The Detained Duty Advice Scheme (DDAS): Free Legal Advice in Immigration Detention

What the DDAS is

The Detained Duty Advice Scheme (DDAS) gives people detained in immigration removal centres (IRCs) in England access to free, independent legal advice, regardless of means. Immigration solicitors and advisers attend the centre on a rota to provide it.

A DDAS appointment gives you a short initial session — typically around 30 minutes — to talk through your situation and get first advice on your options.

Who can use it and where it operates

Anyone held in a participating immigration removal centre can request a DDAS appointment, irrespective of nationality or ability to pay for the initial session.

The scheme operates in immigration removal centres in England, with appointments delivered by immigration solicitors and advisers who attend on a rota. The scheme is administered through the Legal Aid Agency, which contracts the providers who staff the surgeries. Because the centre estate and the providers change over time, you can confirm the current arrangements at a particular centre via GOV.UK.

The free surgery vs ongoing representation

It is important to understand the difference between the two things the scheme involves. The duty surgery appointmentis a short, free session — typically around half an hour — available regardless of means. Its job is to give you first advice and to identify your options, not to run your whole case.

Ongoing representation— preparing and presenting a bail application, challenging detention, or progressing an asylum or human-rights claim — is a separate step. It may be taken on by the duty provider or another solicitor, and it may be funded by legal aid where your case qualifies, or arranged privately.

How legal aid applies to detained work

Legal aid for detained immigration and bail work is administered by the Legal Aid Agency and generally turns on two tests: a means test (your financial circumstances) and a merits test (whether the case is sufficiently strong to justify funding). The detailed thresholds and the categories of work in scope can change, so it is best to check the current position on GOV.UK and with the Legal Aid Agency, and to ask a solicitor to assess whether you qualify in your particular case.

How to access a surgery

If you are detained, you can ask staff at the immigration removal centre to book you onto the duty advice surgery, or a family member or friend outside can help arrange advice. Bringing your detention papers and any Home Office letters to the appointment makes the short session far more productive.

What a solicitor does after the surgery

Following the duty session, a solicitor who takes your case on can prepare and run a bail application (BAIL401), advise on and challenge the lawfulness of your detention, and progress the underlying immigration or asylum claim — gathering evidence, drafting statements, and representing you at any hearing. The surgery is the entry point; sustained representation is what carries the case forward.

What happens in a DDAS appointment

• A brief, confidential discussion of why you are detained and your immigration history.
• Initial advice on possible next steps — for example a bail application, challenging detention, or progressing an asylum or human-rights claim.
• Signposting to ongoing representation where your case qualifies.

The session is short, so it helps to have your detention papers, any Home Office letters, and a brief timeline ready.

After the first appointment

The duty session is a starting point, not full representation. To take your case forward — for example to prepare an immigration bail (BAIL401)application or challenge the lawfulness of your detention — you will usually need ongoing legal help, which may be covered by legal aid depending on your case and means.

How Abrahams Solicitors can help

We advise and represent people in immigration detention — from urgent bail applications to challenging detention and progressing the underlying claim. If you or a loved one has just been detained, see our emergency immigration help or contact us. We provide advice and representation; we do not guarantee release or any particular outcome.

Frequently asked questions

Is DDAS advice really free?

The initial duty appointment is free regardless of means. Ongoing representation may be covered by legal aid or arranged privately.

Who is eligible for a DDAS appointment?

Anyone held in a participating immigration removal centre can request a duty appointment, irrespective of nationality or means. The initial session is open to detained people generally; what differs from person to person is whether ongoing representation afterwards is funded by legal aid, which depends on your case and your means.

Does legal aid cover ongoing detention and bail work?

It may. Legal aid for detained immigration and bail work is administered by the Legal Aid Agency and generally depends on a means test and a merits test. The thresholds change, so check the current position on GOV.UK and the Legal Aid Agency, and ask a solicitor whether your case qualifies.

Can my family arrange a solicitor while I’m detained?

Yes. A family member can instruct a solicitor on your behalf to visit or call you.

How quickly can I get a bail application in?

Bail can often be applied for promptly. Speak to a solicitor as soon as possible so it can be prepared properly.

Who reviewed this page

Reviewed for legal accuracy by Imran Shah, Director and SRA-regulated solicitor (SRA No. 509359, admitted 2012), for Abrahams Solicitors — an SRA-regulated firm (firm No. 809071). This page is general information about UK immigration procedure and is not a substitute for tailored legal advice.