Immigration and asylum – legal aid deserts
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21 Feb 2024
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Our immigration and asylum system can be extremely complex for those seeking sanctuary from persecution abroad or building a life in the UK. However, the lack of immigration and asylum legal aid providers across the country means many cannot access the help and support they need to navigate and understand the system.
We analysed data from the Legal Aid Agency directory of providers (October 2023) and the Office of National Statistics (2022) and found that in England and Wales:
- across England and Wales, 63% of the population do not have access to an immigration and asylum legal aid provider
- due to the Home Office’s dispersal policy, there can often be a mismatch between supply and demand, with those at need of support housed in areas without legal aid provision
Click on your local authority to find out how many immigration and asylum legal aid providers there are:
View the full map or compare with 2022
Find out how the civil legal aid review might impact immigration cases
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