IAS staff in Bristol were informed by cleaners in their building that
bailiffs had been in on Friday. Without warning they have closed, more
than 650 active cases, (asylum, human rights, domestic violence) in
Bristol alone, with thousands accross UK.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-14105065
Bristol Refugee Rights manager Caroline Beatty said,
“Even if the contract currently held by IAS is made available to another
provider, there will be a gap in service with disastrous impact on clients
and their cases, and the loss of expertise held by the current staff at
IAS would be immeasurable. If however, this enormously important
resource is not replaced at all, it will make a fiasco of the UK asylum
system. Already it is extremely difficult for asylum claimants to find
representation at all stages of their claim; without representation
claimants have almost no chance of the positive decision they can hope for
when the case is properly constructed, and which they so desperately need.”
Letters of support of service to MPs have been requested, more info when
there is any.