Legal Aid Scheme: Refugees

(asked on 2nd June 2020) - View Source

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to reintroduce legal aid for refugee family reunion cases.


Answered by
 Portrait
Lord Keen of Elie
This question was answered on 16th June 2020

Legal aid for refugee family reunion may be available under the Exceptional Case Funding (ECF) scheme, where failure to provide legal aid would mean there is a breach or a risk of breach of the individual’s human rights, and subject to means and merits tests.

Last year we amended the scope of legal aid so that separated migrant children are able to receive civil legal aid for applications by their family members and extended family members. This includes entry clearance, leave to enter, or leave to remain in the UK, made under the immigration rules or outside the rules on the basis of exceptional circumstances or compassionate and compelling circumstances.

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