Thursday 08 September 2022

The police registration scheme was suspended on 4 August 2022.  

What was the police registration scheme?

The requirement for foreign nationals to register with the police was initially introduced in response to questions of national security at stake following World War II and amid the heightened security threat at the onset of the Cold War. The scheme sought to keep a close eye on foreign nationals in the UK.

Decades later, the police registration scheme’s most recent iteration has required certain foreign nationals with more than six months of UK immigration permission to register with the police within seven days of arrival to the UK or the date of their approval letter if already in the UK.

Failure to register or update personal details and address changes can result in a fine of up to £5,000 or imprisonment for up to six months. Furthermore, failure to meet the police registration requirement would constitute a breach of leave conditions, leading to the potential cancellation of an individual’s immigration permission.

Suspension of the Police Registration scheme

Last month, the Home Office circulated a public notice confirming there is no need for individuals to comply with the requirement to register. There is no need to retain a police registration certificate or present it as evidence in any future immigration application. Any existing immigration permission that includes reference to the condition will not need updating, and the requirement will not appear on any new grant of immigration permission. Any appointments already secured will be cancelled, but fees already paid will not be refunded.

A threat to public safety?

Media outlets quickly picked up on the story, raising concerns about public safety. However, in a communication briefing to stakeholders, the Home Office confirmed the information obtained by police registration is already available to them, stating:

‘…the police registration scheme in its current form is outdated and no longer provides any public protection benefit to either the Home Office or the police. The data a migrant provides to the police on registration is already captured by the Home Office at the visa application stage and is available to the police on request via Immigration Enforcement, so there is no need for it to be provided twice.’

In effect, this Home Office briefing assuaged any concerns regarding public safety.

In our experience, the police registration scheme had become unworkable, with clients facing an appointment backlog of more than 12 months. The suspension of the scheme is a welcome relief to our clients, anxious to comply with the conditions of their leave but unable to update the police due to poor appointment availability.

Suspended without notice 

Whilst the Home Office had made no public announcement of the change, it became apparent that caseworker guidance had been withdrawn, with a note confirming ‘Police registration is no longer required’, effective 4 August 2022’. As of the date of this article, the Home Office has not yet updated the Immigration Rules to reflect the scheme’s suspension. We anticipate this requirement to be removed from the Immigration Rules shortly.

Get in touch

To learn more about forthcoming changes to UK immigration law, see our website, contact your assigned LDI lawyer, or email enquiries@lauradevine.com.