It can be unnerving to become an asylum seeker. The constant threat of deportation can break down a person’s morale. What more if that person has no legal representation in that state he or she is in?

 

The sad reality of the situation is that this is common for asylum seekers. Many go without proper legal representation. The result is having unfair trials and having the asylum seeker deported.

 

Is there any solution to this? Can the U.S. legal system still change for the better? What is the benefit of having legal representation for asylum seekers? Find out more blow.

 

Bring the Act of Humanitarianism Back

Asylum refers to the act of humanitarianism. It is to help individuals who have fled from their homes to seek asylum in another country. One of the biggest reasons why a person seeks asylum is to find safety.

 

A lot of individuals go to the U.S. to seek asylum. The problem with this is that seeking asylum in the U.S. turns out to be very tedious work. The majority of the applications get denied. In 2019 alone, around 69% of these asylum requests faced denial.

 

This has been going for a long time, that immigrants feel something is changing. Immigrants have the right to counsel when it comes to the immigration court. But this doesn’t mean that everything goes well from there. Most are self-represented because they can’t find proper legal representation for themselves.

 

Immigrants are calling for proper representation as well as a fair trial.

 

Advantages of Legal Representation

Asylum seekers with legal representation fare better than their counterparts who are self-represented. About 33% of asylum seekers gained asylum with success. That is thanks to the legal representation that they have.

 

What are the downsides of self-representation?

 

• Only about 16% of unrepresented asylum seekers make it through the entire process.
• Self-represented asylum seekers are ford to stand trial with no prior legal training.
• The lack of immigrant representation in court shows a huge gap in the legal system.
• Deported asylum seekers face a lot of risks when deported back to their countries.
• Self-represented asylum seekers don’t know how to get documentation to protect themselves.

 

Can We Expect Changes to the Severe Under-Representation of Immigrants?

Change has been emerging. Lately, about 84% of asylum seekers gained representation. The increase of representation followed the increase of adjudicated asylum cases in 2019.

 

This is only one of the significant changes that could happen. The is plenty of work to do especially when it comes to represented asylum seekers in need. The goal is to provide free or low-cost legal representation to asylum seekers who need it most.

 

The U.S. legal system should consider immigrants finding it hard to hire expensive asylum attorneys and lawyers. This is because of restrictions. Once the system looks past these restrictions and offers proper help, the tables can turn.

 

There are plenty of asylum seekers that deserve a chance at court. All it takes is to allow them to find legal representation for themselves. There is much hope for things to get better in the future.