As an immigration consultancy based in Sheffield we recently read with great interest an article published in March concerning the quality of advice for Turkish workers (see [2008] Gazette, 6 March, 4).

While we agree that the quality of immigration services is high, we do not agree that legal advice for Turkish workers is poor. In our experience it is more the case that Turkish migrants seek help from within their communities rather than legally qualified advisers. This is also compounded by the fact that many such migrants do not know how to locate qualified advisers.

We would also assert that regulated advisers should have some working knowledge of the Ankara Agreement. Such knowledge is a necessity for the regulated and accredited exams. However, we would also suggest that it is unreasonable to expect advisers to know everything about every area of immigration law. The highly political nature of this area causes it to be constantly scrutinised and amended, which can require a substantial amount of time to research and absorb.

Finally, with regard to comments about the ‘patchy’ nature of services outside London, we would contend that the simple lack of a clear demand for immigration services and the sporadic nature of minority communities is the main reason for this.