'Help, pioneers needed' — Inside legal aid and immigration crisis in the north-east of Scotland

Tomás Pizarro-Escuti from the Grampian Regional Equality Council calls on migration law firms and solicitors to bring crucial services and support to Aberdeen’s international community.

Did you know that Aberdeen is the second-largest dispersal zone for asylum seekers and refugees in Scotland – second only to Glasgow and ahead of Edinburgh and Dundee? Yet there is not a single solicitor in the region who accepts legal aid for asylum and immigration cases.

This situation has created an overdependence on the legal services offered in the Central Belt at a great cost to clients. As a caseworker, I think it is vital to raise awareness of the situation facing of thousands of asylum seekers and refugees in North East Scotland. 

Since 2016, when Aberdeen became a refugee hub for Syrians, the number of New Scots has increased exponentially. The past three years have been most intense. This has led to a change in the demographics of North East Scotland. However, despite the high demand for legal services from migrants, this has not been reflected in an increased supply.

Victims of circumstance

The vast majority of people seeking asylum reside in temporary accommodations managed by contractors paid by the Home Office. Unfortunately, with shared bedrooms and no other space open to them, their places of residence often lack the facilities for them to speak privately to lawyers. This situation creates a dilemma: people must choose between enduring costly and often complex travel to reach a law firm or having remote consultations in shared rooms where confidentiality cannot be guaranteed. The result? Communication breakdowns, missed deadlines and a sense of injustice.

I often meet people who have never met their lawyers, were unprepared for their Home Office interviews and whose documents frequently go missing – some may even be minors whose age disputes have been ignored. Others have been reported as having English solicitors despite never having lived in England and residing in Scotland, a detail that understandably raises suspicion.

Lack of support

Not long ago, for example, Grampian Regional Equality Council’s (GREC) casework team supported a person seeking asylum who had a serious illness, mental health issues and was also illiterate. Despite being instructed weeks before the eviction, their lawyer missed the deadline to appeal, leaving the individual homeless and with no recourse to public funds. Scared, this person slipped off the radar and simply disappeared. The incident was linked to the solicitor’s inability to dedicate sufficient time to their client and an overreliance on translators.

I don’t blame asylum lawyers because they operate within a system overwhelmed by demand and undermined by a crumbling legal aid system. But if firms in the Central Belt are already stretched to their limits, wouldn’t it make sense to have at least one legal aid immigration solicitor based in Aberdeen?

Existing demand

In fact, it is not only people seeking asylum who need immigration lawyers, but also the thousands of international students and staff at Aberdeen’s universities, and workers in the oil and service industries. The scale of need is underscored by Aberdeen’s significant international population.

While data showed it was Scotland’s most international city per capita in 2018 (17% non-British nationals), the 2022 census confirms it remains a major hub, with 21.1% born outside the UK – now the second-highest proportion in Scotland (after Edinburgh’s 23.5%), surpassing Glasgow (19.1%) and Dundee (12.9%). It is worth mentioning that Aberdeen’s GDP per capita is 35% above the UK average, a success arguably attributable to our international community, so integral to the city’s economy.

The importance of connection

Remote consultations should not fully replace in-person meetings, especially when people have experienced deep trauma and need to feel genuine trust before sharing painful stories.  

This is an open invitation to establish migration firms in North East Scotland willing to undertake legal aid work. But we also strongly encourage solicitors in the Central Belt already serving clients in the North East to consider dedicating time for outreach sessions in Aberdeen; GREC is ready to facilitate a suitable space if needed.

Finally, to the larger firms that may already have migration solicitors operating in the North East, even if not currently on a legal aid basis, we extend a heartfelt invitation to contribute by taking on pro bono cases to help address this crisis.

Written by Tomás I Pizarro-Escuti, a law student who has completed his studies and is set to graduate in July. He works as a caseworker at the Grampian Regional Equality Council (GREC) and is also responsible for organising the Rights Reps Project in Aberdeen. This project, run by JustRight Scotland in partnership with GREC, aims to raise awareness of the legal rights of people seeking asylum, help identify potential human rights violations and provide a platform for peer-based support.