REGISTERED COMPANY NUMBER: 05447875 (England and Wales) REGISTERED CHAIRYT NUMBER: 1112026 Charlered Accountants Report of the Trustees and Financlal Statements for the Year Ended 31 March 2024 For Asylum Justlce Ro¢kn W￿uSe Gieenwcx)U Close Coiaitt Gole 8uwrw Pork Coidill CF23 8AA •ADIOAD8B* 2011212024 COMPANIES HOUSE #24 fte9￿ tocuryoncuOl*rt In Ihg irK (x¢ i￿0 BPU Limited Chartered Accountants Radnor House Greenwood Close Cardiff Gate Business Park Cardiff lh• Inthhrt• ol ChonWedk¢￿I￿4 bputhrteréd *Lcountcrd5 oID*o wmect BPU Lld CamkK¥W 37?3948 Iswofflce¢bx. business potentlal unleoshed Asylum Justice Contents of the Financlal Statements for the Year Ended 31 March 2024 Page Report of the Trustees 1 to 13 Independent Examiner's Report 14 Statement of Financial Activitles 15 Balance Sheet 16 to 17 Cash Flow Statement 18 Notes to the Cash Flow Statement 19 Notes to the Flnanclal Statements 20 to 31 Detailed Ststement of Financial Activities 32 to 33 Asylum Justice Report of the Trustees for the Year Ended 31 March 2024 ASYLUM JUSTICE The trustees who are also directors of the charity for the purposes of the Companies Act 2006, present their report with the financial statements of the charity for the year ended 31 March 2024. The trustees have adopted the provisions of Accounting and Reporting by Charities.. Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) (effective 1 January 2019). The charity remains a going concem. The reasons are set out in the report below, OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES Asylum Justice is the only charitable organisation in Wales - considered as a legal aid desert with an ever-shrinking immigration sector which offers free, specialist (OISC Level 3) immigration advice and representation to asylum seekers, recognised refugees, and vulnerable migrants up to and including court level. In broad terms we work with those who have made a request for protection in the UK which may be considered under the UN Refugee Convention 1951 or under the European Convention on Human Rights 1950. We provide legal advice and representation when someone cannot access legal aid because it has been withdrawn or their immigration matter is 'out of scope, of legal aid. No other organisation provides this seNice in Wales and consequently Asylum Justice is the last place that people can turn to for help in their asylum or immigration case. Where we succeed in securing status or reuniting a family, it is a vital step in ensuring meaningful socio-economic inclusion for some of the most vulnerable individuals in Wales. Wider outcomes include reducing pressure on statutory and third sector agencies. particularly when destitute individuals gain access to social and legal protections. The value of our unique service Gannot be stressed enough. Our specific casework objectives can be broadly summarised as: To assist asylum seekers and other vulnerable migrants in securing and maintaining legal recognition, thereby alleviating destitution and exclusion amongst this client group., To keep families living in the UK together through making initial and further leave applications; To reunite refugee families in Wales by representing them in family reunion applications. Asylum Justice Report of the Trustees for the Year Ended 31 March 2024 Since 2013, we have primarily focused our limited resources on delivering high-quality legal advice and representation senlices. Our wider charity objectives expanded slightly in the last three years to include taking steps to participate further in Welsh and UK-wide advocacy trying to address the systemic problems in the asylum and immigration systems which give rise to the need for the services which Asylum Justice provides" as well as beginning lo train up new immigration advisers to assure a future supply to the organisation. Asylum Justice Memorandum and Articles of Association - Objectives (extract) 'The relief of poverty, in particular but not exclusively, for persons including but not limited to asylum seekers and refugees who have at any stage raised arguments under the 1951 UN Convention relating to the Status of Refugees or the European Convention of Human Rights or The Human Rights AGt 1998 to the Secretary of State for the Home Department or the First-Tier and Upper Tribunal of the Immigration and Asylum Chamber or in any other legal proceedings,. and To provide legal advice, assistance 8nd ￿presentatIOn in relation to persons including but not limiled to asylum seekers who by reason of their inadequate means are un8ble to obtain such advice and representation from their own resources and who, in particular but not exclusively, have at any stage raised arguments under the 1951 United Nations Refugee Convention or the European Convention of Human Rights or The Human Rights Act 1998 to the Secret8ry of State for the Home Department or the First-Tier and Upp8r Tribunal of the Immigr8tion and Asylum Chamber or any other leg81 proceedings., PUBLIC BENEFIT The Trustees have paid due regard to Charity Commission guidance in planning and managing the activities and work of the organisation for public benefit. ACHIEVEMENTS AND PERFORMANCE SÈ st Please note st8tistics cover the reporting period (1 Apnl 2023 - 31 March 2024) for this annual report. Appeals 57 0/0 success rate for appeals (2023) With a shortage of legal aid solicitors in Wales, a shrinking sector, and stringent merits tests, there continues to be large numbers of clients denied access to justice. The extent of this is highlighted in Jo Wilding's 2022 report, 'No Access to Justice.. How Legal Advice Deserts Fail Refugees, Migrants & Our Communities. (2022),. We take on the appeals of asylum seekers denied legal aid on the grounds that solicitors considered their case too 'weak' to win on appeal. As such, we act in appeal cases deemed complex and unlikely to succeed. Despite this, in 2023 we won 57 % of these appeals, 2. This demonstrates both the importance of representation at appeal stage, and the high-quality legal support delivered by Asylum Justice. Wilding J. (May 2022) No Access to Justlce: How Legal Advice Deserts Fail Refugees, Migrants, and Our Communltles. www.r UK Government. There are no available statistics to provide a comparison between Asylum Justice and the national success rate due to an upgrading in the UK casework system figures available are up to March 2023 where the success rate nationally was 490/0 for first quarter of 2023 National statistics: How many people do we grant protection to? Accessed 01. 11.24 at: Elo￿ll eo ledowe otection to? _ GOV.UK ov.uk Asylum Justice Report of the Trustees for the Year Ended 31 March 2024 This area of work usually requires very quick action. This is because clients who have had legal representation withdrawn by their previous legal aid solicitor will have a very short timescale in which to lodge an appeal and, once the appeal is lodged, an initial court hearing can be listed for less than a month later. Clients at this stage of the asylum process are also on the verge of becoming destitute, as Home Office support and accommodation are withdrawn if no appeal is lodged or, indeed, if an appeal is dismissed after a hearing in which the client was unrepresented. First-tier Tribunal Appeals We submitted 2 applications for Permission to Appeal to the First-tier Tribunal and have represented 24 applicants at First-tier Tribunal Appeals. Upper Tribunal Appeals Asylum Justice made 11 'permission to appeal, applications to the Upper Tribunal during this reporting period. Decision responses on permission to appeal applications has were subject to delay in 2023, In this reporting period, we represented 3 clients at an Upper Tribunal appeal hearing. Fresh Claims 200/0 success rate (2022) for fresh claims submitted,. 500/0 refused submissions granted right of appeal. In 2023, we submitted 14 fresh claims for refused asylum seekers who had exhausted all appeal rights. Asylum seekers who have exhausted all appeal rights sometimes have fresh grounds or compelling new evidence with which they can make further submissions to the Home Office in support of their previous asylum claim. Sorne simply never had their claim fully considered the first time around due to poor quality legal representation or an appeal not being lodged in time. Most notably, 500/0 of the further submissions (i.e., fresh claims) made by Asylum Justice were granted a right of appeal in 2022. 5 Fresh claim appeals were heard and 4 fresh claims were granted permission to apply to the Upper Tribunal. This demonstrates the high quality of submissions made, as the overwhelming majority of fresh asylum claims are not granted a right of appeal when refused by the Home Office. The right to have your case heard by an immigration judge dramatically improves an applicant's overall chances of succeeding with a fresh clairn. Many of these clients will be completely destitute, having spent years in enforced poverty and homelessness in the UK due to their lack of legal status. For most, returning home is not an option due to continued fears for their safety. When a fresh claim is successful, it transforms a client's situation immediately, by granting them legal status and associated rights such as the opportunity to work andlor claim benefits. It will also create the right to apply for refugee family reunion, thereby allowing them to recover from recent traumatic experiences and fully integrate into Welsh society. From June 2024, a new Pro Bono Project in collaboration with the Cardiff University School of Law and Politics, funded by the Welsh Government, will focus on clients with fresh clams and so increase our capacity to advise and represent these clients. Asylum Justlce Report of the Trustees for the Year Ended 31 March 2024 Family Reunion 570/0 successful Family Reunion applications (2022) We submitted 2 family reunion applications and 11 Family Reunion Appeals, 10 in the First Tier Tribunal and 1 in the Upper Tribunal. Despite being a fundamental human right, this is an area of law without access to legal aid provision. Without representation, many refugee families remain separated, which impacts significantly on the sponsor's ability to recover and integrate into the host community, whilst relatives remain in often dangerous environments, such as war zones or refugee camps. There have been continuing delays for applications being considered by the Home Office in 2023. This has left some clients waiting many months, or even over a year, for a decision on their family reunion case. Leave and Natlonality Applications 91 /0 successful leave. further leave, settlement, and naturalisation applications (2023) We assist vulnerable migrants, many of whom are failed asylum seekers, to make applications for leave to remain in the UK based on their private and family life. Many of these clients may be part of established Welsh families, with a child or partner who is either a British citizen or legally settled here. Many of those with leave to remain in the UK on grounds of their family and private life are required to make four separate paid applications over a ten-year period before being able to apply for legal settlement. To find thousands of pounds every few years for application and solicitor's fees is beyond the reach of most. If no extension application is made before an applicant's current leave to remain expires, they will become 'overstayers' ovemight, thereby losing the right to work or access to public funds. They also face the risk of detention and forced removal, separating them from their.loved ones. This year we submitted 10 leave applications and 9 settlement applications (1 of which was a Domestic Violence Settlement application), with accompanying fee waivers applications where relevant (12 in total). We also submitted 3 naturalisation applications. Liftlng the No Recourse to Public Funds (NRPF) Condition In 2023 we made 2 applications to lift the no recourse to public funds (NRPF) condition attached to clients, existing leave to remain. This enables vulnerable clients on the verge of destitution to claim benefits where they are eligible. We also made 2 successful applications conceming NASS (National Asylum Support Service) to provide accommodation and financial support to eligible asylum seekers who would otherwise be destitute. Strategic Litigation Pre-AGtion Protocols for further accommodation and support issues We submitted 3 pre-action protocol letters to initiate judicial review proceedings of which two were Suc￿sSfUl. Asylum Justice Report of the Trustees for the Year Ended 31 March 2024 Referrals to Legal Aid Providers As we do not use legal aid to fund our casework, we refer out clients who are eligible for legal aid to local immigration and asylum solicitors. This has ensured our casework resources could be focused on clients with no access to legal aid. In this reporting period, we referred at least 32 clients to legal aid advisers, demonstrating the vital role Asylum Justice plays in securing representation for clients whom we do not directly represent. Initial Asylum Claims 82/0 success rate for intial asylum Claims (2023) However, Sin￿ 2022 when a number of providers in Wales closed their legal aid departments, the legal aid system in Wales has come near to collapse, in a region already describe as a legal aid desert. The remaining providers have been left working at full capacity, with delays in offering appointments, and in some cases unable to take on any new cases at all. This has led to initial asylum claimants and even unaccompanied asylum-seeking children (UASC cases) being unable to access a legal aid solicitor. This has meant Asylum Justice is now taking clients who should in theory have access to a Legal Aid solicitor. This has meant we have had to consider how to prioritise our work in a way not envisaged before 2022. In 2023. we had 39 clients with initial asylum claims with an 82% success rate, higher than the national average of 62%. We also began to support unaccompanied asylum-seeking children (UASC Gases) during the reporting period in partnership with local authorities. (No separate UASC figures available for this period but data will be available in the next reporting period as we formalise referrals from local authorities.) Advice-only Clients Our caseworkers provided one-off legal advice to 30 clients. 'Advice-only' statistics do not include clients who subsequently progress onto our waiting list for substantive casework to be undertaken on their behalf. Most clients progress on to our waiting list. a5 there is no other appropriately accredited organisation to which we can refer them to access the legal representation they need. Where an enquiry falls outside the scope of our work or the individual lives outside of Wales, our Client Liaison team plays a crucial role in responding and signposting to more appropriate services where possible. In total, we received 679 enquiries during this reporting period. This covers those who were taken on for substantive representation (or added to the waiting list where necessary), given one-off advice, referred to a legal aid provider, signposted to other organisations and those whose matters fell out of our scope. This is significantly more than the 380 enquiries we had in 2022, illustrating the issues outlined above and the strain put on our service over the period. 3 Wllding J. (May 2022) No Access to Justice: How Legal Advice Deserts Fail Refugees, Migrants, and Our Communities. See vlous- htt ov.u rnm nt tistical-data-sets A￿￿bleS (accessed 3rd December 2024) as lum- -resettlement-summa Asylum Justice Report of the Trustees for the Year Ended 31 March 2024 10. Ukraine Project Cymru Extra funding was provided in September 2022 by the Welsh Govemment via the Wales Sanctuary Service to support Ukrainian refugees in Wales. The funding provided to Asylum Justice has been used in collaboration with Cardiff School of Law and Politics, Cardiff University to provide free Legal Advice to Ukrainian Refugees through the Ukraine Project Cymru. The Project has been led by Jennifer Morgan, a lecturer in law and a qualified immigration advisor, along with administrative support and a number of students. The Project is based in the Pro Bono Unit in Cardiff School of Law and Politics and was nominated for an award at the Lawworks Pro Bono Awards 2023 and won the Cardiff and District Law Society best access to Justice Initiative (Pro Bono) Award 2023. The Funding was extended for the year April 2023 - March 2024. This project has now come to an end. However, the Welsh Government has agreed to fund a new scheme outside of the Wales Sanctuary Service. The new Pro Bono Scheme will target those who are seeking to make a fresh Claim for Asylum. Service Delive Our service can be accessed via an online referral form, a support line or via numerous third sector and statutory services, referral partnerships. Most significantly, in 2023 we were part of the Wales Sanctuary Seniices - a contract for a consortium (this includes Asylum Justice, Welsh Refugee Council, EYST Swansea, Tros Gynnal Plant, BAWSO. and Displaced People in Action (DPIA)) to deliver a holistic, pan-wales service to people seeking sanctuary. Our role within this consortium is to provide specialist immigration advice and representation services to meet the Welsh Government's Nation of Sanctuary vision ov.waleslwritten-statement-wales-nation-sanctua During the year we expanded Client Liaison Officer capacity, The Client Liaison Officers coordinate between clients, lawyers, interpreters and partners. The Client Liaison Officer plays a particularly important role in ensuring the accessibility of our service by reassuring clients when they first contact Asylum Justice, gathering necessary paperwork for the lawyer to review prior to meeting with a client, and managing expectations around waiting times and how our service works. Once allocated an adviser, clients receive initial advice and then might be referred on to a legal aid provider, where legal aid is available, or represented directly through Asylum Justice. For some clients, due to the circumstances of their case, it is not possible to assist them further. These clients nonetheless still receive comprehensive advice from us regarding their situation and options. Following advice sessions, we refer clients to other services for assistance for issues related to destitution, communication, mental health, or social isolation. Occasionally, clients need emergency referrals to out-of-hours Social Services departments or Accident and Emergency NHS units. During 2023, we have been successfully providing our advice and substantive casework services in a hybrid format. This demonstrates our continued ability to work with a large number of clients despite working through a mixed modality and with only a small team. Whether or not the service is offered face-to-face or remotely is dependent on the client's vulnerabilitieslneeds and adviserfs capacity (some work solely remotely). Where clients need to have remote expert appointments or court hearings, we have also been able to offer limited space and equipment to clienls. Asylum Justice Report of the Trustees for the Year Ended 31 March 2024 The demand for our advice and representation has increased significantly during this year and continues to outweigh our ability to supply these services immediately to everyone who approaches us. This is illustrated by the above figures showing out overall workload was nearly double that in 2023. Staffin and Volunteers Ruth Brown, the Legal Director, is responsible for the charity's casework and office management. Ruth was nominated in 2020 as an 'lnspiring Woman Lawyer, in the UK as part of a study carried out by the Faculty of Law at the University of Oxford. Ruth is frequently invited to speak on national radio and at panels regarding our work and the wider context of UK immigration policy. Legal staff included a small number of sessional caseworkers who provide vital specialist advice and representation to clients. We are very fortunate to work with these experienced sessional caseworkers, who frequently secure positive outcomes for our clients. Working alongside the legal staff, we increased capacity by increasing our Client Liaison Officers who ensured effective coordination between clients, staff, and external partners, in addition to offering administration support and being the main point of contact for our offices. We also have two Supepiising Caseworkers to carry their own caseload and assist the Legal Director in supervising trainees. Due to a generalised shortage of immigration advisers in Wales, and subsequently a shortage of supply to our own organisation, we continue to train up new caseworkers. We began piloting this in 2020 and subsequently expanded it in 2021 and 2022 after securing additional funding. With the increased demand on our service and the additional objective to train new caseworkers, we now see it as a priority to bring more qualified caseworker roles in-house as we secure sufficient funding. We now work with several trainees, currently at OISC Level 1 and 2. The Funding Officer worked to identify and apply for new funding, maximise the impact of grants, and build up our reserves through careful financial management. Her responsibilities were also expanded to work on monitoring, learning and evaluation for Asylum Justice, including reviewing and improving systems for effectively and efficiently collecting statistics. During 2024, we also recruited a finance officer (prr) to work alongside the funding officer. We also hosted a student placement from Cardiff School of Law and Politics. with the student working on data collection and policy with the Funding Officer. Partnershi s and Membershl While others in the Welsh migration-focused third sector are working on multiple, interrelated issues which affect the rights and integration of asylum seekers, recognised refugees. and vulnerable migrants - such as destitution, communication issues, mental health and social isolation no other agency offers free OISC Level 3 immigration advice and representation to those without access to legal aid, nor maintains a central expert role in Wales on issues regarding the legal aid and immigration systems. We receive regular referrals from, and we refer regularly to (for issues related to destitution, communication, mental health or social isolation), a wide variety of local public, private and third sector partners. Partners such as local authorities, the faith sector, the Wales Sanctuary Services partners (including the Welsh Refugee Council, EYST, Tros Gynnal Plant, BAWSO, and DPIA), a range of third sector organisations (such as British Red Cross, Welsh Women's Aid, Homestart, Oasis Cardiffj and the Law Centres Network. Asylum Justice Report of the Trustees for the Year Ended 31 March 2024 Asylum Justice also has strong working partnerships with a range of other organisations including the Welsh Refugee Coalition, Law Works Cymru, the Immigration Law Practitioners Association, the Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants, the Electronic Immigration Network, Refugee Action. the Refugee Legal Group, and Cardiff and Swansea Universities. Raisin funds This year's achievements have been underpinned by generous financial support from a range of existing and new funding bodies, which are listed below, in addition to individual donations from supporters or local groupslbusinesses. (l) Grant income Tudor Trust: Tudor Trust provides an unrestricted grant which has been renewed from January 2023 - December 2025. This provides the salary for our Legal Director and some core costs. Wales Sanctuary Servlces (Welsh Government): Asylum Justice is part of a consortium of third sector organisations (with the Welsh Refugee Council as lead agency) that secured funding from the Welsh Government for a three-year programme to improve services for asylum seekers and refugees in Wales. This funding is used to pay for caseworker costs. It has also covered some interpreting, translation, and expert report costs. As part of this grant, extra funding was provided by the Welsh Government in September 2022 to support Ukrainian refugees in Wales and this was renewed for another year in 2023. It came to an end in March 2024. The funding provided to Asylum Justice has been used in collaboration with Cardiff School of Law and Politics, Cardiff University to fund the Ukraine Project Cymru. Lloyds Bank Foundation.. Lloyds Bank Foundation provided a two-year unrestricted grant (renewed 2024-2027). During this reporting period the grant covered a full-time Client Liaison Officer post and contributed to organisation overheads. Ministry of Justice (via. Community Justice Fund): Asylum Justice received emergency funding from the Ministry of Justice (MOJ) through wave 3 of the Community Justice Fund. This emergency funding part-funded a range of staff posts in addition to some organisation overheads. Paul Hamlyn Foundation: Asylum Justice continued a multi-year core grant from the Paul Hamlyn Foundation to support its casework operations, strengthen its use of casework data, and increase its contribution to sector advocacy and campaigning work. Postcode Community Trust: A one-year grant ending in November 2024, which supports casework operations, contributing to sessional caseworkers and interpretationltranslation costs. Justice Together Initiative: Continuing fund granted for a multi-year projecl in partnership with British Red Cross to support gathering documents. primarily for clients wishing to apply for or renew their leave to remain I settlement and family reunion applicants. Asylum. Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF).. Continuing fund for a multi-year project in partnership with British Red Cross supporting family reunion applications. Ministry of Justice (via Access to Justice; Help Accessing Legal Support Scheme): Asylum Justice secured a 6-month one-off grant to support delivery of its legal casework services. A further three months were later granted, ending June 2023. Asylum Justice Report of the Trustees for the Year Ended 31 March 2024 AB Charitable Trust: Asylum Justice secured a three year unrestricted grant from 2023-2026 Awards For All - National Lottery Community Fund: Asylum Justice secured a one year grant for interpretation and translation Ben and Jery's Foundation: Single year grant for Advocacy and Campaigning (li) Donatlons and Actlvity Fundraising The focus in 2024 has primarily been on funding applications to funding bodies, but we have also received ongoing regular donations from a number of supporters. In the next financial year. we intend to run some fundraising events and individual giving campaigns in order to increase our unrestricted reserves. We will continue to attempt to diversify income during the next year. Financlal Review The total income for the year ended 31st March 2024 was £647,610 (2023 £533,811) and the total expenditure for the year was £541,687 {2023 £457,328). The income received included restrictedlcore grant funds of £506,542 (2023 £375,417) and unrestricted grant funds of £128,833 (2023 £142,780). Continuing donations, including from Standing Order supporters and one-off donations and fundraising income was also received, totalling £12,235 (2023 £15,614). The expenditure for the year has largely been on core management costs, including running the offices at Portland House, office rent, the Legal Director's salary, salaries for staff, payment for consultancy casework including interpretation and expert reports. We also had payments for data storage and IT. The restricted fund balance brought forward at 1st April 2023 was £92,542 and £218,499 was carried forward at 31 st March 2024. The balance on the unrestricted fund decreased during the year from £123,891 brought fO￿ard to £103,857 at 31 st March 2024. Reserves Polic The unrestricted reserves on 31 st March 2024 are £103,857, which is equal to approximately 2.3 months of expected overall expenditure. The current reserves policy aims for 3 months running costs. Our reserves figure was lower than normal at the end of the financial year. The trustees are aware that the reserves are low and it is a priority to grow reserves during 2025 to ensure sustainability. The workload of the Funding Officer post during the 2023 year did not allow for an individual giving strategy to be drawn up and implemented. While the reserves are lower than desirable, existing grant agreements were sufficient at the end of January 2024 to cover operating costs for the 3-month minimum, as Asylum Justice receives generous ongoing support from a number of funders. Risk olic The trustees are aware of all the major risks regarding the charity including financial and personnel risks, which are reviewed on an on-going basis. Financial risk is recognised and controlled by a system of authorisation of expenses and segregation of duties in recording and processing wages and income. Trustees are appointed to check and review personnel matters and Health and Safety and appropriate insurance are in place. Asylum Justice Report of the Trustees for the Year Ended 31 March 2024 Plans for the future Asylum Justice will continue to play a unique and essential role within the Welsh refugee and migrant rights sector in temis of outcomes for individuals, reducing pressure on statutory {as demonstrated by recent research5) and other third sector agencies. We have also increasingly become a source of specialist information for wider sector organisations involved in advocacy on refugees'lmigrants, rights. Most significantly we will continue lo be part of the Wales Sanctuary Services (WSS) programme a contract for a consortium (this includes Asylum Justice, Welsh Refugee Council, EYST Swansea, TGP, BAWSO, and DPIA) to deliver a holistic, pan-wales service to people seeking sanctuary. Our role within this consortium is to provide specialist immigration advice and representation services to meet the Welsh Government's Nation of Sanctuary vision ov.waleslwritten-statement-wales-nation-sanctua The events of the last year have demonstrated our resilience as an organisation to adapt and continue to provide our service. It has also led us to reflect on gaps in our resources and consider new solutions, such as regarding the supply of future qualified immigration advisors in Wales. Asylum Justice has focused some of its resources on training up new advisors to ensure sustainability of available advisors for Asylum Justice in the coming years. In 2023, our OISC Level 2 trainees participated in an intensive pilot programme of training, supervision, and peer support for immigration advisers delivered by Asylum Aid. This was a fantastic opportunity for our trainees and the programme demonstrated that investment in training a sustainable pipeline of expert immigration advisers is a key element in creating a strengthened, better coordinated and well-networked immigration advice system. The Funding Officer, with support from the Legal Director and trustees, is also focusing further efforts on our income generation. This includes continuing to improve the organisation's monitoring and evaluation work, producing casework statistics more regularly in addition to increasing the number of testimonials gathered from previous clients. This is work, which will assist us to identify improvements we can make to our service, demonstrating the need for, and high quality of, our service in future funding applications. It also means that we are in a unique position to evidence issues and problems occurring within both the asylum and immigration system and the legal aid system. The Legal Director is regularly contacted by academics undertaking research in these areas, and our greater involvement in general advocacy work is an area of work that we continue to develop. Securing further medium to long-term funding is a priority for Asylum Justice, so that we can ensure the sustainability of its current services but also develop our ability to better resource the organisation's infrastructu￿. A better resourced infrastructure will relieve pressure from key members of staff, ensure we can provide our service in a timely manner to all those who need to access it, and free up experienced members of staff to concentrate on casework. Leckie C. value Munro R. and Pragnell M. (September 2021) Defending the public purse." The economic the free legal advice sector nt 2021 09 Def nomic-value-of-the tember-2021. df ] -Th e-le al-advice-sect 10 Asylum Justice Report of the Trustees for the Year Ended 31 March 2024 During 2023, we have seen a continuing increase in demand for our services. In 2024, we will prioritise maximising efficiency and expanding capacity where necessary and where we are able. Due to the collapse of the legal aid system, it is also likely that Asylum Justice will experience further increase in demand and may need to continue to take on cases that were previously referred out to legal aid providers, such as initial asylum claims and unaccompanied asylum-seeking children (UASC cases). For 2024 Asylum Justice will continue to assess how to meet the rapidly growing need, whilst ensuring sustainability of our services. Structure Governance and Mana ement The organisation is a Charitable Company Limited by Guarantee. govemed by its Memorandum and Articles of Association. Asylum Justice is also registered with the Office of Immigration Services Commissioner (OISC) in accordance with the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 and the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002. The charity is also registered with the Information Commissionerfs Office for data protection purposes. The charity is managed directly by its board of trustees. Each Trustee is ex officio a member of the company. There are no other members. The board consists of fourteen Trustees. A Trustee who has served a continuous term of six years must resign for at least one year but then may stand for re-election to the board, Recrultment and Appointment of Trustees Trustees are appointed at a general meeting,. the members of the charity may, by ordinary resolution, appoint a trustee or the trustees may appoint a trustee themselves. A trustee is appointed and holds office until the next Annual General Meeting. If not re-appointed at the AGM they should then vacate office. Since March 2024, we have initiated a recruitment process to increase the number and diversity of trustees on the Board. including members who have lived experience of the asylum and immigration system in the UK. Key Management Personnel The key management personnel are considered to be the trustees and the Directors. Trustees receive no remuneration. 11 Asylum Justice Report of the Trustees for the Year Ended 31 March 2024 STRATEGIC REPORT STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT Governing document The charity is controlled by its governing document, a deed of trust, and constitutes a limited company, limited by guarantee, as defined by the Companies Act 2006. REFERENCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS Registered Company number 05447875 (England and Wales) Registered Charity number 1112026 Registered office Portland House 113 Bute Street Cardiff Bay Cardiff CF10 SEQ Trustees B Rainey M Baker F E Chater T Godwin V Goodban J G Morgan H Taylor K Toner-Bass A Annie (appointed 251912024) E J Nishio (appointed 251912024) R Smith-James (appointed 251912024) N Sudarsan (appointed 251912024) S Todorovic (appointed 251912024) C Vircavs (appointed 251912024) 12 Asylum Jusllce Report of the Trustees for the Year Ended 31 March 2024 REFERENCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS Independent Examlner John Huw Palin FCA BPU Limited Chartered AcCoU￿antS Radnor House Greenwood Close Cardiff Gate Business Park Cardiff CF23 8A4 Office of Ihe OISC Reglstratlon Numbor N200800025 STATEMENT OF TRUSTEES. RESPONSIBILITIES The trustees (who are also the directors of Asylum Justice for the purposes of company law) are responsible for preparing the Report of the Trustees and the financial stalements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice). Company law requires the trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year which give a true and lair view of the state of affairs of the charitable company and of the incoming resources and application of resources, induding the income and expenditure, of the charitable company for that period. In preparing those financial statements, the trustees are required to select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently. obserrfe the methods and principles in the Charity SORP; make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent; prepare the financial statements on the going concern basls unless it Is Inappropriate to presume that the charitable company will continue In business. The trustees are responslble for keeping proper accounting records which disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charitable company and to enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Companies Act 2006. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charitable company and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detects'on of fraud and other irregularities. Report of the trustees. incorporati as the company directors, on . report, approved by order of the board of trustees, 11]I'.t'.Ity and signed on the board's behalf by.. B Rainey - Trustee 13 Independent Examiner's Report to the Trustees of Asylum Justice Independent examineVs report to the trustees of Asylum Justlce ('the Company.) I report to the charity trustees on my examination of the accounts of the Company for the year ended 31 March 2024. Chortered Accounlanls Responsibilities and basis of report As the charity's trustees of the Company (and also its directors for the purposes of company law) you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006 ('the 2006 Act,). Having satisfied myself that the accounts of the Company are not required to be audited under Part 16 of the 2006 Act and are eligible for independent examination, I report in respect of my examination of your charity's accounts as carried out under Section 145 of the Charities Act 2011 ('the 2011 Act,). In carrying out my examination I have followed the Directions given by the Charity Commission under Section 145(5) (b) of the 2011 Act, Independent examlner's ststement Since your charity's gross income exceeded £250,000 your examiner must be member of a listed body. I can confirm that l am qualified to undertake the examination because l am a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales, which is one of the listed bodies. Rodnor Fh)use Gieenwcx)d Cbse Cordifi Gola Bulness F*Jk Coi¢lll CF23 8AA I have completed my examination. I confirm that no matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe: accounting records were not kept in respect of the Company as required by Section 386 of the 2006 Act., or the accounts do not accord with those records. or the accounts do not comply with the accounting requirements of Section 396 of the 2006 Act other than any requirement that the accounts give a true and fair view which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination; or the accounts have not been prepared in accordance with the methods and principles of the Statement of Recommended Practice for accounting and reporting by charities (applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102)). I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable proper understanding of the accounts to be reached. ￿e9￿￿e￿ID CClryCOcL￿tr￿o1 UK ond i80￿ta¢j i) o ol hi¥•wmit tyJsinèsb¢¢tM4* John Huw Palin FCA The Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales BPU Limited Chartered Accountants o IIoLtrgrA]rre of W Lld C¢)ryYJtyNwnoet 3723940 Date: A L40V (39,518) (1,356) (2,320) (858) (13,186) 3,782 644 5,654 (858) (13,186) 12,500 (4,057) (16,595) (54,184) (20,000) (40,288) 8,443 (16,595) (4,184) (20,000) 26,378 50,000 66,666 52,500 (10,936) 41,564 35,000 35,000 (32,669) (41,506) 2,331 (6,506) 48,452 22,025 (48,506) 19099) (54) 384,941 354,602) 30,339 TOTAL FUNDS 533,811 457,328) 76,483 30 continued... Asylum Justice Notes to the Financial Statements - continued for the Year Ended 31 March 2024 19. RELATED PARTY DISCLOSURES There were no related party transactions for the year ended 31 March 2024. 31 Asylum Justice Detailed Ststement of Financial Activities for the Year Ended 31 March 2024 Period 2022 to 3113123 Year Ended 3113124 INCOME AND ENDOWMENTS Donations and legacies Donations 9,264 10,285 Other trading activities Fundraising events 2,541 2,211 Investment income Bank interest 430 202 Charitable activities Grants 635,375 518,197 Other income Other income 2,916 Total Incomlng resources 647,610 533,811 EXPENDITURE Raising donations and legaGie8 Sundry 371 310 Charitable activities Wages Social security Pensions staff training Staff travel expenses Legal and Professional British Red Cross grant 273,518 18,850 5,806 1,886 2,183 155,962 26,446 218,520 14,590 4,185 6,534 800 159,964 484,651 404,593 Support costs Other Rates and water Carried forward 169 169 535 535 This page does nol form part of the statutory financial statements 32 Asylum Justice Detailed Statement of Financial Activities for the Year Ended 31 March 2024 Period 2022 to 3113123 Year Ended 3113124 Other Brought forward Insurance Telephone Postage and stationery Rent & room hire Legal & Professional Repairs & renewals Subscriptions Sundry expenses Software, IT & website Staff wellbeing Bank charges Independent examiners fees Depreciation of tangible fixed assets 169 2,550 1,606 3,849 19,200 1,705 535 1,741 1,061 3,998 14,790 1,074 1,358 971 5,168 12,551 1,586 88 3,764 3,127 199 14,877 670 36 4,416 4,361 52,425 Total resources expended 541,687 457,328 Net Income 105,923 76,483 This page does not form part of the statutory financial statements 33