In the light of the recent deportation to Jamaica, this article looks at the provision for legal advice in detention centres. And finds it sorely lacking, speaking of “systemic failures”. For example, a survey by charity Bail for Immigration Detainees (BID) found that most detainees waited over a week to see an adviser on the rota in one of 40 half-hour slots per week. This often makes their services useless, as the Home Office offers only a 72-hour notice period before removal – one reason why challenges to deportation so often happen at the last minute.
This makes it all the more remarkable that last-minute legal interventions managed to get so many potential deportees off the flight as “brilliant, committed immigration lawyers worked hard to uphold their client’s rights, no matter how complex their case; fought tirelessly to ensure that everyone had access to justice, no matter who they are”.
Read the full article.
