Written by GMIAU volunteer Challoner Zon When the Home Secretary describes impassioned anti-racism protests as “dreadful”, and a government commissioned race report belittles Black Lives Matter protesters as “idealistic”, we should all be worried. This is not a new perspective from the current government; it represents an escalation, another step…
Today, we published our new report, “Wasted childhoods: the impact of COVID-19 asylum delays on children in the North West of England”. We showed that children have been waiting well over a year to get a decision on their asylum claim. They came to the UK looking for safety, often…
Today we’ve published a new report, “Wasted childhoods: the impact of COVID-19 asylum delays on children in the North West of England”. You can download it here. Don’t have time to read the full report? Scroll down for our key findings and recommendations. It’s also been reported in the Guardian…
Today, March 23rd 2021, is the one year anniversary of the first UK lockdown. At the time, we packed up and left the office, thinking it would just be for a few weeks. And in the following months we began to reflect on what we could learn from this year…
In this post, we’re sharing information about the 2021 UK Census. People who are already vulnerable, like those with insecure immigration status, may be less likely to complete the census. But this means that not only are those people at risk of being fined – they’re at risk of being…
Denise McDowell, GMIAU’s Director, was interviewed as part of a blog series by the Legal Education Foundation. She spoke about the overwhelming early days of the Covid-19 pandemic, when it became clear that we were facing “something bigger and different from anything we had experienced before”. Since then, flexibility from…
In this guest blog by Charlotte at The Booth Centre and Independent Homeless Partnership Coordinator Niall, they explain the Manchester Homeless Partnership. A joint approach between Manchester City Council, charities, businesses and volunteers is making sure people have a place to sleep. Severe cold weather can be a life-or-death situation…
A year ago today, Manchester City Council signed a pledge to its children and young people affected by Brexit immigration changes. The pledge set out three practical commitments so that Manchester’s “looked after children and care leavers will not become part of the next Windrush generation.” A year later, as we…
The NHS is vaccinating millions of people against Covid-19. But people with insecure immigration status, or no status at all, may incorrectly think that they can’t go to a doctor. You are entitled to register with a GP and receive the vaccine, regardless of your immigration status. You do…
In autumn 2018, we started talking to local authorities across the North West about how they support children in care and care leavers with insecure immigration status. Funded by the Paul Hamlyn Foundation (alongside Bristol Refugee Rights, The Children’s Society and PAFRAS in Leeds, and South London Refugee Association) we…
We recently supported a young woman who is in the UK alone with two children. She’s supported by the local council, and until recently was living in a small hotel room with her children. Maria, GMIAU’s social worker, informed her that even though she has no recourse to public funds…
Year 9 students at the Co-op Academy Manchester have been exploring ideas of protest by writing about the refugee crisis in their English class. Inspired by Unicef’s story of Hiba, a Syrian refugee, they’ve written persuasive pieces arguing that the UK should welcome refugees. At GMIAU we loved reading these…
With the help of 123 wonderful donors, we met our £5,000 Crowdfunder target. Thank you!
The least children can ask is that they are believed and treated as children, not accused of lying about their age.
The least children can ask is that they are believed and treated as children, not accused of lying about their age.
This year lots of us have used reading as a distraction from the world around us. For much of 2020 it’s been the only way to escape – to have adventures, leave our houses and meet new people. Over the summer we wrote about the books people at GMIAU have…
This is part of our blog series about the journey taken and the barriers faced by children and young people who arrive alone in the UK to seek asylum. To help us continue our work with those young people, please support our Crowdfunder campaign. Our youth is formative. It’s the…
Today, leaders from Greater Manchester Combined Authority have issued an open statement expressing “profound concern” about the possibility of people seeking asylum being evicted from their accommodation. You can read their full statement here. In it, they say “…the reality for many is homelessness and destitution. The timing of this…
This is part of our blog series about the journey taken and the barriers faced by children and young people who arrive alone in the UK to seek asylum. To help us continue our work with those young people, please support our Crowdfunder campaign. Every child deserves to play safely…
The image exists in everyone’s mind – the rickety boats; the churning water; life-jacketed people; hopeful eyes searching for safety. Young people we support make this perilous journey across the channel on their own. But what is waiting for them once they reach land?
We’ve launched a campaign with support from Crowdfunder, based around our work with children and young people. We’d love it if you could support us. Young people seeking asylum in Greater Manchester need our help more than ever. We’re currently supporting around 200 children – that’s a quarter of our…
This month, Anwar Ditta featured on the Tell A Friend podcast, interviewed by Bryan Knight. It was a chance to hear an incredibly important story. Along with the Viraj Mendis Defence Campaign and others, Anwar’s campaign to be reunited with her children – who were born in Pakistan, while Anwar had been born in the UK – created the backdrop and momentum behind the setting up of GMIAU.
John Clegg’s family asked that donations be made to GMIAU in his memory. We’d like to thank all the people who generously donated. John Clegg, who was one of the key people involved in the origins and foundation of the Greater Manchester Immigration Aid Unit, died on Saturday 7th November 2020.…
From the 27th of October 2020 the Immigration Health Surcharge will increase from £400 to £624 per year. This price hike is unjust in the face of an economically destabilising pandemic, but is perfectly in step with the Home Office’s increasingly iniquitous attitude towards migrant healthcare. Although the Immigration Health…
Today GMIAU publishes a new report into the changes made to the immigration system due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 2020 has self-evidently presented huge challenges for people trying to navigate the immigration system, as well as for the Home Office and the courts in carrying out their functions, and for…
In March, the UK government announced a pause in the evictions of people who had had their asylum applications refused (and who do not have an outstanding appeal). Now, this measure has been lifted and the government has announced that evictions will begin again. People who have been refused asylum…
Written by Maike Bohn, Co-founder, the3million This week, the House of Lords is debating an amendment to the immigration bill that is hugely important to the future of millions of EU citizens: to give everyone who needs it a physical proof of their right to live and work in the UK.…
Do you want to help end the Hostile Environment? Build your policy, influencing and communications experience? Support children, young people and families to speak out about their experiences of immigration control? Then come work for us! We are looking for someone to join us as our Policy Officer to help deliver…
This week, in a report examining immigration enforcement, MPs on the Public Accounts Committee concluded that the Home Office “does not make decisions based on evidence, it instead risks making them on anecdote, assumption, and prejudice.” It’s the latest in a string of reports released in the last three months…
Rebecca Tooth is a Progression Coach at Statham House, a supported accommodation service for looked after children by the charity DePaul. Here she talks about her work at Statham House supporting young people who have had their age disputed, and how the guide will be helpful to young people in this situation.
Laura Gibbons, GMIAU’s Public Law Solicitor, explains the process of creating the four Young People’s Guides To Age Assessments with the All4One Youth Group.
On the 9th of September, we’re having an online launch. We’ll be publishing our four new guides to the Age Assessment process You can find more details about those materials below, which will be available on our website from the launch date.
Roxanne Nanton is an Age Dispute Advisor at the Refugee Council. Here she talks about her work supporting young people who have their ages disputed and acting as Appropriate Adult in age assessments.
Arman* was age disputed upon arrival to the UK from Iran. He was helped by a solicitor and his age was accepted. He has been granted refugee status and has moved on to independent living after turning 18 years old.
In this guest blog, practitioners at The Children’s Society describe their experiences supporting young people through the age assessments process, and how our guide will be useful. Unaccompanied young people come to the UK seeking safety and an opportunity to continue their lives.
These are the words of Hiwa*, a young person GMIAU supported, who came to the UK from Iran. He was detained following his age being disputed. A solicitor helped to secure his release from detention, and Hiwa subsequently had his age accepted.
You can register with a GP and access the Covid-19 vaccine regardless of your immigration status. Click here to learn more. We cannot advise on Covid-related travel restrictions and PCR testing for travel. We are in contact with all our existing clients and we will continue to advise and represent…
Applications are now open for the Justice First Fellowship, where you can apply for a training contract with GMIAU, This is an exciting opportunity to make a difference as a solicitor practicing in immigration law. We are looking for someone to join our team of 12 immigration caseworkers and solicitors…
We like books. It’s one of the things we talked about before lockdown when we were catching up over the tea round (on our floor: lots of coffee, an Earl Grey and a builders brew with a splash of milk) or standing around the office photocopier while it spewed out…
In 2019, our 30th birthday gave us a chance to look over some materials from our early days, from the founding of GMIAU in 1989. As we approach our 31st birthday, the events of 2020 have shed new light on our history and our role, then and now. The Covid-19…
What do you dream of? Here are Hanna’s dreams. She wants to study finance and accounting. She’s thinking about which universities – maybe Scotland or Wales. Time to get to know another part of the UK. She’s got big dreams. Of travel. Of soaking up learning like a sponge. It’s exciting.…
This week’s blog is expertly written by someone we support at GMIAU. For more information about the #LiftTheBan campaign, and the campaign’s newly released report, go to https://www.refugee-action.org.uk/ I want to speak with you. But I can’t tell you my name. I live in Greater Manchester. I’m a mum.I’m a doctor. I’m seeking asylum.The…
GMIAU featured in the Independent this week, as part of their reporting on the injustices faced by families trying to get appointments at visa centres. This leaves people who are legally allowed to be here – refugees and others with leave to remain – without documentation to prove it, meaning…
The 2019-21 Domestic Abuse Bill is currently moving through the Houses of Parliament, and is now in the Report stage. Various groups – like Safety4Sisters, Southall Black Sisters, the Latin American Women’s Rights Service, and the Step Up Migrant Women coalition – have spoken out about the inadequacies of the…
Anna, 15, is originally from Latvia. She came to the UK when she was 8 and has been in the care of children’s services for the past 3 years. She lives with foster carers in Greater Manchester. Marie, her social worker, was aware that Brexit might affect Anna’s situation but…
30 June 2021. One year today. The last day for our friends, family members and neighbours affected by Brexit immigration changes to apply to the EU Settlement Scheme. The opening of the EU Settlement Scheme in March 2019 seems a world away. The bus stop posters with cups of tea,…
We wrote recently about lockdown providing “opportunities to make gains against the Hostile Environment that seemed wildly optimistic at the start of 2020” especially for last month’s low skilled migrants, re-branded as the essential keyworkers they always were. There are so many differences in our individual experiences of the last…
What is NRPF? Hundreds of people in Greater Manchester are living with No Recourse to Public Funds (NRPF) conditions on their immigration status. It sounds like a technicality, added to a visa as an afterthought. In practice it is a brutal, racist, misogynistic and immoral part of the Hostile Environment.…
This week the Immigration and Social Security Co-ordination (EU Withdrawal) Bill – which will end EU free movement in the UK – faces scrutiny in the House of Commons as a group of selected MPs go through it line by line. For the government the Bill is all about exerting…
January feels like another world. Social distancing, shielding, self-isolation: words that weren’t part of our vocabulary as we began 2020, preoccupied with the brutality of the Hostile Environment and the government’s Brexit immigration plans. Instead, like everyone else, through February and March we scrambled to keep up with the impact…
COVID-19 has brought into sharp relief the truth that we are all in this together; no one is safe until we are all safe. There must be no going back to the divisive policies of austerity and the hostile environment after COVID-19. During the pandemic, essential measures to contain the…
GMIAU social media volunteer Max Goddard wrote this blog post, reflecting on the role of key workers in the Covid-19 crisis. When COVID-19 plunged our country into darkness, it was our key workers who stood tall with torches, ready to lead us to light. We do not know how long…
I grew up in a small village in Sudan. My dad had been taken from home to fight for the opposition when I was about 10. I never saw him again. I lived at home with my mum, brothers and sisters until I was arrested and detained because the police…
When I was about 14 I was brought to the UK by a relative. We had visitor’s visas and I thought we were going on holiday. Instead I was left with a large Ghanaian family I’d never met and ended up cleaning, cooking and looking after their children. I wasn’t…
COVID-19 has made it abundantly clear that the divisive politics of austerity and the hostile environment have left us all less safe and more vulnerable. There can be no going back to ‘business as usual’ after the pandemic: no more good migrant versus bad migrant, benefit claimant versus tax payer.…
2019 commemorates the 70th anniversary of Britain’s modern system of Legal Aid, inaugurated by Clement Attlee’s Labour Government in the wake of World War Two. This element of the ‘cradle to grave’ welfare system, based on the Beveridge Report recommendations, was to ensure that all had adequate access to fair…
On Saturday 16th November 2019 GMIAU held our Annual General Meeting. Thank you to all who attended and took part in the raffle which raised £95. GMIAU relies on donations and fundraising to keep services running. On a yearly basis we give advice and support to around 5000 people facing…
Today GMIAU has released a new report “Not so straightforward” about the experiences of children in care and care leavers in Greater Manchester affected by Brexit immigration changes. In spring 2019, bus stops around Greater Manchester started to carry posters – with pictures of cups of tea on – advising…
We are recruiting. Help Greater Manchester Immigration Aid Unit by becoming a Trustee. Do you believe that every person who claims asylum in the UK has the right to a rapid, fair and humane assessment of their claim? Do you believe that someone who is newly arrived from another country,…
30 years ago, GMIAU was set up by ardent campaigners after lobbying Greater Manchester councils. Originally based in Manchester Town Hall with 4 workers, GMIAU has supported many thousands of people subject to immigration control to achieve settlement and security and fight the barriers of hostile immigration laws, media rhetoric…
Young people from our All4One youth group have written #SixThings. It’s their ‘how to’ guide for local authority staff and others about the support they need as young people in care affected by immigration control. All those who wrote it are on their own in the UK, seeking asylum and…
Declaration is a mixed media music and video performance and digital art installation led by artist Kooj Chuhan and composer Tagné Tebu. It focuses on jazz improvisation but incorporates improvisatory approaches from India, Africa, Middle East. Improvisatory approaches will drive narrative development and the video projection to reflect the respective…
Last month one of our solicitors – Nadia Hussain – was invited to speak at the Inspirational Women of the Law event at Newcastle Law School. The day celebrated the achievements of iconic and influential women who have a strong connection to the law, including legal practitioners, judges and campaigners.…
Several weeks ago, we were contacted by Manchester music and art collective Levelz to let us know that they were putting on a fundraiser to raise money to help us continue fighting for migrant rights, as part of efforts to raise awareness for the Windrush Campaign. An all-star Mancunian lineup…
We are looking for someone to work in our Liverpool office on Bold Street. The post: Administrator The hours: 14 hours per week The pay: £17,972 (pro rata for 14 hours). The main duties include: maintaining files and filing systems, photocopying, faxing and general duties such as contacting clients, and…
To read more about Rosie’s experiences with our Refugee Family Reunion project, please download the below document.
People who claim asylum in the UK, and are either recognised as refugees or given humanitarian protection, are able to apply for their separated family members to join them. The UK’s Immigration Rules allow married or civil partners, same-sex partners and children aged 17 or under to apply to reunite…
We’ve advocated for the rights of over 1,000 people in 2018, ensuring access to safety and the chance to begin to build a new life in the North West. As we look towards the coming year, we know that there are so many more battles ahead. We are proud to…
I left Malawi because of my family. After my husband died my father wanted me to marry…
Solicitor’s at GMIAU have now put together a full report with insights in to the lessons learned so far from the Windrush Scandal, and how the Home Office have responded to it. It is intended to provide insight in to the legal aspects of how members of the Windrush generation…
As part of our commitment to assisting the next generation of social welfare lawyers, we had Dylan, a student of International and European Law at The Hague, Netherlands, complete a two week placement last month. Here is what he had to say about the experience. “I spent two weeks at…
Windrush compensation scheme consultation Greater Manchester Immigration Aid Unit is a voluntary organisation who have been supporting people subject to immigration control for over 25 years. We deal mainly with asylum and human rights cases but have also dealt with a number of ‘Windrush’ cases. We have highlighted below some…
Cuts to legal aid for immigration issues mean members of the Windrush generation may be denied justice as they try to settle their status and rebuild their lives, the Law Society of England and Wales warned today. Law Society president Joe Egan said: “As far too many people who came…
Following the most recent developments from the Home Office regarding the legal status of those within the Windrush Generation, we have now included a section on our website which outlines as simply as possible our advice on how to proceed. You can access this by clicking here. We will be…
Apology In the face of growing pressure, after the Prime Minister’s office had originally declined a meeting, Theresa May apologised to Caribbean leaders today for the treatment of Windrush citizens and stated that “Those who arrived from the Caribbean before 1973 and lived here permanently without significant periods of time…
Thank you to everyone who supported the fundraising appeal to raise vital funds for GMIAU’s destitution project (ASHA). ASHA (Asylum Support Housing Advice) is a very busy service which helps people who are seeking asylum or who have been refused and are facing destitution and homelessness and sees over 1000…
Experienced Immigration Solicitor/Caseworker Level 2 GMIAU is seeking to recruit a committed and experienced immigration caseworker with proven experience of providing advice and representation in immigration, asylum, and human rights cases. For an informal discussion about the post please contact Denise McDowell, Director, on 0161 769 8822 or via denise@gmiau.org.…
We are pleased to announce the launch of our inaugural impact report, published earlier this year in November 2017. Our report is intended to shine a light on some of the work that our dedicated team of staff and volunteers complete on a daily basis, as well as highlighting some…
I have four children and my mother also lives close by. Before we came here, our life was very, very good and the children were in a good school. I had a career as an engineer. Suddenly everything changed. I had to keep my children safe and we had no…
I first came to the UK in 2006. It was very difficult in Zimbabwe, the people who were supposed to help you would attack you. It was difficult to know who to trust. It was very, very difficult. My wife and child got their leave to remain in the UK…
The All4One group was set up to create a safe social space for children and young people between the ages of 13 and 21 who are seeking asylum or have been trafficked, and are living on their own in Manchester. The group meets monthly for fun activities, trips and events.…
A study of the experiences of children from the Calais ‘jungle’, now claiming asylum in the North West of England, shows why we must speak up for refugees during the election campaign. The door into Greater Manchester Immigration Aid Unit is on the corner of two busy roads near a…
Our policy officer has prepared a background paper for the work we are doing with children from the Calais camp. The paper provides information on the following headings: Context How can children in Calais/France enter the UK? What is the Dublin III regulation? What is the Dubs Amendment? What is…
At GMIAU we continue to make the case for Letting More Dubs Children In. Thank you to everyone who has helped spread the message. News that the camp at Grande-Synthe outside Dunkirk was destroyed by a fire in April only demonstrated the urgent need for children to have access to…
GMIAU director Denise McDowell was recently invited by the University of Manchester to work with a Student Group on the module – The Anthropology of Development and Humanitarianism. The students presented their research on the subject of “how anthropology can help to think about the issue of refugees and people…
The announcement by government that they are to stop the scheme to bring vulnerable lone refugee children to the UK under the Dubs amendment to the Immigration Act 2016 has shocked and outraged many of us. The government seeks to blame local authorities. However, many believe that the government failed…
It was a bittersweet evening as Trustees, staff, volunteers and students gathered to thank Rev Andy Braunston for his outstanding leadership and valuable contributions made over the last decade as Chair of the Board of Trustees at Greater Manchester Immigration Aid Unit. Through thick and thin Andy was a strategic…
Why are there children from the Calais camp in the North West? For over 15 years there have been transit camps in the French city of Calais, where people have gathered to cross the channel to the UK. Many of those who enter the UK from the Calais camp are…
Families in the UK that open their doors to child relatives fleeing the camps of Calais are being penalised by stringent rules on legal aid. It was a cold winter day last year and the small waiting room at Greater Manchester Immigration Aid Unit is cramped as usual with clients…
The Legal Education Foundation’s innovative Justice First Fellowship has passed an important milestone, with its first ever intake of fellows qualifying as solicitors. The nine solicitor Fellows who joined the then embryonic scheme in 2014 completed their legal training at some of the country’s leading social welfare organisations, including Public…
Calais children need a lawyer: social workers in contact with children from the Calais camp must make sure they have access to an immigration lawyer. Which children are we talking about? Small numbers of children from the camp in Calais are coming to the UK because they have family members…
Peter is a young man from Zimbabwe. A victim of the country’s economic crisis, he was forced to try and make a living by illegally panning for gold. He was not interested in politics, but his four childhood friends were all members of the MDC. As a result, he was…
In Uganda it is illegal to be gay. At the moment the maximum is 14 years and it is on course to be the death penalty. That is what I was running away from. My partner and I were put in prison, but it is a corrupt country so my…
Nasrin is from Iran. When she was 21, she came under pressure from her family to marry. She did not want to marry, preferring to pursue a career, but felt she had no choice – women do not have many options in Iran. Nasrin’s husband was violent to her from…
We left Iran because of my mother’s problems. I was only thirteen but I got the vibes that there is no free speech, no equality of men and women, differences in the legal terms that apply to men and women. She had issues with my Dad who was really part…
Mohamed is from Somalia. He fled the civil war that has been going on there since 1991. He is a member of a small clan, which cannot protect itself from the larger clans who are in control. Mohamed was lucky – he was granted refugee status by the Home Office.…
I left the Democratic Republic of Congo because of my involvement with a dissident newspaper. (There is no freedom of the press in DRC). I had an internet cafe and they were using my machines to type. I was hosting that group in my office without knowing what the risk…
Josephine was only 6 years old when both her parents were killed in Angola’s civil war. She is from Cabinda, which is a part of Angola which is seeking independence and has been the scene of a long running conflict as a result. Josephine cannot remember exactly what happened to…
I left Malawi because of my family. After my husband died my father wanted me to marry my husband’s brother because he was in business with him. At the end of the day it was like inheriting his brother’s possessions and it suited him that my brother-in- law was taking…
We understand that there is widespread concern about the outcome of the EU Referendum. There are already increased reports of racism and hate crime. Greater Manchester Immigration Aid Unit exists to support anyone who is subject to immigration control and to oppose racism in all its forms. This is a…