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Community Legal Service (CLS)- Civil areas of work
- Immigration and asylum
- Immigration policy development
Immigration policy development
- Asylum Graduated Fee
- New Asylum Model
- New Asylum Model in Solihull
- Children and Advice at the Asylum Screening Unit
- Immigration Advice at the Police Station
- Immigration Advice in Immigration Removal Centres
Asylum Graduated Fee
We have published the final Immigration and Asylum Graduated Fee Scheme.
This fee scheme will apply to all immigration cases opened and the majority of asylum cases lodged with the Home Office on or after 1 October 2007.
Visit the CLS>Payrates and schemes page to read more.
New Asylum Model
Information on the New Asylum Model is on the Home Office website.
The LSC operates local rotas in Solihull, Liverpool, Leeds and Cardiff.
New Asylum Model in Solihull
The pilot began in November 2006 to provide initial legal advice and assistance to New Asylum Model (NAM) clients in the West Midlands.
The LSC, the Home Office and service providers were concerned that the refugee determination process is weighted against early resolution.
A significant proportion of asylum claims are refused at the initial stage but subsequently overturned by an Immigration Judge. This results in:
- increased and wasted expense
- distress and anguish for genuine refugees.
The LSC worked with the Home Office NAM Quality Team. Stakeholders were involved in the design of the pilot.
The LSC, Home Office, stakeholders and UNHCR will evaluate both quantitative and qualitative aspects of 'front loading' legal advice throughout the pilot.
Information on costs and quality will help the evaluation. The pilot is due to end in June 2007.
Legal representation for these applicants is exclusive to those firms awarded a contract schedule through a previous bid round. They are able to provide a higher level of service including funded attendance at the Home Office Interview.
There are some exceptions to the exclusivity rule: see rule 12.2.13 of the Immigration Specification.
Children and advice at the Asylum Screening Unit
The LSC is working closely with the Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Children (UASC) Reform Programme and stakeholders to work out how legal services should be provided to these clients.
The UASC Reform Programme consultation is on the Home Office website.
Immigration advice at the police station
This pilot was set up on 12 June 2006 to address an advice gap.
Individuals detained at the police stations often-faced difficulty in accessing civil immigration advice, particularly outside office hours and weekends.
The pilot has successfully provided telephone advice to clients 24/7. Going forward, the service will run from 7am to midnight. The scheme is designed to allow clients to:
- clarify their rights and legal position on their immigration status
- clarify any actions they may need to take
- understand what is likely to happen to them and, in some cases resolve the matter without the need for further representation.
The evaluation is under Documents.
Immigration advice in Immigration Removal Centres
We are running a scheme to provide independent immigation advice onsite in immigration removal centres (IRCs).
The surgeries operate one to three times a week and provide access to legal advice funded by legal aid. The surgeries operate at:
- Campsfield
- Colnbrook
- Dover
- Harmondsworth
- Lindholme
- Yarl’s Wood
- Tinsley.
Exclusive on-site arrangements continue to operate at Oakington Reception Centre.
The pilot has been evaluated. Visit the Payrates and schemes>Immigration & Asylum Graduated Fee Scheme page for a copy of the report.
We will be tendering in Summer 2007 to award contracts to organisations who can provide advice services to individuals held in IRCs.
From October 2007 advice services in IRCs will only be provided by organisations who have been awarded a specific contract to do so.
Exceptions to exclusive contracting provisions will be in the Immigration Specification.
Last updated: 19 November 2007