Concerns have been raised over a sudden rise in Turkish nationals being denied indefinite leave to remain in the UK, with concerns over mistakes and former foreign secretary David Lammy saying the cases evoked memories of the Windrush scandal. Since the start of the year, the number of rejected applications from holders of European Community Association Agreement (ECAA) visas has soared, while successful grants have plummeted by 78% compared with the same period in 2025. The Home Office maintains that there has been no change to the rules, but critics point to basic errors in refusal letters and a harsher approach to applications lodged since September 2025.
The ECAA visa is a longstanding route to residency for Turkish nationals seeking to set up a business in the UK. Data from the Home Office shows that from January to June 2025, 3,378 ECAA applicants were granted settlement. For the same period in 2026, this fell to 745, a 78% drop. At the same time, the number of applications under administrative review, where the Home Office re-examines a refusal, jumped from 145 in 2025 to 395 between January and mid-August 2026.
Refusal letters have contained basic errors and made-up requirements. In one case, an applicant was told his window-cleaning business was not legitimate because he lacked a social media presence, a requirement that does not exist. In another, the Home Office incorrectly calculated the number of days an applicant was out of the country. Several applicants with compassionate circumstances, such as a woman whose application was refused after she began cancer treatment in Turkey following a diagnosis on a trip during the Covid-19 pandemic, when the NHS restricted such care, and a woman whose father has terminal Alzheimer’s, have been refused.
David Lammy, the MP for Tottenham, a constituency with a large Turkish-speaking population, said he had been contacted by constituents whose lives had been “devastated by what seems to be a sudden change in Home Office policy – people who have built their lives and families here and played by the rules”. He added: “I can’t help remembering the Windrush scandal when I hear these terrible stories. The Home Office needs to urgently revisit and consider the Lessons Learned review. This is entirely unacceptable. I would like to see justice for Britain’s Turkish-origin community.”
The rise in refusals appears to apply to applications lodged since September 2025, shortly before proposals for tougher conditions on leave to remain were announced by Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood at the Labour conference. Mahmood said at the time: “In solving this crisis, you may not always like what I do. We will have to question some of the assumptions and legal constraints that have lasted for a generation and more.”
A Home Office spokesperson said: “There has been no change to how ECAA settlement applications are considered. Every application continues to be considered on its individual circumstances, in line with the published rules and guidance.”
The Home Office’s approach has also been questioned in light of the independent review into the Windrush scandal, which recommended clearer guidance on the burden and standard of proof, increased direct contact with applicants, and revised criteria and processes for assessing cases involving vulnerable applicants, recommendations the then home secretary Priti Patel accepted.
Analysis
Why This Matters
- This story echoes the Windrush scandal, where long-term residents were wrongly denied rights, damaging trust in the immigration system.
- Hundreds of Turkish business owners and their families face removal, many after building successful lives in the UK for years.
- The discrepancy between the Home Office’s denial of a policy change and the sharp drop in approvals suggests a shift in how existing rules are applied, raising questions of transparency and fairness.
Background
The Windrush scandal, which came to light in 2018, involved the UK government wrongly detaining or deporting Commonwealth citizens who had lived legally in the UK for decades, often because they lacked official paperwork. An independent review made several recommendations to prevent a recurrence, including better communication and clearer guidance. The ECAA visa route was created under a 1963 agreement between the European Community and Turkey, and has been used by Turkish nationals to establish businesses in the UK.
Key Perspectives
Home Office: Says there has been no change to how ECAA settlement applications are considered, and each application is judged on its individual circumstances according to published rules and guidance.
David Lammy, former foreign secretary and Labour MP: Accuses the Home Office of an apparent sudden policy change that has devastated lives and draws direct parallels to the Windrush scandal, calling the situation unacceptable and demanding justice for the Turkish-origin community.
Lawyers and affected applicants: Report that the Home Office is making basic errors in refusal letters, applying non-existent requirements, and disregarding compassionate circumstances that were previously treated with discretion.
What to Watch
- The number of administrative reviews and whether the Home Office overturns refusals on review.
- Whether Shabana Mahmood or the Home Office issues further guidance or acknowledges any change in application of the rules.
- Political pressure from Labour MPs and community groups, potentially leading to a parliamentary inquiry or a review of the ECAA route.