Migrant Action

Empowerment Advocacy Justice

‘Welcome to England’: English Language and integration support for migrants

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As the UK continues to navigate through Brexit and Covid-19 pandemic, studies and analyses of these complex processes highlight the importance of addressing the root causes of pre-existing problems of poverty, inequality, social injustice, structural racism and more..

For migrants, they face an additional challenge in the form of policies designed to create a ‘hostile environment’ for immigrants in a general sense. These policies largely limit access to healthcare, welfare, employment, housing and other forms of mainstream provision.

During lockdown, the ‘hostile environment’ has even graver consequences as charities and organizations supporting migrants have had to close their in-person services or reduce service provision. These services do more than just advocacy or legal signposting, but also greatly facilitated migrants’ integration into UK society, by connecting them to local communities and offering pathways to improve functional English language skills. For many migrants, these services and pathways are a ‘life-line’ and without their support, migrants risk becoming socially excluded.

Our Response

In response to this challenging context, Migrant Action has launched its new volunteer-led project, ‘Welcome to England’. The new project builds on the success of the ‘No Child Left Behind’ project last summer, whereby migrants and their families received a packages of support including online tutoring and befriending support. Our new project also involves the provision of online ESOL and functional skills to newly arrived migrants in Barnsley in partnership with Migrant Action’s partner- ELSH.

Families new to the community throughout Leeds and West Yorkshire have been paired with volunteer tutors. Volunteers and migrants are matched based on common language skills. It is hoped that this will facilitate shared understandings of migration.

The aim of the project is to enable migrants feel welcome and empowered as they embark on their integration journey, developing functional English language skills. Our volunteer tutoring and befriending model offers a friendly approach to integration by forging positive relationships. This is vital particularly at a time when most people especially newly arrived migrants are likely to feel most isolated, excluded and shy of belonging to their new society.

Below are the profiles of some volunteers who are already involved in the project- however, we are always looking for more! If interested in taking part, please feel free to contact us at info@migrantaction.org.uk or call 01138330991.

Judy is a retired Maths teacher who taught for three years in International schools in northern Italy. This has given her some appreciation of the difficulties people face learning the English language. She now spends her time, when she is not travelling, enjoying her two grandsons and knitting. She also enjoys reading and wishes she had the patience to read Italian novels to improve her language skills.
My name is Emily and I have recently completed my TESOL qualification. I am involved in this project as I believe the ability to communicate with your community is so important for your own confidence, growth and wellbeing. I want to be a helpful and friendly part of that journey!
Abi has been volunteering for Migrant Action in various capacities for 16 months now. Through living in Barcelona whilst growing up, she has an appreciation for the challenges that migrants are faced with when moving to a new country, including the social isolation that a lack of language skills can bring in the first few months. Since then, she has gained proficiency with the Spanish language and looks forward to utilising her skills when interacting with her mentees in the project.

Covid-19: We continue to support and Adapt

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Sadly, the pandemic has moved into a more severe phase with staggering rates of infection and deaths. On the one hand, whilst government’s measures to stem the virus offer hope, however, many people in our communities, especially those on the ‘margins of society,’ continue to experience increasing levels of vulnerability, suffering and despair. For migrants, including families and children who have to navigate through this devastating emergency with no recourse to public funds and restricted access to wider mainstream provision, there is no safety net.  Their hopes are pinned on charity, compassion and personal resilience.

Thank you!

We are immensely grateful and humbled by the kindness and generosity of our ‘supporters’ expressed through volunteering, donations etc. Thanks to our clients who continue to trust in our service provision and our amazing partners who work collaboratively to ensure access to services. Finally, huge thanks to our funders for endorsing and sustaining the work we do and their encouragement as we face daunting challenges each day.

Covid-19: Not without food!

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Covid-19 has deepened poverty, deprivation and destitution in disadvantaged communities. Increasingly, Migrant Action is witnessing individuals who are struggling to adequately meet the basic needs of food, education and shelter.

For vulnerable migrants, the need is greater and the consequences of unmet needs are severe. The pandemic has exacerbated vulnerability for those living on the ‘hard edges’ of society, especially migrants who have no recourse to public funds and restricted access to services.

Our Response

Over the autumn half-term, Migrant Action partnered with Complete Woman and URP-Leeds ltd to deliver hot meals, sandwiches and snacks to over 75 children accompanied by their parents and carers. 

The initiative was part of a Migrant Action’s Covid-19 relief in association with the wider community-led national campaign led by the Manchester United footballer Marcus Rashford. 

Our partnership worked in collaboration with other community stakeholders including Ethiopian restaurant Melkam and the Christ Temple of Worship church. Both provided access and trusted spaces for children, parents and carers to spend time together in a safe and relaxed environment.

More than Just Food

This initiative strengthened local partnerships, supported local business, enhanced social and cultural integration, reduced loneliness and isolation, built new relationships, identified new needs and increased community resilience. 

These outcomes underpin Migrant Action’s ‘Strengthening Hands’ partnership, which aims to strengthen grassroots collaboration and tackle social justice and system change. These issues are rooted in the lived experience of migration, social and racial injustice.

Migrant Action is committed to alleviating the impact of Covid-19 on the most vulnerable. As the second wave of the pandemic takes hold, we anticipate an even more challenging winter, especially for the most vulnerable and destitute migrants.

 Therefore, through our partnerships, we will continue to offer support to migrants and those with no recourse including food for children and their families.


“This is a real partnership and grassroots engagement with local communities and
supporting local business” ( Kidist- Project coordinator- URP Leeds ltd)


How can you support us?

You can support our Covid-19 relief and the wider work on migrant rights and justice by donating to Migrant Action via this link https://www.peoplesfundraising.com/donation/migrant-action-donations?fbclid=IwAR3koPJeeVSMoUjmnQ5mEmgsA1LQQcravCOkce8CnLGqjk5cdLlFrINoLTc

If you are passionate about migrant rights and social justice and would like to volunteer, email:  info@migrantaction.org.uk


‘I won’t be defined by my immigration status’

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In our latest blog post, we discuss how Migrant Action have helped individuals during the COVID19 pandemic, and how they have successfully been able to get back in to further education.

I first contacted  Migrant Action in 2019 and received a warm welcome by all. Migrant Action kept in contact with me and supported me with issues regarding university and immigration requirements. 

During these unprecedented times, Migrant Action supported me and my family with food parcels and food vouchers during the COVID19 pandemic and continued to advise and support me which helped improve my mental well-being. 

I have also participated in the Migrant Action leadership programme which has helped me identify my weaknesses and embrace them positively, and turn them into strengths. I have been able to expand my networking skills which have developed my confidence, which would not have been possible without this course. 

After being out of education for nearly three years now, I applied for a scholarship which will allow me to start studying again. Migrant Action assured me that this will enhance my confidence and deepen my faith that education will further my development. 

I did however encounter some difficulty with the Home Office, who stated that I could not study despite holding a sanctuary scholarship. In a country like the UK, it is a basic human right to be able to study and further my education. With the help of organisations like Migrant Action and my solicitor Richard Burgon MP, the decision that I could not study was overturned and I was finally able to return to my studying and start a new chapter in my life.

I don’t want to be defined by my immigration status. Migrant action has inspired me not to give up and to face challenges head-on with a smile. I will always rise above the challenges I face in society, and I will dream big, and be thankful for the support from Migrant Action.

No children left behind this summer: an update on the ‘No Child Left Behind’ initiative

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As we approach September, two volunteers involved in Migrant Action’s educational support project reflect on their experiences of e-tutoring over the summer

The closures of schools as part of the government’s Covid-19 lockdown measures raised concerns that school closures would disproportionate adversely impact the futures of children from disadvantaged backgrounds. Such children are more likely to attend schools that are unable to offer supplementary online schooling, may be unable to afford textbooks or access internet learning tools. The risk that children from disadvantaged backgrounds fall behind in learning poses potentially long-lasting impacts on their educational and future job prospects.

As a grassroots organisation, Migrant Action witnessed daily the impact of the lockdown and school closures play out in the lives of children and families. In response, it set up the ‘No Child Left Behind’ initiative to provide educational resources and learning and befriending support to children and young people. Overall, the No Child Left Behind initiative aimed to prevent children falling behind in their school work and long term development thereby help reduce the widening inequalities in our society.

Here, two volunteers who participated in the initiative, Carys Milbourn and Abi Spring, elaborate on the work they have been undertaking throughout the summer. Migrant Action recognise the fantastic work undertaken by our volunteers involved in this initiative and we are immensely proud of their achievements.

Carys

Over lockdown I started tutoring children from two families, my role between the two families varied as I supported one family with Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 Maths and the other with A-level choices and discussing options for university. I was able to come up with a surprisingly engaging way of learning Maths by using online games with one family which has helped consolidate and refresh what they have already learnt, whilst also teaching some new skills. With my other family I have provided a friendly face and someone new to talk to as I definitely feel that for young people lockdown is extremely challenging, particularly when you are used to seeing friends every day in school. I have really enjoyed giving guidance on how I got into university and what I have learnt from my past experience doing A Levels. I think that it’s been difficult to adapt to a new way of communicating and teaching online but it has also taught me a lot along the way. A highlight of tutoring has been seeing the children gain confidence every week whilst talking to me and also in their Maths ability. I think that this project has shown that in times of hardship, uncertainty and fear, community is more important than ever. Although social distancing has made contact difficult, online communication has enabled greater conversation and community bonds to grow as people support each other through these strange and hard circumstances. 

Abi

I was approached to participate in the No Child Left Behind initiative and was more than happy to join in: working with young people has always been something I have enjoyed, and it felt good to feel like I was contributing positively to the community whilst stuck at home in lockdown! I have been conducting weekly Zoom sessions with two children of Key Stage 1 level and helping them with both Maths and English. During our first lesson, I found out that the children had been given workbooks to study with (this is another arm of the No Child Left Behind strategy). I made the decision to purchase the same books that the children were using, in order to help me structure sessions and decide what activities we would work through ahead of time. It has taken a while to adapt to tutoring via the internet- I am a visual learner, so I like to explain things by writing them- but this method does not translate well to a webcam format and resulted in me holding up pieces of paper which was not the clearest way to communicate! However, once I discovered the potential of the ‘share screen’ option on Zoom, I realised that applications like Paint could be used just like a virtual whiteboard, and this has really helped me. A personal highlight of this experience has been seeing the children engaging enthusiastically with the work, as it’s clear they’re both really keen to learn. I look forward to our sessions every week- it also gives me a good excuse to avoid working on my dissertation! I hope the children feel like they have found the lessons useful and gained something from this experience, as I do. 

Service user feedback

“Carys was very nice and engaging with me, I found out that we had quite a bit in common and I felt less shy talking to her as the chats went on. She’s also very smart and helpful and funny. I’m very grateful for the opportunity and I’d like it to continue.”

“Abi has been fantastic and the kids look forward to the next session with excitement, it has made a great difference, thanks a lot.”

“The laptop has helped us significantly, allowing us to be able to get through work and research comfortably as we don’t have to look on our smaller phone screens, and has also given us the leisure of not having to take turns watching things like Youtube and Netflix on our TV since we now have a second device to watch these things on. We appreciate this gift you have given to us.”