Migration 
Edition 3 of the Bevan Foundation’s new series of reports explores the levels of client care experienced by migrants seeking legal advice.
Part 3: Experiences of Justice series – Client Care (6 parts)
In this third edition of our six-part series reporting on our study of lived experiences at the heart of the immigration legal services crisis, we look in detail at the client care received by people accessing legal services for immigration and asylum cases in Wales.
In this edition, we look at how often people are updated by their legal representative on their cases, whether the legal process is explained, and how easy it is for them to communicate with their representative. The report explores whether people trust their advisor, if they are treated with compassion, and explores the factors which contribute to good quality client care.
Our study found that:
- 31% of the people we spoke to said that their overall experience with their solicitor or legal representative was bad.
- 35% of the people seeking sanctuary that we spoke to raised concerns about the availability of their legal representative or how they communicated with them.
- Quality of service was a major issue for many participants, with many recounting experiences of bad practice or mistreatment.
- Many people recounted being dropped by solicitors abruptly, sometimes after several months and without any action having been taken.
- 33% of people currently seeking sanctuary said that their solicitor had made a mistake with their legal case.
The following three editions in this series will be published throughout December. These will look at the themes: Rights, Interpreters, and Impacts. The full series is listed below. Links will be added as editions are published.
We have supported our Experts by Experience working group to review the research findings and develop their own recommendations for improving access to justice for people seeking sanctuary in Wales. Their report is published as Appendix A to this report.
We will hold a webinar to share the study’s findings on Wednesday 26th February 2025 at 13:00 – 13:45.
Other editions in this series:
| Edition | Title |
| Part 1 | Summary Report |
| Part 2 | Barriers to Access |
| Part 3 (this edition) | Client Care |
| Part 4 | Rights |
| Part 5 | Interpreters |
| Part 6 | Impacts |
| APPENDIX A | Recommendations of the Experts by Experience Working Group |
| APPENDIX B | Project Participants |
