ILPA Removals, Detention and Offences Working Group
Survey / Call for Evidence on Legal Advice in IRCs
Dear Members,
ILPA is assisting Women for Refugee Women gather evidence from legal advisors on the DDA rota about how legal advice surgeries, and follow-up appointments once a person’s case has been taken on, have been operating in IRCs during the pandemic. In particular, they require evidence of any in-person legal advice at IRCs during the pandemic.
The background to this request is that Women for Refugee Women are concerned about the legal advice contingency arrangements, which will mean that legal advice surgeries will be delivered entirely remotely for at least the first six months, in the newly opened Derwentside IRC in County Durham where women from Yarl’s Wood IRC have begun to be moved.
If you are in a position to assist with this Call for Evidence, please send Gemma Lousley, Policy and Research Coordinator (Detention), at Women for Refugee Women (gemma@refugeewomen.co.uk) your responses to the below questions:
1. In broad terms, in 2021 (excluding periods of complete lockdown):
a. How often/in what proportion of cases, and in what circumstances, has your firm attended an IRC in person for initial surgery appointments?
b. How often/in what proportion of cases, and in what circumstances, has your firm attended an IRC in person for a follow-up appointment with a client? For example, it may be that in-person appointments occur where a client requests it and/or has been assessed as in need of an in-person appointment due to capacity issues, mental health issues and/or other forms of vulnerabilities?
2. In broad terms, in the next six months,
a. How often/in what proportion of cases, and in what circumstances, does your firm expect to attend an IRC in person for an initial surgery appointment?
b. How often/in what proportion of cases, and in what circumstances, does your firm expect to attend an IRC in person for a follow-up appointment with a client?
c. Does your firm have a plan in practice for in-person appointments for clients who (i) request it; or (ii) you assess as in need of an in-person assessment due to capacity issues, mental health issues and/or other forms of vulnerabilities?
3. In broad terms, how important do you consider the availability of in-person initial and/or follow-up appointments and why/in what kinds of cases?
Due to the urgency of the situation, a reply to the above questions is kindly requested by Friday 21 January 2022.
Many thanks,
ILPA
- Document Date
- Thursday January 6, 2022