Features

Legal Update: Crisis in asylum law

3 mins read Legal
Review of civil legal aid shows impact of immigration system changes, says Coram’s Nikki Clarke.
Capacity in the legal aid sector is at breaking point. Picture: kerkezz/Adobe Stock
Capacity in the legal aid sector is at breaking point. Picture: kerkezz/Adobe Stock

Following huge cuts to civil legal aid over a decade ago, children going through care proceedings, SEND education issues or asylum claims remain entitled to legal aid. But there are critical problems with the legal aid system that are worsening access to justice issues for children and families. Children’s services departments are increasingly shouldering the burden of the issues caused by poor provision, delay and the rapidly decreasing supply of solicitors for children.

Nowhere is this more evident than in immigration and asylum law. Although asylum and trafficking have always been in scope for legal aid, and all other immigration and nationality matters specifically relating to separated children were brought back into scope in October 2019, social work professionals are increasingly on the front line of a crisis of provision and are helpless to act in the face of the damage caused to children and young people in their care.

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