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Hello everyone,
Welcome again to Waltham Forest Migrant Action’s revived monthly newsletter. It’s a long one this week so I’ll keep my introduction short.
If there is anything you’d like me to include in the next newsletter, please get in touch at [email protected]. I’d also appreciate feedback on the newsletter format / content.
In solidarity,
Joseph
WFMA updates
Annual General Meeting
We had our Annual General Meeting on Sunday 19 November – thanks to those who came. It was great to take stock of the work we’ve done over the past year, and to appreciate how WFMA has grown and expanded its work, which means that more migrants, refugees and asylum seekers are able to receive the support that we provide.
In his Annual Report (which you can read here), our Chair Norman Minter said:
I wish to acknowledge the fortitude of the men, women and children who make the often harrowing and dangerous journeys to the UK. They often receive a far from warm welcome to these British Isles including the seemingly endless raft of rules and regulations seemingly, aimed at making their already traumatic lives even more difficult. The thanks our volunteers receive from asylum seekers, migrants and refugees who seek the help of WFMA is truly humbling. We will continue to provide that help to whoever and whenever we can.
Funding
Earlier this week we learned that we have been awarded a £4,000 grant from the Mrs Smith and Mount Trust. This money will go towards our Support Centre, and is earmarked specifically for the provision of free immigration and welfare advice and casework for migrants in need in Waltham Forest.
Gaza refugees
Last month, WFMA joined the Refugee Council and other migrant and refugee rights organisations to urge the UK government to provide safe passage for those in need of safety from the violence in Palestine and Israel. As a charity supporting and campaigning on behalf of migrants and refugees, we also urged the UK government to call for a ceasefire, in line with UN recommendations, and an immediate end to the escalating violence, which has already led to a huge death toll.
According to the UN Relief and Works Agency, nearly 80% of the population of Gaza has been displaced, and over 14,128 people have been killed in Gaza since 7 October; 74 per cent of them are reportedly children and women.
Action on visas
On Tuesday 31 October 2023 Migrant Voice coordinated a national day of action with other migrant and refugee organisations across the UK to demand a reduction in extortionate visa costs, and to raise public awareness about the impact they have on people’s lives. As visitors to our Support Centre know very well, visa fees are already incredibly expensive. Increasing them further – and during a cost of living crisis – is unconscionable and will push many into poverty and prevent others from renewing / extending their visas at all. The changes should be reversed.
For a full list of the increases, and further arguments about the harms caused to both migrants and businesses, take a look at JCWI’s helpful briefing. Sign the petition to force a debate in Parliament here.
Support Centre update
At the AGM, our Support Centre coordinator Mel gave an update on the work of the centre from November 2022 to October 2023, of which a summary is provided below:
We had 648 contacts (up from 397 last year) from 308 visitors from 59 nationalities. As with last year, there was a fairly even split between male (52%) and female (48%) visitors. The average monthly number of contacts was 59. This is up from 33 last year.
Most notable in the figures is the increase in housing issues reported from 17% of contacts in 2021/2022 to 32% of contacts in 2022/2023. My impression is that this may be becauses of the new fast-track asylum decision system for certain nationalities and/or the tightening up the eviction process for those granted refugee status.
In September 2023, we started hosting additional sessions on Wednesday mornings. These sessions allow us to make appointments with individual visitors and spend time with them on Level 1 immigration support and to help with other issues that would take too much time to do on a Friday morning. They also provide an opportunity for volunteers to learn more about the additional work that we do, and to follow up on emails or phone calls relating to casework.
We have arrived at a new way of recording cases so that we create a separate case for each issue we deal with for a visitor. We need to produce further guidance and training on cases.
We are always looking to make the drop-in sessions more efficient so that we can see more visitors. We are trying to be both reactive and proactive but, ultimately, the changes are dictated by the demand for our services which shows no sign of letting up.
Events and notices
Vigil for those who died in the Channel in 2021 – 24 November
It’s coming up to two years since at least 27 people drowned in the English Channel. Many of us are still appalled by this, and by the fact that the environment has become even more hostile.
Join a vigil on 24 November at 6pm in Folkestone to say that we want accessible safe routes NOW. More info on Bridget Chapman’s Twitter.
Stories and Supper: Celebration Supper Club – 7 December
Join Stories and Supper at this global supper club, celebrating their new cookery videos, their allotment harvest and their residency at the William Morris Gallery. Expect a menu that takes you on a journey around the home countries of the Stories & Supper community, including Sri Lankan pumpkin curry and a delicious quince dessert. More info and tickets here.
Refugees at Home: London hosts needed
Refugees at Home are urgently looking for hosts for nine young men in London, with more referrals coming in all the time – they’re looking for people who haven’t hosted in a while, people new to hosting – anyone who can’t bear seeing new refugees slung into the streets. Email [email protected] if you can help.
News
Rwanda Plan in the Supreme Court
We were lucky this month to receive a rare piece of good news – the government’s Rwanda Plan, introduced by Priti Patel and championed by her successor Suella Braverman, was found to be unlawful by a unanimous Supreme Court bench. In summary, this was because deficiencies in Rwanda’s asylum system create a real risk of refugees having their asylum claims wrongly refused and then being removed them to their countries of origin, in breach of the principle of non-refoulement (which prohibits the return of individuals to a country where there’s a real risk they will face persecution, torture, inhuman or degrading treatment or any other human rights violation). The government’s response has been bullish, with a promise of new “emergency legislation” to get the scheme moving again. But it is doubtful whether this will succeed. I recommend reading the reflections of immigration solicitor Jed Pennington on what the judgment means.
The ruling will be a huge relief to asylum seekers in the UK, some of whom already experienced a deterioration in their mental health simply through the fear of being deported to Rwanda.
New Home Secretary
Suella Braverman’s second stint as Home Secretary has ended. The immigration barrister Colin Yeo wrote a helpful overview of Braverman’s legacy as Home Secretary – read it here. His verdict is rather damning:
The disease-ridden [Bibby Stockholm] barge stands out as an appropriate emblem of Braverman’s second time around as Home Secretary. Entirely symbolic, with less than 500 beds in the context of a backlog of tens of thousands. More expensive than other asylum accommodation or hotels. Designed entirely to appease the right-wing press. And incompetently executed to the point it lay empty for weeks and weeks.
Exceptional Case Funding research
Exceptional Case Funding (ECF) was introduced after most immigration cases were taken out of the scope of Legal Aid in 2013, and it was designed to be a “safety net” for people to apply for if cases against them by the Home Office would breach their human rights.
New research by BiD shows that the process of applying for legal aid and representation is paradoxically very challenging to complete without legal representation from the start. The report also found that even when ECF is granted, applicants then face the additional hurdle of finding a legal aid lawyer with the capacity to take on their case.
Short-notice evictions
As some of you may know, the Home Office has started evicting people from asylum support accommodation as little as 7 days after they are granted leave to remain in the UK. It’s simply not enough time for people to find alternative accommodation, register for benefits or find work. So it’s leaving people facing destitution and street homelessness. I recommend watching this video shot by the Guardian with Merseyside Refugee Support Network about the impact on refugees in this situation.
Words Matter Manifesto
Migrants Rights Network has launched its “Words Matter Manifesto”, which usefully sets out five key steps can and should all must take to defy hostile narratives around people seeking safety or a new life in the UK. Read the manifesto and sign the pledge here.
New JCWI Toolkit
JCWI have produced an up to date toolkit for migrants and refugees to understand the law and seek justice. It covers: what to expect from a lawyer; what a lawyer expects from you; developing or improving relationships with lawyers; and what to do if you are not happy with a lawyer. It’s more difficult than ever to get legal representation due to the crisis in the legal aid sector, but for those who are fortunate enough to secure a lawyer, this guide may be useful. It makes a good pairing with Right to Remain’s more comprehensive toolkit.
Trustees wanted!
We are still recruiting for a number of voluntary trustee positions – could you be the person we are looking for?
We are looking for trustees who share our values and have the time and energy to help us build our charity.
We are keen to find someone with experience as a treasurer / bookkeeper, as well as people with skills in grant applications and human resources. But whether you are an experienced trustee or new to the role, we’d like to hear from you.
We are also especially interested in hearing from people with lived experience of migration/forced migration, as well as members of our local community from Black and minority ethnic backgrounds, who are currently under-represented on our board.
Please share the job advert in your networks – and apply if you think you’re right for the role.
Get involved!
Could you be a WFMA volunteer?
If you have any time to spare each week, month or even for a one-off piece of work, please do email [email protected] and we will send you a registration form so we can see how we might best use your talents!
If you’re interested in anything campaigns or communications related, please contact me at [email protected]
Support us
Click here! to make a one-time donation – or even better, set up a monthly recurring donation – and make a valuable contribution to what we do.
Every penny you give will be appreciated and go towards helping us give urgently needed support to migrants in Waltham Forest through our Support Centre and other work.
The Support Centre is open for drop-in every Friday from 10am -12.30pm at the Baptist Church, 65 Blackhorse Road, Walthamstow E17 7AS.
For more information, please email is [email protected]. Most immigration inquiries will require a follow up appointment – so drop in, phone or email to secure a time.
Waltham Forest Migrant Action 