Immigration advice
Refugee Council response to the UK Border Agency Consultation Oversight of the Immigration Advice Sector [August 2009]
As part of the project to review all of the UK immigration law, known as the Simplification Project, the UKBA published a Consultation document in May 2009 seeking views on the future regulation of immigration advice.
The Refugee Council has significant concerns about the proposal that in future all organisations that provide immigration advice services, and hence are subject to regulation, will be required to pay a fee of several hundred pounds. Currently, organisations that do not charge for their advice services, in particular refugee community organisations (RCOs), have been exempt from any charges.
The Refugee Council is strongly opposed to this proposal. Most RCOs have little income and what they have tends to be earmarked for specific projects. We are concerned that the proposal to charge a fee for regulation will further undermine refugees’ access to advice.
The Refugee Council response in full can be downloaded below.
