Case studies

DAS provides immigration advice to foreign national prisoners and detainees, and offer an in-depth, holistic casework service to clients held in sites it attends.

The case studies below illustrate the type of work that DAS advisers carry out.

Client A
Client A was seen during one of DAS' advice surgeries in prison. He wanted to go home quickly, but believed that his release date was a year away. During DAS’ meeting and interview with him, we realised that his Early Removal Scheme (ERS) date was either due or had already passed. We made enquiries with both the prison and with the Criminal Casework Directorate (CCD)/ERS office, and confirmed that his ERS date had passed and he had been overlooked. DAS liaised with the prison and also with Client A's caseworker at the CCD/ERS office so that he could be quickly removed.

Client B
We met Client B after he had finished serving his custodial sentence. He told us that he was being detained by the UK Border Agency. He was upset because it was his belief that UKBA had no interest in him, and he explained that he had been told that he would be released. He could not understand why he was being detained.

Following our discussion with him, with his permission, we checked through his records in the relevant department in the prison. In his file, we came across a letter from UKBA cancelling his IS91, the detention order. This had been overlooked. We alerted the prison to this letter from UKBA. The prison then made the necessary arrangements for Client B to be released.

Client C
Client C had lived in England for over 14 years illegally. She had spent a short time in prison for document fraud, during which she had first come into contact with DAS, and had been released. She had two children she had brought over from her country, who were now going to school in England and doing very well in their studies. After release, she contacted DAS again and told us that she had been told by UKBA to leave the UK with her children. The stress of the situation had now begun to have an impact on the children’s school work, and they had begun to underperform.

During one of our conversations with her, Client C mentioned that she had been with her current partner for over five years. She explained that they had a child together. She further explained that her current partner was British but could also possibly claim to be an EU citizen. We advised her about the law regarding EU citizens and their partners, and encouraged her to pursue the matter with her solicitor.

Client C's partner made inquiries with the relevant EU embassy and got the necessary documents to obtain the EU citizenship. She was eventually allowed to stay in England as a result, and is now legally living and working in England. Her children are continuing with their studies and doing very well.

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