Labour pledges to end ‘rip off’ Home Office fees in immigration cases

Let Us Learn and Coram Children’s Legal Centre, working together on the ‘We Belong’ campaign, welcome today’s pledge from Labour to end the current ‘rip off’ of immigration application fees by reducing them to closer reflect the actual cost price of processing applications. As noted in the speech by Shadow Home Secretary Diane Abbott, many…




Separated children to be eligible for legal aid funding prior to LASPO amendment

The government has issued guidance for legal aid caseworkers confirming that those representing unaccompanied and separated children should apply for legal aid via the exceptional case funding scheme, prior to LASPO amendment. This was confirmed following the Ministry of Justice announcement to reinstate legal aid for unaccompanied and separated children with immigration matters last month,…



Separated migrant children to be granted legal aid following NGO campaigning

Coram Children’s Legal Centre welcomes today’s announcement from the Ministry of Justice that immigration matters for unaccompanied and separated children in care will be brought back into the scope of legal aid. We look forward to working with the Ministry of Justice to amend the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 (LASPO)…


New GLA guidance for young Londoners on securing rights to citizenship and residence

On 3 July 2018 the Greater London Assembly published new guidance aimed at helping young Londoners to secure their citizenship or immigration status. CCLC wholeheartedly welcomes the publication of this guidance by the GLA. Support from the Mayor of London for young people with insecure immigration status – young people Sadiq Khan called ‘London’s DREAMers’…



Considering the best interests of asylum-seeking children in the National Transfer Scheme

A recent report from the Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration looked at the Home Office’s handling of unaccompanied children seeking asylum, and gave particular focus to how the best interests of those children are upheld when they are transferred from one local authority area to another under the National Transfer Scheme (NTS). The…


Victory for victims of trafficking and modern slavery in legal aid dispute

UK government confirms legal aid available for victims of trafficking following court challenge Legal aid is vital for children and young people to realise their rights. However, legal aid was cut for a number of areas of law – the negative impact of which is explored in our recent report. One area where it was still available was for victims…