Immigration Consolidation

The Government has asked the Law Commission to pause the work to consolidate the primary legislation on immigration. 

The Windrush Lessons Learned Review, which was published in March 2020, drew attention to the complexity of immigration and nationality law and included this recommendation:

Reduce the complexity of immigration and nationality law, immigration rules and guidance

Recommendation 21 – Building on the Law Commission’s review of the Immigration Rules the Home Secretary should request that the Law Commission extend the remit of its simplification programme to include work to consolidate statute law. This will make sure the law is much more accessible for the public, enforcement officers, caseworkers, advisers, judges and Home Office policy makers.

Following publication of the review the Home Office and the Law Commission agreed that the Commission’s Parliamentary Counsel would begin work on a project to consolidate the primary legislation on immigration.

The project is being funded by the Home Office and work on it began in January 2022. It will involve the preparation of a draft consolidation Bill together with the necessary Tables of Origins and Destinations and notes that will be required by the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Consolidation &c Bills. If Law Commission recommendations or pre-consolidation amendments under the Nationality and Borders Act 2022 are required it will also involve preparation of those recommendations or amendments.