1 June 2009
The Human Rights Department at law firm Leigh Day & Co has successfully represented a number of people seeking asylum in the UK who have been held illegally, abused in detention, received inadequate or denied medical care.
Solicitors in the team are disappointed to hear that the Refugee Council is to lose its Home Office funding to work with ‘age-disputed’ asylum seekers. The loss of this funding is likely to lead to more unaccompanied vulnerable children being incorrectly assessed as being over 18 and therefore at risk of being placed in detention centres or housed with unrelated adults, and without access to the education and care to which they are entitled.
Leigh Day cases
Immigration cases where we have acted include:
- Successfully representing a number of unaccompanied children seeking asylum in the UK who were detained by the Home Office in an adult detention facility, securing their release into the care of social services and obtaining compensation.
- Representing a mother and her five children who were subjected to verbal and physical abuse by the private security company used by the Home Office, despite the fact that some of the family members suffered from mental health problems.
- Successfully representing individuals who have been unlawfully detained in immigration detention centres and securing compensation for them.
Until now the Refugee Council has been able to help age-disputed asylum seekers by providing welfare solicitors, getting them referred for medical assessments, and lobbying on their behalf. It now seems that this safety-net will be withdrawn leaving vulnerable children exposed.
For more information please contact
Jamie Beagent on 020 7650 1200.
Information was correct at time of publishing. See terms and conditions for further details.
Information was correct at time of publishing. See terms and conditions for further details.