Various academic lawyers from the UK and abroad, including Professor Helena Way, a migration law academic from the University of Exeter, have signed an open letter to Home Secretary Suella Braverman. The letter accuses the government of widely and consistently “attacking” immigration lawyers, particularly those representing clients seeking asylum.
The letter, which has over 100 signatories, articulates solidarity with immigration lawyers like Jacqueline McKenzie who have been subjected to public criticism and harassment due to negative media attention. Such attention, the letter stipulates, can give rise to misogynistic and racist threats.
The Immigration Law Practitioners’ Association (ILPA) has explored this disconcerting trend of attacks toward immigration lawyers, arguing for the legitimacy of their work, which has come under fire since mid-2020. Eloquent provocations from figures such as Prime Minister Boris Johnson and former Home Secretary Priti Patel have encouraged such attacks. They have disparagingly referred to lawyers as “left activists” and criticized the supposedly “indefensible” immigration appeals system.
The letter cites incidents where comments from influential figures like Johnson increased threats to lawyers—Johnson accused them of permitting the work of “criminal gangs” when they challenged his plan to deport migrants to Rwanda. Furthermore, current Prime Minister Rishi Sunak was mentioned for his broad-brush critique of migration lawyers, using the malpractice of three legal advisors as an occasion to label entire profession as “criminal gangs”, thus inciting further exploitation of the UK migration system.
The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) and ILPA, in the open letter, emphasized that any malpractice from migration lawyers should be handled by appropriate external bodies. They urged that neither the media nor members of the government should target individuals or condone generalized attacks on the profession.
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