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I am an adviser or lawyer and am seeking advice for someone I am helping

Check out our FAQs on EEA nationals' right to access benefits in the UK and the changes for A8 nationals from 1 May 2011.

The AIRE Centre is a specialist law centre.  We provide free legal advice and certain other legal services (including making benefits applications or applications to the UK Border Agency, or making applications to the European Court of Human Rights) on European law issues.  We have a very specialised knowledge on European law issues; usually our advice only relates to one aspect of a person's problem.  For that reason, we provide most of our advice on a second-tier basis, that is, to other advice agencies and lawyers who are assisting individuals.  For example, a homeless EU migrant might have problems showing that she has a right to reside, but will inevitably have other problems as well; we can provide written advice on the right-to-reside issue, and a homelessness charity can use that advice to advocate on her behalf and show that she meets the other criteria to get housing or homelessness assistance.  

We will provide free written legal advice to any charity/NGO that is advising an individual for free and to lawyers acting on a pro bono basis or who are receiving legal aid.  We  also work with advisers and other lawyers on casework, such as making applications to the UK Border Agency or to benefits offices, and with those who are taking appeals.

We have particular expertise on the following European law issues:

  • EU law on the free movement of persons, including the residence rights of EU migrant citizens and their family members and their right to access benefits;
  • EU asylum law; and
  • the European Convention on Human Rights (particularly issues related to migration).

We are currently running projects on domestic violence, human trafficking, EU migrants of minority race/ethnicity, and a project providing second-tier European law advice in London.  We would particularly encourage you to get in touch with us if you have cases falling in these categories and would like to discuss them with us.

If you want to get advice from us, you can email us at info@airecentre.org or call us, on Tuesdays and Thursdays between 2pm and 5pm on 0207 831 3850.  We generally will not give advice over the telephone; instead, we will take down your request for advice and get back to you.  We aim to respond to requests for advice within two to four weeks and can provide advice more quickly if necessary.