Charities and community groups providing free immigration advice could be charged fees from the government for the first time, putting the services under threat, Deidre Brock MP has said.
The Edinburgh North and Leith has written to the UK Government raising her concerns about the proposal to charge fees for regulation of the free services.
Currently providers of free immigration advice have their fees to the arms-length regulator, the Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner (OISC), waived, but under the Home Office proposals, they will have to pay an initial registration fee of up to £538 for their organisation, together with £520 for every adviser. A reduced annual fee would be paid for each year after that.
The proposal is included in a Home Office consultation on the fee structure of the OISC which runs until June.
Concerns that these costs will threaten the availability of free immigration advice services was flagged with Ms Brock by the Citizens Rights Project which has started a petition to the Home Office on the issue.
Ms Brock said: “It’s hard to believe the UK Government could make charities pay for giving free, reliable immigration advice to people who desperately need it. Accurate advice is essential to make sure the immigration system works fairly, efficiently and safely for everyone – the government should be boosting access to free support, not threatening it.
“I know from my work in Edinburgh North and Leith how big the unfilled need is for immigration advice. Many folk who turn up at my surgeries cannot afford hefty legal fees and don’t know where to turn to get some support with the labyrinth of regulations.
“If they can’t get regulated support, vulnerable people are more likely to seek advice from unscrupulous scammers giving bad advice, damaging their case, their finances and their lives in the UK.
“Recent changes to immigration rules suggest the UK Government are hellbent on making life as difficult as possible for people who just want to work hard and build a life here. They have raised the minimum wage a UK citizen must earn to settle with a spouse from overseas to £29,000, blocking many Scots from coming back from abroad with their families.
“They have increased the salary for a skilled worker visa to £38,700 – blocking even more talent from coming to our shores. They have stopped people working as carers from having the right to bring their partners – showing how little they value the lives of people doing essential work.”
“Now they are putting free immigration advice under threat for vulnerable people.
“If the UK Government insists on making the immigration system ever more complex, the least they can do is waive the fees for the charities and community groups who are helping people navigate their draconian system.
“I have written to the UK Government asking them for a rethink on this short-sighted proposal (letter below – Ed.)”.
Consultation on OISC fees:
Petition ‘Free Immigration Advice is Under Threat: