Hello everyone,

Here are the latest updates and news from WFMA.

There’s some good news below on fundraising, as well as the suspension (pending the outcome of the General Election) of the Rwanda plan.

As ever, if there’s anything you’d like to be included in the next newsletter, or that you would like me to send to our supporters urgently, please contact me at [email protected]. I want this newsletter to be a helpful resource for members of the community, so appreciate feedback and input.

In solidarity,

Joseph

WFMA updates

Fundraising updates

We are happy to announce that we have received a grant of £4,990 from London Catalyst to fund our OISC Level 1 Immigration Advisor for 1 day per week and to support volunteers to gain OISC immigration qualification. We became OISC accredited last year, which means that we can provide basic – and much needed – immigration advice and casework to those who visit our Support Centre every week.

We are also grateful to the London Churches Refugee Fund for a grant of £750 which will go towards directly supporting destitute asylum seekers who visit our Support Centre.

These successful grant applications would not have been possible without the tireless work of our trustee and chief fundraiser Jean King.

London Legal Walk

Our fundraising page for the London Legal Walk is up and running. Please consider donating! WFMA gets to keep 100% of the funds we raise – all of which will go towards our running costs, including keeping our Support Centre and weekly advice service going.

We also need people to sign up to the walk – at the moment it’s just me! So please get in touch at [email protected] if you’re keen to join. It will be a fun day out – a 10 km walk starting in central London on the afternoon of Tuesday 18 June.

News

End of the Rwanda policy?

We have been deeply concerned about the Rwanda deportation plan and the impact it has already had on refugee and asylum seeking communities. Thankfully, the surprise announcement of a General Election has meant that the plan is unlikely to be implemented in the near future.

The government responded to the High Court recently confirming that it “does not intend to carry out enforced removals to Rwanda before the General Election on 4 July 2024“. This is a welcome confirmation that the Rwanda plan has been halted for now. If the Conservative party wins (which appears unlikely on current polling), Rishi Sunak has said that if he is elected as Prime Minister, he will try to get the first flight out on 5 July, the day after the election, although this would seem unlikely for practical reasons. The Labour Party has been staunchly against the plan, but it has made no promises to repeal the Safety of Rwanda Act or the Treaty itself.

Finally, despite the plan being halted, people are still locked up in detention centres after being rounded up from our communities in recent weeks. There is no longer any legal justification for this – for immigration detention to be lawful, removal must be imminent. So everyone still in detention should be released forthwith – and it seems like immigration tribunal judges agree, even if the Home Office doesn’t.

We echo the sentiments of this poster by our friends These Walls Must Fall: 

We joined a demonstration at Colnbrook and Harmondsworth IRC organised by Action Against Detention and Deportations last weekend:

Digital immigration system

For a long time the Home Office has been clear that it wants to move towards a “digital only” immigration system. Recently issued BRP cards expire on 31 December 2024. After this date, no new BRP cards will be issued, and proof of immigration status will transition to an online format. To find out more about what this means, we recommend Right to Remain’s legal update.

Lawyers and migrant support organisations like WFMA are concerned that this will lead to a repeat of the Windrush Scandal as  500,000 or more non-EU migrants with leave to remain will need to replace their BRPs with digital e-visas and many, particularly the most vulnerable groups, may be left unable to prove their status.

Those who may be affected should look out for any correspondence from the Home Office about creating an online account, and to seek advice if they have any concerns.

Events and actions

Refugees welcome demonstration

We are supporting this refugees welcome demonstration next Sunday in Walthamstow Town Square with a number of other organisations including our good friends Stories and Supper. Join us there from 2-4pm!

Stand up! Speak out! training series

The training series by Solidarity Knows No Borders (SKNB)—a community of migrant justice organisations working in solidarity for dignity and justice – has a number of exciting trainings coming up in June. See the timetable below and to find out more information or sign up, go here.

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

Become a WFMA member and become part of our community – click here to fill out the joining form.

Alternatively, 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.