Law firm offers help to refugees after collapse of IAS
A BLACK Country law firm has stepped in to help refugees stranded following the collapse of the Immigration Advisory Service.
The service was one of the UK’s largest immigration and refugee charities until it lapsed into administration earlier this month.
Talbots said the administration had left thousands of refugees without access to legal advice and representation.
The firm, which has offices in Wolverhampton, Kidderminster, Stourbridge, Dudley and Codsall, said it was gearing up its immigration services to help people affected by the situation.
The administration follows cuts to legal aid budgets as a result of the Government’s austerity measures.
The Legal Services Commission, which is responsible for funding legal aid, said: “Our priority is to work closely with IAS and the administrators to ensure clients of IAS continue to get the help they need, whilst safeguarding public money. We are now identifying alternative advice provision in the areas affected and arrangements for case transfer will follow as soon as possible.”
Steve Grosvenor, who heads the Immigration Department at the Talbots Group, said: “The loss of IAS is a sad reminder of the effect that legal aid cuts will have on clients and legal advice organisations alike, whether charities or solicitors.
“Individuals must now go through the arduous task of ringing around to find someone to take their case. The fact is that many organisations are likely to suffer as the IAS has. I am confident that the team at Talbots will be on hand to help anyone who has been affected by the loss of the IAS.”
The firm, which has 60 solicitors, said for those unable to pay it could offer publicly funded services through its Legal Advice Centre.
