? How many refugees are expected to qualify? Some refugees will be unable to work or study and they will be very harshly treated under this plan.
This is simply untrue, I think. The Common European Asylum System, of which the UK was part until 2020, requires these standards. Denmark is not part of the CES but pretty much everywhere else in Europe is.
November 17, 2025 at 3:50 PM
This is simply untrue, I think. The Common European Asylum System, of which the UK was part until 2020, requires these standards. Denmark is not part of the CES but pretty much everywhere else in Europe is.
What on earth is going on with ministerial responsibilities at the Home Office? This makes no sense to me at all. How can the Minister for Border Security and Asylum be in charge of "legal migration policy: reducing net migration" when the other guy manages the immigration rules?!
November 17, 2025 at 11:28 AM
What on earth is going on with ministerial responsibilities at the Home Office? This makes no sense to me at all. How can the Minister for Border Security and Asylum be in charge of "legal migration policy: reducing net migration" when the other guy manages the immigration rules?!
November 17, 2025 at 9:59 AM
Here’s a quote from @bbcdomc.bsky.social in 2005 about the original policy change news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_poli...
November 15, 2025 at 6:50 PM
Here’s a quote from @bbcdomc.bsky.social in 2005 about the original policy change news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_poli...
Here’s a quote from the New Plan For Immigration from 2021 www.gov.uk/government/c...
November 15, 2025 at 6:43 PM
Here’s a quote from the New Plan For Immigration from 2021 www.gov.uk/government/c...
RIP Geoffrey Bindman. This is from 1972.
November 6, 2025 at 2:53 PM
RIP Geoffrey Bindman. This is from 1972.
It’s definitely the fault of @nickharkaway.com and his father.
October 26, 2025 at 8:35 PM
It’s definitely the fault of @nickharkaway.com and his father.
Kids do indeed want to kill me. Even more than usual.
October 26, 2025 at 5:13 PM
Kids do indeed want to kill me. Even more than usual.
Wrote something on immigration as a two-way contract a while back, based on Hiroshi Motomura's work. It has problems but it's still a useful way of seeing things. wewantedworkers.substack.com/p/immigratio...
October 22, 2025 at 9:38 AM
Wrote something on immigration as a two-way contract a while back, based on Hiroshi Motomura's work. It has problems but it's still a useful way of seeing things. wewantedworkers.substack.com/p/immigratio...
Important read from @reporterrwright.ft.com on why changing the immigration rules — the terms of an informal contract, really — after someone arrives is unfair. on.ft.com/47fYDVt
October 22, 2025 at 9:15 AM
Important read from @reporterrwright.ft.com on why changing the immigration rules — the terms of an informal contract, really — after someone arrives is unfair. on.ft.com/47fYDVt
Can’t work out whether this one is hate mail or not.
October 20, 2025 at 10:04 AM
Can’t work out whether this one is hate mail or not.
Properly and appropriately searing criticism of Jenrick by @stephenkb.bsky.social in his newsletter this morning. Jenrick is obsessed with skin colour as a supposed signal of integration. There's a word for people like that.
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October 8, 2025 at 8:51 AM
Properly and appropriately searing criticism of Jenrick by @stephenkb.bsky.social in his newsletter this morning. Jenrick is obsessed with skin colour as a supposed signal of integration. There's a word for people like that.
ep.ft.com/permalink/em...
ep.ft.com/permalink/em...