High Court hears challenge over legality of ‘no recourse to public funds’ policy

The High Court is today (6 May) hearing a challenge to the government’s ‘no recourse to public funds’ (NRPF) policy.

The claim against the Home Office is being brought by an eight-year-old British boy, supported by his mother.

The claimant is being supported by the Unity Project, a charity set up three years ago to support those facing destitution as a result of the policy.

Law firm Deighton Pierce Glynn is advising the claimant. Partner Adam Hundt, partner Ugo Hayter and trainee solicitor Althia Stephens have instructed Alex Goodman of Landmark Chambers on the claim.

The NRPF policy was introduced in 2012 as part of the ‘hostile environment’.

Deighton Pierce Glynn said a long-promised review of the policy by the Home Office published in April 2020 had “led to no significant changes”.

Adam Hundt said: “For too long the Home Office has avoided scrutiny of its policy by preventing cases from coming before the Court. We have shown the Home Office the grotesque suffering its policy causes, but it is now clear that they simply do not care about the lives they are destroying. We hope that the Court will now finally act to ensure no further families suffer in this way.”

Project 17, a charity which supports migrant families facing poverty, is intervening in the case, and is represented by Public Law Project.