BID and the Information Centre about Asylum and Refugees are working together on a survey on nationwide level of legal representation among detainees. Results are expected to be published in December 2010.
Anyone working with or supporting detainees is all too aware how difficult it is for them to get immigration advice once they are in detention, or to keep hold of an advisor if they are transferred to another removal centre. The closure of RMJ in June 2010 and the ongoing turmoil in the LSC tendering process for detention centre contracts has raised the problem to a new level.
Many detainees are now left without any legal representation to present their case in matters of asylum, deportation, bail and TA, and other immigration issues. Without representation detainees cannot be expected to know and understand their rights and options in these complex matters.
BID, with the help of the Information Centre about Asylum and Refugees, is currently carrying out a survey of the rate of legal representation among detainees across the entire detention estate. This survey will provide concrete evidence of the level of legal representation among detainees We plan to publish the results in December 2010.
