The situation for people seeking asylum in England and Wales has raised significant alarm. Cuts to legal aid in the early 2000s, coupled with substantial restrictions on legal aid provisions made in 2012 have made it extremely challenging for people seeking asylum to access legal aid.
In addition to the challenges encountered by the broad population of people seeking asylum, some LGBTQ+ people seeking asylum must prove their sexual orientation or gender identity after years of hiding in their countries of origin, while others may be out when applying for asylum but then feel the need to conceal to protect themselves from discrimination and violence by diaspora community members, faith-based groups, refugee organisations, and others when accessing essential services. Thus, it is crucial for LGBTQ+ people seeking asylum to receive quality legal guidance in a timely manner.
This article by Edward J. Alessi with support from Rainbow Migration finds that LGBTQ+ people seeking asylum in England and Wales may experience disproportionate risk due to recent cutbacks in legal aid services, including inconsistent standards for determining the credibility of asylum claims and the inability to obtain essential resources. Findings reveal that legal aid cuts contribute to structural violence against LGBTQ+ people seeking asylum by constraining the ability of solicitors to properly represent their asylum claims and thus prolonging the deleterious conditions faced by this population.
You can download the full article.