The good character requirement has been updated on 10th February 2025 to block some refugees from naturalising as British citizens if their entry to the UK was criminalised, i.e. they did not arrive with the required immigration documentation, such as a visa or electronic travel authorisation (ETA). This specifically applies to people who traveled to the UK via a ‘dangerous journey’, which would include, for example, crossing the Channel on a small boat, but not a commercial passenger aircraft.
These changes apply to anyone who applies for British citizenship as a refugee from 10th February 2025, regardless of how long ago they entered the UK in this manner.
It’s worth pointing out that it is not a blanket ban on citizenship for refugees who have arrived via irregular routes; it means that people ‘will normally’ be refused citizenship.
There are no changes for people who applied before 10th February 2025 and entered the UK without documentation: the guidance states that their application for naturalisation will be reviewed to assess whether the context of their migration journey should be disregarded for the purposes of the good character test.
Resource: Video
Following our online briefing on changes to the “Good Character Requirement” guidance, we have made the recording of our online briefing event available here.
Resource: Document
We are also working on a document that will collate the key information and questions raised during the briefing or that were sent ahead of the event. We will share this as soon as it is ready.
Our Previous Work on the “Good Character Requirement”
- Statement: citizenship deprivation + the “good character” requirement (31 July 2023)
- “Good character” requirements + “the public good” (13 December 2023)
- Refugees who made “dangerous journeys” could be blocked from UK citizenship (12 February 2025)