My new research report with @wearelapg.bsky.social shows legal aid practitioners spend a quarter of their working day, on average, on non-chargeable tasks essential to the running of their legal aid cases or contract: www.lawgazette.co.uk/news/legal-a...

Proud to have joined @legalactiongroup.bsky.social as a trustee. I was rather reluctant to leave my work on legal aid and access to justice, so am very grateful for this opportunity to keep fighting for this issue. Incidentally, will also be speaking at the next care act conference.

Shabana spewing the same exact, also racist, nonsense as Rishi just a few years back about their “hard working” parents who deserved to be in this country feels like rock bottom if there’s ever a bottom. I guess if you’re an international student / worker, time to start volunteering at the many

Right that’s it, end of my last official day at @migrantsorganise.bsky.social It was exactly 11 years ago to the month that I applied to be a mentor thinking this would be a cool side experience to put on my CV. I had just moved to the UK, so It’s really been a home away from home where I’ve

As annoyed as I am with commute this is so great. I don’t get the reaction of those earning similar or less saying drivers are unreasonable: if you do full time work and still can’t ever afford a house, then yes it is too low: and yes all most of us are paid too low - go on strike like them

Solidarity to anyone else spending the evening filling out family reunion forms 😪 should really be learning Arabic instead of French

Sent a rather angry email to a consultant who, after 2 months of chasing, refuses to provide a supporting letter on how the current accomodation is unsuitable. Said in one line to ask the GP, completely ignoring my explanation as to why that would not be as good.

Another day, another inane policy to tackle non-existent problem. There'll be an uproar in the sector, people's lives will be horribly affected, there'll be a court battle when in the end the Home Office will come up with enough vague "exceptional circumstances" tests that the court will eventually

I get so upset when someone who works in the sector talks about how they “accept” there’s a limit to how much legal aid can be increased / there’s no magic money tree. Why even get into that discussion?? The rate hasn’t been increased since 96, we are *so* far off from overfunding of legal aid

Very happy about this!! It’s been such a pleasure working with him for the past 2.5 years

Finally some movement! It’s nowhere enough but considering how we were talking about 15% uplift for nasty IMA work, for me this is good enough to keep fighting. If you are in the organising group we have the summit next week, 11 July, please let me know if you’d like to come! Let’s plan next steps

I know it’s not supposed to be about the money but seeing the DWP paying 20k+ in backdated payment to someone who really should’ve been granted PIP from the beginning just feels so satisfying… He’s also just the sweetest man with a new baby - so overall not bad timing to get a lump sum!

Really, eVisa is not acceptable as a valid ID and if someone fails to provide an acceptable ID AND one with signature not only will they be denied entry, they will forfeit thousands of pounds in fees @migrantsorganise.bsky.social we have refugee members planning to sit this exam.

Always a bit in two minds when the home office / DWP doesn’t show up during appeals. On the one hand, better for the case. On the other hand: their decisions caused so much pain, misery and problems for the individual and they can’t even bothered to appear to defend it??? 🤬🤬

📢Free online solidarity training ! In an increasingly hostile climate, we need public sector workers to stand up and speak out in solidarity with migrants! ✊🏽 Attend and share these free trainings coming up in May. ➡️ Sign up at www.sknb.org/suso

Everything you need to know about the trans Supreme Court case: What it said, what it didn't, and what happens next iandunt.substack.com/p/everything...

New work from the www.channelcrossings.org team! We have been gathering a dataset of contracts that the government has with private companies related to Channel crossings. We are calling this the ‘border economy’. We have identified over £3billion worth of contracts...

Good legal advice is vital for anyone navigating Britain's hostile immigration system. But after 30 years of government neglect the legal aid system is in crisis, and reliable, publicly-funded advice has become harder to find. Access our report here: www.migrantsorganise.org/new-report-t...

I’m very glad LALY award exists - so important to have a positive event / space for dedicated lawyers, but writing references is just such a task. And it seems to always coincide with chambers and partners (or something similar), research?

🚀NEW REPORT🚀 ❗This week we launched a new report highlighting how the crisis in legal aid is leaving people without good quality legal advice at a time when they need it most. ➡️ Access it here www.migrantsorganise.org/new-report-t...

Trusted legal advice is a lifeline. It's astounding that in 2024 a staggering 57% of people seeking asylum in the UK did not have access to legal aid. In the context of hostile immigration policies alongside austerity cuts to social welfare –  this is a recipe for poverty and pain. ⬇️

So incredibly happy someone I’ve been working with for the past 8 years is finally going to get refugee. She’s quite literally why the MMCA project started and I feel many positive changes have happened because of her, and now she herself will finally have access to the support & stability she needs

Reps who drop your clients case after refusal: can you at least lodge the friggin appeal??? It’s not that hard, takes maybe 30 mins, just put some generic grounds. I know there’s a crisis, etc. etc. etc. but there’s a 2 weeks deadline and least you can do at that point is lodge

⚡️Why we took action: After 30 years of neglect, the legal aid system is in crisis. We need more than sticking plaster solutions! The Government must go further and listen to people who have been left without access to justice. We demand a sustainable, well-funded legal aid system for all! ✊🏽

📣THIS WEEK on the #StandUpSpeakOut free online training series 📆 TOMORROW 12-1pm @right-to-remain.bsky.social Knowledge is Power: tinyurl.com/ycxbd5h7 - A basic overview of the asylum system & current law and practice - Intro to the RtR Toolkit - The difference between legal advice & legal support

One of the main challenges working with people who lack capacity in immigration is building the objective evidence - it’s easier if the person’s vulnerabilities are already well recognised / diagnosed, but what if they’ve been constantly disbelieved, w/o support, can’t even attend appointments?

How the f**k will that work? Will passing a magic law also magic up the lawyers, judges, hearing rooms and other resources needed to achieve this? FFS.

I actually really enjoy escalating eVisa issues now. You get a super engaged response very quickly from HO, and everything gets resolved immediately… if only the system is like this for everything

Next week is World Social Work Day & I'm delighted to be celebrating by helping to launch a series of meetings on how we stand up to the hostile environment in all our work with @migrantsorganise.bsky.social

🚀Update! We’ve had a phenomenal response to our #StandUpSpeakOut solidarity training series. 🔥With NEW sessions added, we've now got 24 info packed sessions; from organising on housing justice, resisting an immigration raid to legal aid 101 Check it out ➡️ www.sknb.org/take-action/suso/

Today someone im working with asked if his English teacher could write a supporting letter to support his case. I had to tell him - it depends - but his case is about how difficult it would be for him to go back home and adapt there, so something eg saying he’s a good student won’t be helpful

Please note: our services, including referrals to GMIAU, are always free of charge. Anyone charging a fee to help you access GMIAU services is a scammer.

We can't have money for the homeless. We can't have money to support disabled people. We can't have money to insulate homes. We can't have money to support grassroots communities or culture or the arts. Yet there's always lots and lots of money for the arms trade.

Can’t express how happy it makes me feel to see a grant of discretionary ILR. This is for someone who has been under SS support since 2003 and can’t regularise their status due to lack of capacity. Couldn’t find a rep so decided to do the application myself with NHS / social care evidence & internet

Isn’t this the entire premise of The Holidays. Jude law would still be an eligible widower if the Home Office had done their job

🔥 New sessions alert! 🔥 #StandUpSpeakOut is back with over 20 info packed sessions to build migrant solidarity. From narrative change to housing justice - join over 20 online sessions from march- June 2025. Full info and sign up ➡️ actionnetwork.org/event_campai... @socialworkerswb.bsky.social

Asylum legal aid in the South West: needs unmet? PLP's @josephsummers.bsky.social for @legalactiongroup.bsky.social on how the Government's offering of remote advice has created a capacity mirage in the South West, as PLP's research recently uncovered 👇 www.lag.org.uk/article/2164...

I really think arguments around CA need to be framed in a more nuanced way than the current ping pong between Home Office or Local Authorities. It doesn’t need to be one or another. I’ve got cases where a temporary hotel accommodation in practice was super suitable for a woman with very high

This week I feel like I’m reaching a point of thinking maybe we should just let everything fall apart. First it was positive decision leading to rampant homelessness. And then refusals without anyone to lodge appeals. And even if we lodge the appeals there’s still no one to actually do the work

🚀Stand Up, Speak Out! is back & we're on a mission to build new narratives of dignity and solidarity. Racist, hostile narratives on migration are emboldening the far right & bearing directly on our communities. It’s time to tell a different story. Join the launch: actionnetwork.org/events/suso2...

I just really hate giving one off immigration advice: “You should address the inconsistencies, get country expert reports and scarring report, explore if you’ve been trafficked” when the person can’t even speak English and has been trying for months to find a rep. And even if they manage to

LA is stopping the support of someone under CA and in the email to me and St Mungo’s ask “please can you continue to support with any other accommodation he may be able to access as he is no longer eligible for council support. It will also be *imperative* for you to continue to chase his legal team

Second day of 2025, first time being detained by immigration enforcement at Gare du Nord. Of course it happened during an incredibly busy day when Eurostar was already delaying trains to allow people to get in. France border was fine. Went to the UK border ready with my share code (and feeling

New bust card - HO will be introducing a 24/7 passenger helpline from 31 Dec onwards please help share! the3million.org.uk/sites/defaul...

The historic fee increase for immigration legal aid could not have come at a more vital time. PLP's new analysis of potential provider capacity has revealed shocking new depths of unmet need in south-west England, particularly for asylum appeals 👇 publiclawproject.org.uk/resources/im...

Just published:Public Law Project's brilliant new report on a research project monitoring real capacity for asylum legal aid providers to take on work remotely from South West advice desert. Spoiler: turns out there was v little real capacity, esp for appeals! publiclawproject.org.uk/content/uplo...

My brilliant colleague Frances has written this piece reflecting on the recent uplift for immigration legal aid and the work that everyone has been doing around this. I am probably much too optimistic but I really think it is important, for all of our own www.opendemocracy.net/en/20-millio...

Fantastic title by Diane. I am looking forward to telling our member that the minister essentially apologised to him and that something positive has come out of his distressing experience with the DWP www.theguardian.com/society/2024...

Big thank you to @briandikoff.bsky.social for this article on the new presidential guidance note on litigation friends and mental capacity. This is very much the product of Brian’s own work and wouldn’t have happened without him. freemovement.org.uk/new-presiden...