Kent faces one of the most acute shortages of free legal advice on immigration in the UK, and the county has been described as an “advice desert”.
In 2023–24, only 23% of people eligible for Legal Aid across Kent were able to access support, leaving over 7,000 without access to representation.
This includes nearly 500 unaccompanied asylum-seeking children, the highest number of any local authority in the country.
We provide free legal advice across Kent and the South East
We help people to settle in the UK and help to reunite families where a partner or a parent is abroad. We also help people who are already here and who are victims of violence and or exploitation.
We provide representation at all levels from First-tier Tribunal, Upper Tribunal and Court of Appeal
As the leading provider of free immigration advice in the South Ease, we
We advocate for fairer systems through
Ela had been experiencing domestic abuse and had separated from her husband, resulting in immigration issues, debt and potential homelessness.
Ela explained she had come to the UK on a dependent visa with her husband, and had since had 2 children born in the UK. Having experienced domestic abuse, she had separated from her husband, however with no income of her own and No Recourse to Public Funds (NRPF), she was in dire financial difficulty as her husband was giving no financial support to her or her young children. Her rent had not been paid since her husband left the property and she had paid no bills.
Ela is now receiving full support from our immigration caseworkers under Legal Aid. They are working with Ela to gather the necessary documentation needed to apply for leave to remain in the UK, which will in turn enable her to access welfare support for herself and her children. They are also supporting her to engage with Social Services and local council to access vital support services until this matter is resolved.
Our work makes a fundamental difference in our clients’ lives.
For example, some clients are excluded from mainstream society because of their immigration status. Their lack of rights makes them vulnerable to abuse an
d exploitation. A key feature of our work is to help them become a legal resident in the UK. This improves their ability to live, work, and access rights. It helps their ch
ren become British citizens and enjoy the rights and freedoms that go with that.
We help children whose parents are deemed illegal to settle safely in the UK so that the family can develop securely without fear of deportation and we support people to make decisions on whether they wish to migrate to the UK and when and how this is possible.