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High & dry

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30 November 2012 / Piya Muqit
Issue: 7540 / Categories: Opinion , Legal aid focus , Human rights
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Survivors of torture will suffer further due to legal aid cuts, says Piya Muqit

The £350m cuts to legal aid, which are due to come into effect on 1 April 2013, will restrict access to justice for one of the most vulnerable groups of people in this country.

LASPO’s impact

Torture survivors seeking or granted refuge in the UK are already struggling to secure decent legal representation, and radical changes to the legal aid system following the passing of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 mean this situation will worsen considerably in 2013.

The Act will, with limited exceptions, remove or reduce legal aid funding for advice on immigration, welfare benefits, housing, family, debt, and employment, all of which affect Freedom from Torture’s clients.

While free advice and representation on asylum claims will still be available, we fear that the removal of legal aid for most immigration matters will be the last straw for many providers who are already struggling to sustain viable legal aid practices in the asylum

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