Thursday, Sep 10, 2026 The claims desk. Receipts included. POWERED BY LENZ ↗
IsThis

Home Office guidance says illegal entrants will normally be refused citizenship.

The Claim

The UK Home Office has updated its guidance so that some people who entered the United Kingdom illegally may be eligible to apply for British citizenship.

Verified by Lenz ·

The Short Version

The evidence shows the 2025 guidance change made citizenship harder, not easier, for people who entered the UK illegally. Official Home Office guidance says such applicants will normally be refused on good-character grounds. Although narrow exceptional cases may still exist, those do not show that the update created or expanded eligibility.

Caveats

  • “May be eligible to apply” is not the same as “likely to be granted”; the guidance says illegal entry will normally lead to refusal.
  • The phrase “updated its guidance so that” is misleading here because the documented change was restrictive, not permissive.
  • Rare exceptions or discretionary grants exist, but they are too narrow to describe the overall effect of the 2025 policy change.

The Receipts

  1. Good character requirement (accessible)

    GOV.UK

  2. Legal challenge to 'good character' citizenship policy set for High Court hearing in June 2025

    EIN (Electronic Immigration Network)

  3. Guide AN: Naturalisation booklet - the requirements and the process

    Home Office (assets.publishing.service.gov.uk)

  4. Changes to the Good Character Guidance for Nationality Applications

    Gryklaw (Grynberg & Partners)

  5. Naturalisation as a British citizen by discretion (accessible)

    GOV.UK

  6. Challenge to 'good character' citizenship guidance

    Wilson Solicitors

  7. Good Character Guidance for British Citizenship: 2025 Updates

    Richmond Chambers

  8. New change to Home Office policy permanently blocks refugees from citizenship

    We Wanted Workers (Substack)

  9. Applying for British citizenship

    Citizens Advice

  10. UK Citizenship Refusals: New Good Character Rules 2026

    YouTube (immigration lawyer explainer)

+ 2 more sources — see the full list on Lenz

Filed Under

British CitizenshipHome OfficeUnited Kingdom

More Fact Checks