Fixed caps on publicly funded immigration work were introduced in April 2004 which means that legal representatives are now only able to carry out five hours of work on a file before applying for an extension. There has been speculation that some of the more competent legal advisers are leaving the sector because they do not believe they can operate effectively within these new restrictions. It has also been noted that a significant proportion of asylum seekers reaching the end of the asylum process lose their case because they have not received proper advice but are unable to secure.
