Press release

Immigration advice

Law Centre (NI) launches multilingual poster and booklet

On Tuesday 19 April, Law Centre (NI) and the Chinese Welfare Association will launch a new multilingual poster and leaflet signposting new immigrants and asylum seekers to free and confidential advice.

The publications are for people who need immigration advice, so that they can find out at a glance, in their own language, where they can turn to. The languages used are Albanian, Arabic, Cantonese, Czech, Farsi, French, Hindi, Mandarin, Portuguese, Punjabi, Romanian, Russian, Spanish, Turkish, Urdu and English.

The leaflet and poster, published by Law Centre (NI), will be sent for display to airports, ferry terminals, main bus and train stations, in order to reach people as early as possible, at points of entry into Northern Ireland.

They will also be displayed in police detention suites and in Hydebank Wood Detention Centre and Belfast Prison where asylum seekers and other immigration detainees are still imprisoned. When they are detained, people are at their most vulnerable and most in need of good immigration advice. The poster and leaflet will be widely distributed through organisations representing ethnic minority communities and through the Law Centre membership of advice agencies, solicitors, trade unions, social workers, MLAs etc.

Anna Lo, Director of the Chinese Welfare Association, said: ‘We are delighted to be in partnership with Law Centre (NI) in the publication of this poster and leaflet. It is important that ethnic minority people, particularly new immigrants coming into the country, get good free advice in immigration issues.’

Les Allamby, Director of Law Centre (NI), added: ‘At a time when there are many myths and misconceptions about the issues of asylum and immigration, it is extremely important that asylum seekers get access to effective and impartial advice about their rights as quickly as possible. The leaflet and poster are designed to make sure that this happens and we are delighted to launch them and distribute them as widely as we can.’
 

Notes for editor

1. The launch will be held in the Training Room of Law Centre (NI) on Tuesday 19 April. Tea and coffee will be served at 10.30 am. Speeches will be at 11am.

2. Free immigration advice and representation is available from Law Centre (NI) and Chinese Welfare Association. A number of agencies in the voluntary sector also offer free advice.

3. Free advice and representation through legal aid can also be obtained from a few solicitors. A list can be obtained from the Law Society.

4. The production and distribution of the poster and leaflet were funded by Lloyds TSB Foundation for Northern Ireland and by the Community Foundation for Northern Ireland Social Justice Initiatives Fund.

5. Please note that Law Centre (NI), a voluntary organisation dedicated to assisting people on low incomes enforcing their social security, housing, employment, community care and immigration rights, is a separate organisation from the Law Society.