cover image: Access to justice for immigration matters is severely restricted in Wales. With

Access to justice for immigration matters is severely restricted in Wales. With

11 Jul 2024

A conservative estimate calculates that in 2022 over 3,500 people in Wales presented with new immigration and asylum cases within the scope of legal aid.1 Based on an annual average of 1380 legal aid matter starts1 in Wales, the author, Dr Jo Wilding, calculated a Primary Legal Aid Deficit (cases clearly within scope but unable to find representation in Wales) of 2,226. [...] In the Refugee Action report cited above, its author Dr Jo Wilding estimated the numbers of urgent and pressing immigration cases in Wales that fall outside of the scope of legal aid to be just under 48,000. [...] Wilding in her report for the Welsh Government, this need is spread throughout Wales, whereas the limited immigration legal provision that exists in Wales is overwhelmingly concentrated in the South East, in recognised dispersal areas .2 The Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner regulates the provision of immigration advice in Wales. [...] The table overleaf shows the three OISC levels; a short summary of the work that the advisor can undertake (the precise scope of work varies between the Immigration and the Asylum Protection categories); and the providers in Wales operating under that accreditation. [...] Due to the lack of legal literacy and knowledge of rights amongst migrants and people seeking sanctuary, it is difficult for people to assess whether or not an advisor is genuine, leading to alarming reports of exploitation and damage to immigration cases as a result of using unqualified and unregulated advisors.

Authors

Elinor Mattey

Pages
5
Published in
United Kingdom

Table of Contents