Ministry U-turn on immigration fees

The Ministry of Justice has dropped a 500% hike in immigration fees which it introduced last month, following opposition from lawyers.

In October, fees for appeals in the Immigration and Asylum Chamber of the First-tier Tribunal rose from £80 to £490 for a decision on papers, and from £140 to £800 for an oral hearing.

Last week, however, the MoJ said it was reversing the increase, with immediate effect. All those who have paid the new fee will be reimbursed. The MoJ said it will also review the role of fees in the Upper Tribunal and consult on new proposals for tribunal fees, including for immigration and asylum cases.

Justice minister Oliver Heald said: “We have listened to the representations that we received.”

Welcoming the announcement, Chantal-Aimée Doerries QC, Chairman of the Bar, said: “These fee increases risked seriously restricting access to justice.”

However, she added: “There is still a great deal to be done to address the problems caused by other recent increases in court and tribunal fees and charges. As the Justice Select Committee reported earlier this year, we have seen a drop of almost 70% in the number of cases brought before employment tribunals, but no real change in success rates.”