On March 14, the High Court suspended the Home Office’s removals policy, a system whereby migrants were given a “window” within which they could be removed from the UK without warning.
Removal window notices state that an individual can be removed at any time within a three month period. They do not give the person notice of a specific time at which they will be removed.
A case brought by the charity Medical Justice challenged the policy and was successful in obtaining interlocutory relief suspending the removal window system until a full hearing can be held. Because of the injunction, 69 people who were due to be removed using removal windows can no longer be removed immediately. They will instead have to be served with proper notice of removal directions.
Under an arrangement between the High Court and the Home Office, it was generally understood that people should be given 72 hours’ notice of a removal decision to give them the opportunity to challenge it, but in April 2015, the removal window policy was introduced, the effect of which was to force people to challenge immigration decisions at the time they were issued, rather than waiting until faced with immediate removal.
