About Justice First

Justice First was set up in 2006 in response to a lack of specialist legal advice and support for asylum seekers and refugees arriving in the Tees Valley.

The core purpose of Justice First remains to respond to the needs of people in the Tees Valley who are seeking asylum in the UK but have had their initial application rejected.

People in this position may have a very good case for asylum, but with nowhere else to turn, they often face destitution with no means of financial support.

This also includes supporting those seeking sanctuary with applications for protection-based settlement (indefinite leave to remain), family reunion applications and extensions of existing leave.

We are a specialist service in the North East that works closely with, and refers people to other supportive organisations as appropriate.

We offer specialist legal advice, practical and emotional support, and deliver refugee awareness training, presentations and talks.

Please come and see us if you need advice on your fresh asylum claim, refugee settlement application or family reunion application.

Get Involved!

We would love to hear from you if you’d like to register to become a volunteer with Justice First.

We have a range of volunteering opportunities from regular involvement to one-off events and activities.

    Our vision is of a society based on a tradition of welcoming, acceptance and dignity for those who seek safety in the UK

    Justice First Client Feedback

    “Your strong support, your constant words of peace, encouragement and calmness helped in more ways to keep my children and I going through this journey, more than you can ever imagine.”

    JF Client

    “Our success story is not complete without you and the Justice First team. We say thank you more than words can explain. We will never forget your kindness and will surely remember you in our prayers, thank you again.”

    JF Client

    “I would like to take this opportunity to say thank you to you and your truly professional team for all the hard work towards presenting my case. You’ll always be my role model and a dear friend and a true gentleman. I am now a proud member of this great national and a greater community.”

    JF Client

    “I am grateful very much for such a voluntary organisation. Their kindness makes me believe in all good positive things. And I hope one day I could join them in helping more people without conditions.”

    JF Client

    “They are a very helpful organisation who help Asylum seekers who have no Solicitors. They’re straight to the point about whether they can help you or not. While you’re there, they offer you snacks, tea or coffee and if you are destitute, they can even help with clothes and food through another charity. Very wonderful bunch of people there.”

    JF Client

    “Great team with huge empathy. God bless you. You helped me indirectly and I am very grateful and humble.”

    JF Client

    “Outstanding service received today regarding my ILR application. The advisor has excellent communication skills. Very responsive and helpful.”

    JF Client

    Our Ongoing Mission!

    Unfortunately, the wars, oppression and violence in many Asian, African and Middle Eastern countries, that are driving people to leave and seek sanctuary elsewhere show no sign of abating. As Justice First builds its reputation as a reliable and trusted source of help and advice for asylum seekers, so the demand for our work grows.

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    Justice First

    Justice First

    Our vision is of a society based on a tradition of welcome, acceptance and dignity for those who seek

    4 weeks ago

    Yesterday, we sent out our first newsletter of 2025, and we're thrilled to share it with you! You can read it now via the link below or on our website. If you'd like to stay up to date with our news and updates, you can subscribe to our newsletter on our website:🔗 us17.campaign-archive.com/?u=c43ca9c33846fc514b4316767&id=68c0eb43adThis newsletter includes highlights from 2024, as well as exciting updates for 2025. We also launched our 2024 Impact Report, which reflects a significant increase in demand for our services. You can check it out below.As we expand into Newcastle and now provide services in Durham weekly, we expect demand to continue to rise in 2025. This makes your support more important than ever! 🙌🧡We’re also excited to introduce a new member to our team, Matthew! Please join us in giving him a warm welcome.Matthew graduated with a Law degree (LLB) from the University of York in 2023. His interests revolved around Family, EU and Immigration Law, and Social Policy. He first gained charity sector experience by volunteering as a Generalist Advisor for the Citizens Advice Bureau in Stockton, where he helped clients navigate the legal and social welfare systems. He then worked as an ESOL Keyworker at Stockton Learning and Skills, supporting asylum seekers and refugees on various social welfare issues.Thank you for your continued support and we look forward to hearing your feedback!#CharityNews #ImpactReport #NewYearUpdates #WelcomeMatthew #MakingADifference ... See MoreSee Less
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    1) 🚨 Exciting News from Justice First! 🚨

    Thanks to additional funding, we are expanding our services into Newcastle to provide specialist legal advice to people seeking asylum and refugees in Tyneside.

    #LegalSupport #JusticeFirst #AccessToJustice #BuildingBridgesNotWalls

    We are thrilled to share that one of our clients, whom we supported with further submissions, has been granted 5 years refugee status today.🎉

    Moments like these remind us why we do what we do. We are so happy for our client, who can now start rebuilding their life. 🧡

    We will be closing for from 12pm today, and we’ll be back on January 2nd.

    We want to thank the JF community for your ongoing support this year. We wish you all a Merry Christmas and a wonderful New Year filled with joy, peace, and hope. 💫🎄🙌🧡

    See you in 2025!

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