In 2023, the Illegal Migration Act 2023 introduced a citizenship ban for those who entered the United Kingdom illegally on or after the 7th of March 2023. This meant that people who met a specific criteria and entered the UK illegally could never naturalise as British citizens.
However, more recently, the Illegal Migration Act 2023 (Amendment) Regulations 2024 have come into force and the ban on citizenship is no longer enforceable. The Home Office caseworker guidance has been updated to reflect this change.
It is unclear whether any applications will have been refused due to this ban being in force for such a short period of time.
If you would like our advice or assistance regarding making an application for citizenship, or if you think your application was refused as a result of this ban, then please do not hesitate to contact one of our experienced solicitors in our immigration team.
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