Coronavirus poses significant challenges and serious risks to every fabric of our society. And, as a consequence, we are experiencing and adapting to fast moving changes.
For the most vulnerable living on the hard edges of society including; the elderly, people who are isolated, the homeless, destitute migrants with no recourse to public funds, people with insecure immigration status, immigration detainees, migrants in insecure and low-paid work, coronavirus poses even greater threat to their lives and livelihoods.
Though necessary, the current lockdown ‘remedies’ will disproportionately affect vulnerable migrants who risk further marginalisation and exclusion from limited service provision. In this current crisis, the most vulnerable become even more exploitable. Broadly, coronavirus poses serious risks to health and social care and economic systems. These ‘weakened’ systems will disproportionately impact on the most disadvantaged of our society including vulnerable migrants who often ‘hidden, ‘ignored’, or ‘crushed’.
As we adapt and respond to the crisis, Migrant Action continually applies its core values of humanity, solidarity, collaboration, adaptability, migrant justice, flexibility and resilience to ensure that we continue to serve our purpose in supporting migrants in these difficult times especially the most vulnerable.
So we want to let you know the nature of our service provision during this lockdown period and how the organisation as a whole is responding to the crisis.
What is Migrant Action providing and how?
Our Advice & Support Service
- Our drop-ins in Leeds and Barnsley are temporarily closed during this lockdown period while we explore with our partners best ways of meeting the needs of clients who access our drop-ins.
- However, our Information, Advice, Advocacy and Access to justice provision continues. We respond to client enquiries by telephone and will provide information, advice and guidance including signposting and referrals. Contact us by telephone on 01133731763 or email us at info@migrantaction.org.uk
- EU Settlement Scheme: We are not able to provide face-face appointments to complete applications, however we continue to provide information and guidance by telephone to help EU nationals apply for Settled Status
- Destitution Support– We recognise that these are extremely tough times. If you are destitute especially families with no recourse to public funds, we may assist you with food parcel or food voucher. Contact us on 01133731763
- We continue our collaborative work with partners in line with government’s advice to ensure continuity of service delivery and effective strategic partnership.
Our Volunteers
During this challenging time our volunteers remain integral to the services we provide. The current situation demands of our volunteer service to be agile, to adapt and flex to respond effectively to our service needs.
- Whilst community engagement and fundraising activities are on hold, our volunteers continue to raise awareness about Migrant Action’s work using social media and other virtual communication platforms.
- We continue our volunteer peer support via Zoom, WhatsApp etc.
- We would like to thank all our volunteers for their support and contribution
- Recruitment for new volunteers is currently on hold until July 2020
Our commitment and overall goal
In this pandemic crisis despite our reduced service provision, Migrant Action remains committed to its core purpose and values. Our overall goal is to protect the rights, dignity, humanity and justice of vulnerable migrants particularly in this time of crisis. This will be ensured by our capacity to flex, adapt, collaborate and be resourceful working together in solidarity.
We pay huge tributes to the NHS and recognise the remarkable contribution of all migrants working in the NHS
Hope will triumph over despair!
Fidelis Chebe
Director- Migrant Action