Community Legal Work

More than half of those seeking asylum in the UK are unable to access a legal aid lawyer.

This leaves people disempowered and facing complex legal systems without essential support. Through our community legal work we provide accurate legal information and help people to understand their rights so that they can take back the power over their own lives.

We work closely with community groups and other NGOs to provide one-to-one information sessions, group information sessions and self-help tools. We gather feedback from the community on their needs to inform our work and advocacy. 

We’ve built strong relationships with people who have recently arrived in the UK and with the UK Afghan community. We provide guidance on topics such as: 

• How the asylum system works and how to look for a legal aid lawyer; 
• How to fix errors made by the authorities during the screening interview; 
• How to prepare for the substantive asylum interview.

We also run specialist drop-in clinics, where our lawyers provide one-off advice on issues such as refugee family reunion.

Our community legal work drives our work to challenge injustice. We help to amplify the voices of those we work with and the communities we work with set our priorities for our legal casework. 

We also support frontline organisations to better respond to legal questions. Our team runs training sessions and monthly forums for legal workers and volunteers supporting people in tough, under-resourced contexts.

If you’re a grassroots organisation supporting people seeking asylum and would like to explore collaborating on legal information workshops or training, please contact casework.uk@refugeelegalsupport.org

If you're a legal practitioner and would like to volunteer your expertise, get in touch with us via casework.uk@refugeelegalsupport.org

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