Hackney law centre will host chief executive of the Refugee Council at AGM on Monday

The chief executive of the Refugee Council will be speaking at the Hackney Community Law Centre AGM tonight.

The Law Centre in Lower Clapton Road, Clapton will be hosting Maurice Wren, and will discuss government legal aid cuts and the impact on its work with refugees and on immigration.

Centre chair Ian Rathbone said: “Our legal aid work with refugees and on immigration has been stopped by the vicious and unnecessary cuts to legal aid by the present government, leaving many such people helpless without any recourse to justice for their case.

“Typical of this is Syrian refugees which this Government refused to take at first. They are now admitting some but under very restricting rules - and refugees still need a lot of support and help which we can’t provide on legal aid anymore.

“Hackney Community Law Centre has always been at the forefront of such issues - we support the Hackney Migrant Centre and provide a legal service for them - and we intend to continue to campaign for justice for refugees who are often the innocent victims of someone else’s war. “

The AGM will take place at the meeting at the Salvation Army Centre, Lower Clapton Road, Clapton at 7pm. The centre’s annual report will be available at the meeting.