In a strongly-worded letter to UK Home Secretary Yvette Cooper, leading immigration lawyer Baron Chymaker has demanded urgent action to stop the Home Office’s “inhumane” treatment of migrant families, accusing the department of causing deaths through unfair policies.
Chymaker, a well-known advocate for migrants, criticized Home Office caseworkers for “intentionally causing emotional and physical harm” to families. He shared examples where mishandled visa applications led to severe mental health issues, including cases where pregnant women lost their babies.
“Home Office caseworkers aren’t just causing mental illness, their actions have resulted in lost pregnancies,” Chymaker wrote. “This isn’t just unfair—it’s cruel and degrading.”
The Human Cost of Bureaucracy
The letter highlights growing anger over the Home Office’s strict immigration rules, which critics say ignore human rights laws. Chymaker stressed that pregnant women, who should receive special care under UK law, are especially vulnerable under current policies.
The warning comes as the new Labour government faces pressure to fix the Home Office’s backlog of cases and outdated practices. Despite promises of reform, migrant families still risk being torn apart, with their right to live together “hanging by a thread.”
Broken Promises, Broken Families
While the Labour government didn’t create these rules, Chymaker accused them of failing to align Home Office actions with UK law. “Labour has always stood for fairness,” he said. “Why let policies split families apart, especially those helping our NHS and care sectors?”
He shared a heartbreaking story of a migrant couple who lost their unborn child after their visa was denied. “This isn’t just paperwork, it’s life and death,” he said.
Unequal Treatment and Broken Systems
Chymaker also slammed the Home Office for inconsistent decisions, where similar cases get opposite results. This unfairness, he warned, could break equality laws.
He criticized the Administrative Review process, a way to challenge visa refusals, as broken and hard to access for low-paid workers. “Why force people earning minimum wage into a complicated, costly process to fix Home Office errors?” he asked.
Worse, he claims the Review Department drags out decisions for up to a year, leaving families no time to appeal. He calls this delay tactic the “Administrative Review Trap.”
A Call for Immediate Action
Chymaker urged Cooper to order caseworkers to follow the law, show compassion, and stop treating families unfairly. “The law is clear. Courts are clear. The Home Office can’t act above the law,” he said.
As the UK relies on migrant workers to staff hospitals and care homes, Chymaker’s message is urgent: policies aren’t just about rules, they’re about real lives. And when the system fails, the consequences can be deadly.
