The Legal Services Commission (LSC) is inviting expressions of interest from immigration contract holders wishing to take on some of the 8,000 file caseload of the Immigration Advisory Service (IAS), which went into administration on 8 July.

Administrator Cork Gully has disclosed that the open files of the now defunct IAS include 1,242 cases of unaccompanied asylum seeking children, and 385 appeal cases with hearing dates within the next few weeks, all of which the LSC says should be treated as priorities.

An LSC spokesman said: ‘We are urgently identifying alternative advice provision in the areas affected, and are prioritising cases which are due in court now or in the next few weeks, so that we can achieve case transfer as quickly and effectively as possible.

‘We have invited expressions of interest from current immigration contract holders by next Monday, July 18th, with the aim of distributing clients to these advice providers next week.’

IAS went into administration last week. It has in part blamed cuts to legal aid for its financial difficulties.

To complete the ‘Expression of interest’ form go to the legal services site.

Return the form to Paul Benjamin by noon Monday 18 July.