The following article first appeared in Free Movement   on 23 February, 2026. From 25 February the UK will begin enforcing pre-departure checks which require carriers to confirm that passengers have permission to travel. This has raised concern that dual British nationals who only hold a foreign passport will be denied boarding or refused entry to the UK. The headlines are frantic: “New passport rules set to affect more than one million Brits – who risk being banned from flig

The Liberal Democrats have urged Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood to delay new border controls that could prevent British dual nationals from entering the UK. From 25 February 2026, dual citizens must present a valid or expired British passport, or a £589 certificate of entitlement (which takes 8 weeks to obtain), or risk being denied boarding. Families report cancelled trips to see dying relatives and attend funerals, while others fear being stranded abroad. Commenting to The

The Home Office has opened a major consultation on plans to overhaul the UK settlement system—proposals that could reshape long-term migration routes, employer sponsorship strategies, and the expectations of anyone currently working toward Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR). These changes, set out in the policy paper   A Fairer Pathway to Settlemen t , are among the most far-reaching in years. In our latest episode of The Employment Law Podcast, our immigration partners, Alex F