“Drop Your Plans”, says the Law Society

The Law Society of England and Wales has responded to the Home Office call for evidence on the proposed new Independent Appeals Body for immigration and asylum appeals.

No to Hassockfield  campaigners are only too aware of how indefinite detention can destroy lives and break up families.

Women incarcerated in Derwentside IRC  are ‘detained indefinitely’. They have no idea of when and how their ordeal will end. This suits the Home Office, since the chaotic state of the immigration  system wouldn’t allow for any other scenario.  And now, the Home Office’s plans for a new appeals body will only worsen the situation.

“Asylum and immigration reforms should focus on the Home Office getting decisions right first time,” said Law Society president Mark Evans.

“By replacing the experienced professional First-Tier Tribunal with a lay appeals body, with no indication of how it will be independent, the government would damage people’s right to a fair hearing. This is particularly concerning as the proposal is being led by the Home Office, a party to the appeals with a vested interest.

“The government should drop these plans. Instead, they should tackle the true causes of delay. This can be done by stabilising asylum policy, raising the quality of Home Office initial decisions, improving efficiency in the current tribunal system and funding legal aid properly.”

Clear evidence points to the need to significantly improve Home Office initial decisions. The Home Office’s own data shows that only 52% of decisions met its quality standard in 2023/24*. The National Audit Office reported that for the year ending May 2025, 42% of sampled Home Office asylum decisions had significant errors.** And in the year ending March 2025, 45% of asylum refusals reviewed by the First-Tier Tribunal were overturned.***

“Such major reforms require proper consultation and engagement,” added Mark Evans.

“A four-week consultation, over Easter, is unacceptable, even if extended in the eleventh hour by two weeks. Rushed decisions risk repeating mistakes or creating new ones entirely of the government’s own making. We call for a meaningful opportunity to engage with the government and a reasoned response to our concerns.”

Four ways to ensure detention in Derwentside is unnecessary

Stabilise asylum policy

Raise the quality of Home Office initial decisions

Improve efficiency in the current tribunal system

Fund legal aid properly.

Read more about the deplorable quality of asylum interviews here