Migrant Action- continuing to support migrants during the Covid-19 lockdown

28th April 2020 by ficheb

Last Saturday, 25th April Migrant Action was in the community (Leeds and Bradford) responding to the emergency needs of vulnerable and destitute migrants/families.

Working in accordance to social distancing guidelines, we handed food parcels and vouchers but more importantly, our physical presence conveyed our #solidarity and #commitment to support vulnerable migrants in need.

Migrant Action remains committed to proactively responding to the ongoing effects of the #Covid-19 #lockdown, and developing new methods to support migrants during this time.

The Lockdown measures continue to disproportionately impact the most disadvantaged groups in society- this includes migrant families, who have no recourse to public funds.

📣 Migrant Action would like to pay particular thanks to the Paul Hamlyn Foundation for their ongoing support, which enables us to continue to respond to the needs of vulnerable migrants and work towards offsetting the social and economic inequalities made worse by the effects of the pandemic.

🗣⚠️ Migrant Action welcomes any donations of dried and long-life products, so that it can continue to support vulnerable persons during this time- drop-off will be arranged in a ‘socially-distanced’ manner.

🗣⚠️ Alternatively, if you know of anyone who may benefit from such support, please get in touch via the Facebook messenger feature or email info@migrantaction.org.uk

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Who we are

Migrant Action is an Advocacy and Rights based organisation providing information, guidance, advocacy support and direct practical assistance to vulnerable migrants. We work to ensure equity of rights and justice for vulnerable migrants. Migrant Action’s work is focused on migrants who do not fit into the ‘neat’ categories of migration including those who have fallen through the cracks of the immigration system. We do not work with asylum seekers and refugees but signpost them to the appropriate agencies.

Service provision for non-asylum seekers is undefined and limited. In Leeds, migrants seeking information, guidance, advice, advocacy and integration support struggle to find where to go to for help. Many vulnerable migrants are confined to the ‘edges’ of society and face daily, the real risk of exploitation, destitution, child poverty, detention, forced removal and deportations without access to justice. Vulnerable migrants with entrenched complex needs encounter restricted access to service provision which has far reaching implications for their health and well being. Migrant Action is set up in response to this gap in service provision working with other vulnerable migrants who are not asylum seekers.

By delivering early and proactive interventions, we aim to reduce vulnerability across categories of migrants and navigate positive pathways to integration. Through the support we offer, we combat and help to reduce the effects of the government’s increasingly ‘hostile environment’ policies on the people subject to these policies. Working in partnership with other agencies, we ensure positive choices and pathways for migrants, better access to justice, reduce vulnerability and exploitation, increase integration and contribute to wider system and social change.

Overall, Migrant Action is working to help create an environment whereby migrants feel welcome, equal and able to thrive.

How do we do this?

We adopt an early intervention, prevention and proactive in our work with migrants.

Provide a welcoming and safe space
Provide information and guidance to help migrants make informed choices
Help migrants to navigate and access good legal/immigration services
Provide advocacy support and facilitate access to mainstream services
Support integration- help migrants navigate community and social networks, training, volunteering, employment and other pathways for social integration
Activism- Working with other agencies to advocate and influence policy and social change

Who do we work with

Vulnerable migrants (victims of trafficking & modern slavery, People on temporary visas, unaccompanied minors, visa over stayers, undocumented/irregular migrants, people with insecure immigration status and anyone who is unsure of their immigration status
New migrants ( EU and Non-EU migrants)

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