What kind of immigration law updates and analysis does Free Movement publish?

Updated

Free Movement publishes news, commentary and case analysis on UK immigration, asylum and nationality law, plus a monthly roundup podcast and a training programme. It is useful if you want to track tribunal and court decisions as they happen and read explanation from people who practise in the field — less so if you need formal legal advice on your own case, which the site does not provide.

What the site covers

The content is organised around practice areas rather than a single feed. From the material on the site, the main strands are:

  • Asylum — including Upper Tribunal guidance on the standard of proof in asylum claims.
  • Human rights — for example, reporting on trafficking referral numbers and government responses.
  • Detention — including litigation over the separation of detained couples.
  • Procedure — such as the Administrative Court tightening its approach to urgent judicial review applications.
  • Cases — write-ups of decisions from the Upper Tribunal, High Court and other courts.

Each item is attributed to a named author and carries a date, so you can judge how current it is. Contributors include barristers and legal specialists; the site was founded in 2007 by Colin Yeo, a barrister, writer and consultant specialising in immigration law.

How the updates are delivered

Format What you get Best for
Articles and case notes Written analysis of a decision or development, with the case name and court identified Checking the reasoning behind a specific judgment
Podcast A monthly immigration roundup Catching up on several developments in one sitting
Webinars and workshops Live sessions on specific practice issues, with CPD hours stated Focused training on a single topic
Training courses Introductory and advanced programmes Structured study, including exam preparation

The roundup podcast is a practical way to keep pace if you do not read every article — it groups the month's developments rather than treating each in isolation.

Training, if that is what you need

The site runs two main course tiers, both priced from £600:

  • Introductory — aimed at people new to immigration law and at preparation for Immigration Advice Authority (formerly OISC) level 1 exams.
  • Advanced — for those moving to level 2.

Webinars and workshops start from £65. Individual sessions state their date, start time and CPD hours — for example, a webinar on exceptional circumstances in family-based immigration applications listed at 1.5 CPD hours. Courses are aimed at solicitors, barristers, IAA (formerly OISC) advisers and others across experience levels.

What it is not

Free Movement is a news, analysis and training site. It does not offer casework or advice on individual matters, and the articles describe decisions rather than telling you what to do about your own situation. If you need representation, the site also carries job adverts from firms — useful mainly as a signal of who is hiring in legal aid immigration work, not as a directory of advisers.

How to use it well

  • Follow the practice area you need rather than reading everything; asylum, detention and procedure move at different speeds.
  • Check the date and author before relying on an article — the law it describes may have moved on.
  • Read the case note alongside the case name so you can locate the judgment itself if you need the full reasoning.
  • Use the podcast for breadth, articles for depth — the roundup tells you what changed, the articles tell you why it matters.