ILPA, along with a number of other organisations in the migration sector, sent the below joint letter to the Legal Aid Agency, Ministry of Justice, and the Home Office, on 3 September 2025, collating early evidence, concerns, and practical issues regarding access to justice for individuals detained under the UK-France Agreement.
The letter makes two recommendations. First, it advises that each affected individual should be given an explanation of what is happening, not only in English but also in a language they can understand. In addition, translations of information about the UK-France Agreement and particularly the Notice of Intent, should be provided to all affected individuals. Second, it recommends that a single Government Department be designated to take responsibility for monitoring and ensuring access to justice in detention, both under this particular pilot and more generally. Further, the letter requests additional information on what measures are being taken to monitor the capacity of legal aid providers.
UPDATED 9 OCTOBER 2025: We received the below joint response from the Legal Aid Agency, Ministry of Justice, and the Home Office on 9 October 2025.
- Document Date
- Wednesday September 3, 2025