Our new system is now open for referrals!
/ATLEU have now launched their online referral system to improve survivors’ access to free legal advice.
The system aims to make it easier for support providers or practitioners looking for representation for survivors of trafficking or slavery to find legal aid advisors.
The system is free to use and includes legal advisors from ATLEU and other organisations, with legal aid contracts for immigration, compensation, housing and support, and public law in England and Wales.
ATLEU aims to develop a better understanding of the availability of legal provision by geographical and legal practice. They will use the data gathered from the system to evidence their campaigning work around gaps in provision of legal advice to survivors.
Victoria Marks, Director, ATLEU:
The past year has seen the numbers of potential victims of trafficking identified in the UK rising from 6,993 in 2018 to 10,627 in 2019. This comes at a time when fewer lawyers are entering legal aid work because of the cuts in funding. We hope that our new system will help survivors to access the legal advice they need to rebuild their lives, and reveal the legal aid deserts where this help is difficult or impossible to find.
This new service follows the launch of ATHUB in 2017, a free, specialist online trafficking legal resource which aims to improve and increase the availability of legal advice for survivors. Both resources are generously funded by The Legal Education Foundation.