Sonia L
@sonial77.bsky.social
Human rights lawyer. Migrant. Queer. Raspberry farmer. Personal account, obvs. She/her
Pinned
Sonia L
@sonial77.bsky.social
· Nov 13
My spirit animal joins us (and I am particularly feeling him this week)!
Reposted by Sonia L
The Telegraph had to correct its multiple lies about "illegal immigrants" in London at least three separate times.
It takes an obscene amount of hubris to lecture the BBC when you have The Telegraph’s record on truth-telling.
Some of the paper’s errors this year are so bad they’re almost laughable 👇🏻
Some of the paper’s errors this year are so bad they’re almost laughable 👇🏻
The Telegraph’s BBC hypocrisy
A paper that knows a thing or two about editorial f*ck-ups...
writesbright.substack.com
November 10, 2025 at 8:06 PM
The Telegraph had to correct its multiple lies about "illegal immigrants" in London at least three separate times.
The UK/France deal is as much of a deterrent as expected
November 10, 2025 at 8:07 PM
The UK/France deal is as much of a deterrent as expected
Reposted by Sonia L
this stuff matters in itself, of course, but also the TERF-Industrial complex won't ever stop. Each "win" is just the new base camp for the next battle.
Olympics organisers moving towards blanket ban on transgender women from women's sport
Olympics organisers moving towards blanket ban on transgender women from women's sport
The International Olympic Committee is moving towards a blanket ban on transgender women from women's sport, Sky News understands.
news.sky.com
November 10, 2025 at 1:12 PM
this stuff matters in itself, of course, but also the TERF-Industrial complex won't ever stop. Each "win" is just the new base camp for the next battle.
Reposted by Sonia L
Prescott also thinks there should be more push alerts about migrants! Nobody should be taking this list of far-right grievances seriously. It's just one guy's opinion
Institutional capture of the BBC: Michael Prescott former political editor of the Murdoch Sunday Times - so you can guess his politics - alleges the following. All the current far right obsessions in bullet points. Laughable and totally rancid
November 10, 2025 at 1:24 PM
Prescott also thinks there should be more push alerts about migrants! Nobody should be taking this list of far-right grievances seriously. It's just one guy's opinion
Reposted by Sonia L
Prescott's claims that the BBC has a pro-trans bias are even flimsier than you might imagine. He thinks all positive stories about trans people represent bias unless some ghoul from Sex Matters is invited to say that they are awful actually. Crackpot green-ink stuff
So the Telegraph’s “BBC bias dossier” - supposedly written by ex-BBC adviser Michael Prescott - is being used to claim there’s a rogue LGBT+ unit “censoring” gender-critical voices inside the BBC.
Let’s look at what’s actually in it. Spoiler: it’s nothing but recycled transphobic talking points!
🧵
Let’s look at what’s actually in it. Spoiler: it’s nothing but recycled transphobic talking points!
🧵
For reference - Here’s the Telegraph article with the Prescott memo complaining about the BBC published in FULL.
Obviously, it’s an archived link which circumvents their paywall - as there’s no way I’m gonna give that transphobic rag any clicks or coin! 😣
👉 archive.ph/mJIsB
Obviously, it’s an archived link which circumvents their paywall - as there’s no way I’m gonna give that transphobic rag any clicks or coin! 😣
👉 archive.ph/mJIsB
November 10, 2025 at 1:22 PM
Prescott's claims that the BBC has a pro-trans bias are even flimsier than you might imagine. He thinks all positive stories about trans people represent bias unless some ghoul from Sex Matters is invited to say that they are awful actually. Crackpot green-ink stuff
Reposted by Sonia L
Our #COI analysis challenges UK HomeOffice's assumptions on #Afghanistan (Fear of #Taliban V4.0/V5.0).
❌ Country information doesn't support that there're no risks to former government officials
📊 Reporting gaps matter
Download: asylos.org/afghanistan-...
#AfghanistanFearOfTaliban #COIAfghanistan
❌ Country information doesn't support that there're no risks to former government officials
📊 Reporting gaps matter
Download: asylos.org/afghanistan-...
#AfghanistanFearOfTaliban #COIAfghanistan
November 10, 2025 at 12:53 PM
Our #COI analysis challenges UK HomeOffice's assumptions on #Afghanistan (Fear of #Taliban V4.0/V5.0).
❌ Country information doesn't support that there're no risks to former government officials
📊 Reporting gaps matter
Download: asylos.org/afghanistan-...
#AfghanistanFearOfTaliban #COIAfghanistan
❌ Country information doesn't support that there're no risks to former government officials
📊 Reporting gaps matter
Download: asylos.org/afghanistan-...
#AfghanistanFearOfTaliban #COIAfghanistan
Reposted by Sonia L
Is AI making us stupider? Maybe, according to one of the world’s biggest AI companies. The study found people who had higher confidence in AI generally displayed less critical thinking.
theconversation.com/is-ai-making...
theconversation.com/is-ai-making...
Is AI making us stupider? Maybe, according to one of the world’s biggest AI companies
But there are easy steps everybody can take to strengthen their critical thinking skills.
theconversation.com
November 10, 2025 at 11:08 AM
Is AI making us stupider? Maybe, according to one of the world’s biggest AI companies. The study found people who had higher confidence in AI generally displayed less critical thinking.
theconversation.com/is-ai-making...
theconversation.com/is-ai-making...
Reposted by Sonia L
The Ministers and SCS responsible should resign or be sacked next week.
This is true maladminstration.
This is true maladminstration.
I’m old enough to remember when I got scolded on this here website by people who claimed a 3% false positive rate was good actually and well now it turns out to be an order of magnitude bigger! Still good guys?
HMRC trial of child benefit crackdown wrongly suspected fraud in 46% of cases
Exclusive: Almost half of families flagged as emigrants based on Home Office travel data were still living in UK
www.theguardian.com
November 9, 2025 at 12:33 PM
The Ministers and SCS responsible should resign or be sacked next week.
This is true maladminstration.
This is true maladminstration.
Reposted by Sonia L
Or to put it another way, both Nigel Farage and Zack Polanski will have reasons to celebrate if Labour introduce an ultra-hardline asylum policy modelled on an unpopular Danish government which is allied with the centre-right. Polanski will get more Lab recruits, and that increases Farage's lead.
November 8, 2025 at 2:24 PM
Or to put it another way, both Nigel Farage and Zack Polanski will have reasons to celebrate if Labour introduce an ultra-hardline asylum policy modelled on an unpopular Danish government which is allied with the centre-right. Polanski will get more Lab recruits, and that increases Farage's lead.
“These cases are damaging the reputation of the bar,” said Stephen Gillers, an ethics professor at New York University School of Law. “Lawyers everywhere should be ashamed of what members of their profession are doing.”
archive.ph/KpGhy
archive.ph/KpGhy
November 8, 2025 at 10:38 AM
“These cases are damaging the reputation of the bar,” said Stephen Gillers, an ethics professor at New York University School of Law. “Lawyers everywhere should be ashamed of what members of their profession are doing.”
archive.ph/KpGhy
archive.ph/KpGhy
Reposted by Sonia L
"Shabana Mahmood will model some of her new measures on the Danish system"
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
November 8, 2025 at 9:59 AM
"Shabana Mahmood will model some of her new measures on the Danish system"
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Reposted by Sonia L
What is it like to seek asylum as an #LGBTQI person in the UK? Our National Director and human rights activist Moud Goba talks about the realities of seeking asylum as a gay or trans person, from unsafe accommodation to queerphobia and racism and having to 'prove' your identity.
November 7, 2025 at 3:58 PM
What is it like to seek asylum as an #LGBTQI person in the UK? Our National Director and human rights activist Moud Goba talks about the realities of seeking asylum as a gay or trans person, from unsafe accommodation to queerphobia and racism and having to 'prove' your identity.
Would be interesting to know how this compares with other depts
November 7, 2025 at 1:58 PM
Would be interesting to know how this compares with other depts
Reposted by Sonia L
[opens customer support chat]
"this chat uses AI to solve your query. AI can make mistakes"
jesus christ i am going to set my computer on fire
"this chat uses AI to solve your query. AI can make mistakes"
jesus christ i am going to set my computer on fire
November 7, 2025 at 10:30 AM
[opens customer support chat]
"this chat uses AI to solve your query. AI can make mistakes"
jesus christ i am going to set my computer on fire
"this chat uses AI to solve your query. AI can make mistakes"
jesus christ i am going to set my computer on fire
Reposted by Sonia L
Yesterday I helped give a presentation on immigration law options to a room full of people trapped by the Health and Care Visa.
Promised work, paid £££, unable to work and can't find new sponsors.
This crisis i wrote a thread on 5 months ago isn't going away.
Promised work, paid £££, unable to work and can't find new sponsors.
This crisis i wrote a thread on 5 months ago isn't going away.
The debate around care visas in the political space boils down to people saying stuff like this - we desperately need people.
It's a good soundbite but...
A significant surge in care visas were issued since 2020 in response to sector demand and yet the problem of shortage has persisted.
Why?
It's a good soundbite but...
A significant surge in care visas were issued since 2020 in response to sector demand and yet the problem of shortage has persisted.
Why?
BREAKING: “We will be closing the care worker visa for overseas recruitment” - Home Secretary Yvette Cooper
Don’t we have a desperate shortage of care workers?
Don’t we have a desperate shortage of care workers?
November 7, 2025 at 7:53 AM
Yesterday I helped give a presentation on immigration law options to a room full of people trapped by the Health and Care Visa.
Promised work, paid £££, unable to work and can't find new sponsors.
This crisis i wrote a thread on 5 months ago isn't going away.
Promised work, paid £££, unable to work and can't find new sponsors.
This crisis i wrote a thread on 5 months ago isn't going away.
Reposted by Sonia L
Yes and yet several European countries are embracing a far-right worldview that would burn these policies to the ground, so let’s be not be smug or complacent here - particularly as Mamdani‘s pro-immigration stance is radical by European standards.
Europeans recognize Zohran Mamdani’s supposedly radical policies as ‘normal’ -- Critics of New York City’s mayor-elect have said his pledges of free bus service and universal childcare are unrealistic, but in Europe it’s a given www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
Europeans recognize Zohran Mamdani’s supposedly radical policies as ‘normal’
Critics of New York City’s mayor-elect have said his pledges of free bus service and universal childcare are unrealistic, but in Europe it’s a given
www.theguardian.com
November 7, 2025 at 6:44 AM
Yes and yet several European countries are embracing a far-right worldview that would burn these policies to the ground, so let’s be not be smug or complacent here - particularly as Mamdani‘s pro-immigration stance is radical by European standards.
Reposted by Sonia L
A group of immigration judges, who almost never speak to the press, describes the dismantling of our immigration court system from the inside. A powerful episode of This American Life.
www.thisamericanlife.org/868/the-hand...
www.thisamericanlife.org/868/the-hand...
The Hand That Rocks The Gavel - This American Life
A group of immigration judges, who almost never speak to the press, describes the dismantling of our immigration court system from the inside.
www.thisamericanlife.org
November 7, 2025 at 2:18 AM
A group of immigration judges, who almost never speak to the press, describes the dismantling of our immigration court system from the inside. A powerful episode of This American Life.
www.thisamericanlife.org/868/the-hand...
www.thisamericanlife.org/868/the-hand...
Reposted by Sonia L
"should women work" but it really means "should men have to ever answer to or even encounter women who are not their wives, offspring, and/or other servile figures"
November 6, 2025 at 2:35 PM
"should women work" but it really means "should men have to ever answer to or even encounter women who are not their wives, offspring, and/or other servile figures"
Reposted by Sonia L
This investigation from the @sheffieldtribune.bsky.social is absolutely staggering. It is very common in Sheffield (I live in this bit) to have a leasehold, often with hundreds of years left on and pennies in ground rent. This is extortion pure and simple. www.sheffieldtribune.co.uk/a-london-law...
A London lawyer bought hundreds of Sheffield freeholds. Then the ‘very aggressive’ letters arrived
Exclusive: The Tribune can reveal that Andrew Milne has threatened leaseholders with high court action. It ‘broke my heart’ one woman says
www.sheffieldtribune.co.uk
November 6, 2025 at 3:16 PM
This investigation from the @sheffieldtribune.bsky.social is absolutely staggering. It is very common in Sheffield (I live in this bit) to have a leasehold, often with hundreds of years left on and pennies in ground rent. This is extortion pure and simple. www.sheffieldtribune.co.uk/a-london-law...
Not sure this one really needed a whistleblower...
November 6, 2025 at 8:38 AM
Not sure this one really needed a whistleblower...
Reposted by Sonia L
Sheriff sentencing three cannabis gardeners at Hamilton Sheriff Court, "There was no coercion in this case but there was, undoubtedly, an element of compulsion at the hands of people who had power over you"
November 5, 2025 at 3:29 PM
Sheriff sentencing three cannabis gardeners at Hamilton Sheriff Court, "There was no coercion in this case but there was, undoubtedly, an element of compulsion at the hands of people who had power over you"
Reposted by Sonia L
Good question from @libdemdaisy.bsky.social on Syrians waiting for a settlement decision. They were paused last Dec, as were asylum claims. Asylum claims are being processed now but not those for ILR - the Home Office can't say how many are impacted questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-ques...
Written questions and answers - Written questions, answers and statements - UK Parliament
Information from UK Parliament on written questions & answers, written statements and daily reports.
questions-statements.parliament.uk
November 5, 2025 at 3:25 PM
Good question from @libdemdaisy.bsky.social on Syrians waiting for a settlement decision. They were paused last Dec, as were asylum claims. Asylum claims are being processed now but not those for ILR - the Home Office can't say how many are impacted questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-ques...