The AIRE advice contract also involves advising refugees on what do if their claims are refused. The Home Office is “trying to gag” volunteers visiting an army barracks where asylum-seekers are being housed by using the Official Secrets Act, it is claimed. Migrant Help Civic & Social Organization Dover, Kent 849 followers We're a UK charity offering advice and support to refugees, victims of slavery and human trafficking and asylum seekers. “Support agencies are at breaking point trying to keep everyone’s heads above water and put emergency support in place. Another woman, who asked not to be named, said she and her two-year-old son recently had to endure two weeks without heating and hot water, leaving her child still suffering from a bad cold a fortnight later. The Home Office is considering permitting the use of nets to prevent migrants from crossing the Channel in small boats to the UK to claim asylum, … We do one wash a week, so sometimes we have no clean socks and underwear,” Ms Uka told The Independent. Mary Brandon, campaigns project manager at Asylum Matters for Yorkshire and Humberside, echoed his remarks, saying the department should bear responsibility for the failings. Vulnerable crime victims with insecure immigration status … “It’s terrible. The scale of the story finally forced the mainstream media to report on Mr Farage’s investigation. Home Office's denial of benefits to migrant families unlawful, court rules Read more Even before the pandemic hit, more than 40% of people across … We run a free asylum helpline available 24/7/365 and accessible to all asylum seekers in the UK. The Nigerian national, who with her children – aged 12, 15 and 19 – has just been granted asylum, meaning they will soon be moving out, said she first contacted Migrant Help two months ago to tell them their washing machine was broken. Until recently, NRM decision-making functions were handled by a combination of UK Visas and Immigration, Immigration Enforcement and the National Crime Agency. Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? While our governments fail to take responsibility for the human rights of refugees, in particular the highly vulnerable, we are committed to campaigning for them. They’re torturing us. We continue to provide humanitarian aid across Europe and beyond. A Migrant Help spokesperson said: “We are working very hard to make access to our services easier through a number of internal measures, as well as in cooperation with the asylum accommodation providers and other agencies within the immigration sector. “Sometimes I go to the laundrette, but paying for that takes something else away, like getting on the bus, or eating a meal, because we only get £5 a day.”, Ms Uka said that while things were not perfect when the service was provided by G4S, the private firm that previously took housing complaints, it was “better than this”, adding: “It’s got much worse. Head office If you have a business or service related enquiry, you can email us, call us on 01304 203977 or write to us on: Migrant Help, Charlton House, Dour Street, Dover, CT16 1AT. Please be respectful when making a comment and adhere to our Community Guidelines. The Government has announced a £10 million Refugee Children Fund for vulnerable children in the EU. A growing number of councils, charities and other organisations have pledged to boycott new Home Office rules to criminalise and deport migrant rough sleepers. As our governments continue to delay the refugee family reunion process (as demonstrated by this week’s Court of Appeal judgement to overturn the Zat ruling), these children continue to risk their lives every night trying to get to their families in the UK. Are you sure you want to mark this comment as inappropriate? The Home Office needs to take urgent action to address this situation,” she said. The Home Office is to stop using a video it put on social media accusing migrants' lawyers of being "activists". Read our full mailing list consent terms here. Start your Independent Premium subscription today. Alex Cunningham, MP for Stockton North, who raised the issue in the House of Commons last week, accused the government of “failing to ensure their new contract works for the people it’s there to serve”. Read the full section. Independent Premium Comments can be posted by members of our membership scheme, Independent Premium. I was stuck in the cold for two weeks. I was just waiting to hear somebody say ‘hello’. Our journalists will try to respond by joining the threads when they can to create a true meeting of independent Premium. Campaigners had hoped the new contract would lead to improvements to conditions in asylum housing, which was previously overseen by the private firms that provided the accommodation, and was already under scrutiny for reports of dirty and unsuitable living conditions. A Home Office spokesperson said: “We are working closely with Migrant Help to ensure that applications for support are delivered in a timely fashion. She added: “I never thought I would say this, but I miss G4S. Home office to deploy 'stealth squad' of speedboats and jet skis to catch Channel migrants Border Force is trialling a new high-speed boat as part of a hi-tech strategy to help detect and intercept migrant boats and catch smugglers On the existence of the camp in Calais and the living conditions: “That there are unofficial migrant camps at the border of two of Europe’s wealthiest nations is a matter of serious regret and concern….It is clear that there are many people in these camps entitled to humanitarian protection or refugee status, including some who should have their claims processed in the UK.”. Helen, a leading figure in the provision of welfare support to migrants, established our charity to give support to the high number of … You can also choose to be emailed when someone replies to your comment. Migrant Help was shortlisted for Charity Awards in 2016 for innovation in advice and support to asylum seekers. We are also recruiting additional staff.”. Both Migrant Help and the Home Office have admitted there are problems with asylum seekers receiving the assistance they are entitled to under the new system. The Home Office has been at the front line of this endeavour since 1782. About Migrant Help: Migrant Help is a leading charity that has been established for over 50 years and delivers a range of support and advice services to migrants across the UK. They don’t pick up the phone. He told The Independent: “I had hoped for a huge improvement in services for refugees, but it’s clear the system is failing due to lack of capacity. Ministers are being urged to act after it emerged asylum seekers, including single mothers with babies, have been living in “appalling” conditions for weeks on end due to “drastically increased” waiting times for the new contractor to respond to complaints. When considering an application for emergency support, the Home Office need to assess if that is the case for you now. 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