Under the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act, legal aid for non-asylum immigration claims made by lone migrant children and young people was axed in 2013.
This left young people struggling to pay for legal help with their immigration applications.
In a parliamentary statement, justice minister Lucy Frazer confirmed that she is to amend the act to ensure lone migrant children receive legal aid for non-asylum claims.
The government's U-turn follows a judicial review brought by The Children's Society into the legal aid restrictions unaccompanied children face.
Under the act, legal aid has only been available to lone migrant children in non-asylum cases though the Exceptional Case Funding (ECF) scheme. However, analysis by The Children's Society last year revealed that children struggle to access this fund.
Register Now to Continue Reading
Thank you for visiting Children & Young People Now and making use of our archive of more than 60,000 expert features, topics hubs, case studies and policy updates. Why not register today and enjoy the following great benefits:
What's Included
-
Free access to 4 subscriber-only articles per month
-
Email newsletter providing advice and guidance across the sector
Already have an account? Sign in here
