Free Webinar – Dangerous Journeys and the Good Character Test: The New Policy on Exclusion from Grants of British Citizenship

This webinar provided expert insight into the recent changes to the Good Character test, which came into effect on 10 February 2025, with a focus on the ‘dangerous journey’ exclusion. Our speakers explored the legal implications of these changes, including strategies for making representations and potential legal challenges.

Topics covered:

• Changes to the Good Character test and their application since 10 February 2025
• The scope of ‘dangerous journey’
• Making effective representations to avoid refusal of citizenship
• The implications for refugees and children
• Interaction with criminal law
• Equal treatment considerations
• Legal challenges

Speakers
Sonali Naik KC, Garden Court Chambers
Sonali Naik KC specialises in public law cases and in all aspects of immigration, asylum and nationality law and practice. She regularly advises on and acts in public law policy challenges and test cases in this field. She is representing UNHCR in a challenge to the refugee child family reunion policy in the Court of Appeal, listed for May 2025, and she acted in the successful ‘Rwanda’ litigation (AAA and others) in the Supreme Court. Sonali also acted in the leading case on internal relocation in the asylum context: AS (Afghanistan) v SSHD [2019] WLR 5345. In 2023, Sonali was listed in The Lawyer magazine’s Hot 100 list, which recognises excellence in the legal profession. She was also a recipient of a Highly Commended Award at The Lawyer Awards 2022 for a pro bono initiative to assist Afghan judges in securing UK visas.

Adrian Berry KC, Garden Court Chambers
Adrian’s practice spans a range of public law areas concerning nationality, immigration and mobility, human rights, international protection,  education, and social assistance. He is ranked Band 1 in Chambers & Partners and Tier 1 in Legal 500 2025 for Immigration Law. He is the co-author of the current 4^th edition of Fransman’s British Nationality Law. Adrian is a Patron of the Immigration Law Practitioner’s Association (ILPA), Convenor of its Legislation Working Group, and its former Chair. He was appointed King’s Counsel in March 2025.

Eva Doerr, Garden Court Chambers
Eva specialises in all areas of public and human rights law, with a focus on immigration and asylum law and challenges based on the Equality Act. Eva is a specialist in all areas of immigration law including family, asylum, deportation, detention, nationality and trafficking. She has experience in and a particular interest in complex Judicial Review challenges. Eva regularly appears before immigration tribunals and the Administrative Court and has particular expertise in retained EU law post-Brexit and refugee family reunions in Europe.