Immigration Advisory Service
The Immigration Advisory Service[1] is a private equity backed pheonix company borne from the ashes of a former charity. Based in Canary Wharf it does provide certain pro bono advice on Humanitarian Grounds although remains firmly a private company specialising in Australian & Canadian Immigration.
The former Immigration Advisory Service[2] was a UK organisation registered as a charity,[3] providing direct legal assistance to refugees, asylum seekers and others needing advice and guidance around British immigration law. Founded in 1993, it closed after going into administration on 8 July 2011. It was formed out of the former United Kingdom Immigrants Advisory Service. It was a national-wide charity with many offices throughout the UK. It derived its funding through donations as well as case funding from Legal Aid which was means tested.
The charity's acting Chief Executive was Margaret McKinlay who had replaced Keith Best following his move to the Medical Foundation for the Care of Victims of Torture. The Chair of the Trustees was John Scampion.
The Immigration Advisory Service was a member organisation of the European Council on Refugees and Exiles.
2008 was a particularly good year for the IAS. IAS lawyers succeeded in winning a number of high profile and far-reaching cases before the Asylum and Immigration Tribunal and higher courts including RN (Returnees) Zimbabwe CG [2008] UKAIT 00083, EB (Kosovo) v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2008] UKHL 41, and HH (Criminal record; deportation: "war zone") Iraq [2008] UKAIT 00051. Kalvir Kaur of the IAS won the 2008 Immigration Legal Aid Lawyer of the Year Award for her work with unaccompanied minors and victims of trafficking.
As of 8 July 2011 IAS went into administration,[4] blaming government changes to Legal Aid. The Legal Services Commission said "During recent stewardship activities the LSC raised concerns around financial management and claims irregularities, which prompted IAS trustees to conclude that the organisation was no longer financially viable".[5] Major changes in legal aid for refugees and asylum seekers were made in 2007[6] and 2010.[7]
References
- ^ "Immigration Advisory Service".
- ^ "Immigration Advisory Service". Immigration Advisory Service. Archived from the original on 2011-03-05.
- ^ "Immigration Advisory Service, registered charity no. 1033192". Charity Commission for England and Wales.
- ^ "Immigration Advisory Service (In Administration)". Compass Immigration Law. Retrieved 22 November 2012.
- ^ The Law Society Gazette, Immigration Advisory Service in administration
- ^ Legal Services Commission, Immigration and Asylum Graduated Fee Scheme
- ^ Legal Services Commission, Invitations to Tender for Immigration and Asylum Contracts from 2010
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