Two new guidance documents - one for the public, one for professionals
The Bar Standards Board (BSB) last week published two new guidance documents on immigration and asylum legal issues.
A 10-page guidance document Need help with your immigration and asylum issues? What you need to know is intended for members of the public seeking legal help and can be read here.
The guide offers easy-to-read information on the different types of people and organisations that can assist with immigration and asylum issues, and looks at how to best choose a suitable provider. The guide also provides practical steps to take if something goes wrong, including who you should complain to.
The second guidance document is for professionals working with people with immigration and asylum issues and aims to help them better assist their clients to navigate the legal system. The 24-page guide is here.
Image credit: WikipediaIt covers the following:
• Who can help and how;
• The differences between providers;
• What a client should expect from their provider;
• Fees, legal aid and how clients can be charged;
• What a client should do if something goes wrong; and
• Where to signpost clients for information, advice and support.
Both documents were produced in collaboration with the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) and the Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner (OISC). The OISC noted in a press release that consumers of immigration and asylum legal services are often a particularly vulnerable group and may have limited knowledge of their rights, the law and legal process.
BSB Director of Strategy and Policy Ewen MacLeod said: "As a regulator working to protect the public within the legal and justice system, we have identified those with immigration issues as especially vulnerable. Following the publication of our Immigration Review last year, we decided that consumers would benefit from some more guidance in this area. We hope that by producing these documents, both professionals and clients can be more assured of what is expected from immigration service providers."