By Bail for Immigration Detainees -

The Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act (“LASPO”) took most immigration cases out of scope of legal aid. However, Exceptional Case Funding (“ECF”) was introduced as a ‘safety net’ for people whose cases fell out of the scope of legal aid but whose exclusion would result in breaches of their human rights. This report explored the hurdles of applying for ECF and then finding a legal aid lawyer for people facing deportation and those whose claims to remain in the UK were based on Article 8 (private & family life) of the Human Rights Act.

The Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act (“LASPO”) took most immigration cases out of scope of legal aid. However, Exceptional Case Funding (“ECF”) was introduced as a ‘safety net’ for people whose cases fell out of the scope of legal aid but whose exclusion would result in breaches of their human rights. This report explored the hurdles of applying for ECF and then finding a legal aid lawyer for people facing deportation and those whose claims to remain in the UK were based on Article 8 (private & family life) of the Human Rights Act.

London: BiD, 2025. 41p.