Home Office hires non-lawyers to argue asylum appeals amid soaring case backlog

With more than 90,000 asylum cases awaiting decision, the Home Office announced a recruitment campaign for presenting officers who lack formal legal credentials. Advertisements state that applicants must be capable of quickly acquiring a solid grasp of immigration law and applying it effectively, but no law degree or immigration-law experience is required. The policy arrives as almost two-thirds of asylum seekers who challenge refusals either win on appeal or have their cases reversed before a hearing, and legal-aid spending on immigration matters has risen sharply.

Opposition figures, including Chris Philp, argue the strategy guarantees losses against professional lawyers funded by taxpayers. The Home Office counters that the role’s specifications are standard across government, and that recruits undergo comprehensive training and strict assessments before representing the Home Secretary in tribunals, where independent judges decide outcomes. A former senior diplomat, Ameer Kotecha, criticised the approach as a "parable of broken Britain" and called for higher professional standards.