What is a SEF? The SEF stands for the statement of evidence form. It is part of the process of a child’s asylum claim. The statement of evidence has a list of standard questions including on the child’s circumstances, journey to the UK, nationality and reasons for claiming asylum. The SEF is completed with an immigration adviser…
January 2026 The government is currently consulting on their plans for “earned settlement”, a major overhaul of the rules governing when people can apply for indefinite leave to remain (a term used interchangeably with “settlement”). This briefing is to support local authorities to respond to the consultation, highlighting the likely…
January 2026 Introduction The government are consulting on their planned changes to settlement in the UK, known as “earned settlement”. These are changes that will make it much harder for people to receive indefinite leave to remain in the UK, and we are very worried about the impact on people…
Recently, we were thrilled to be awarded ‘Best New Pro Bono Activity’ at the LawWorks awards 2025 and ‘Frontline Agency of the Year’ at the Greater Manchester Pro Bono Awards 2025 for our eVisa pro bono project. We were also ‘Highly Commended’ in LawWorks’ Most Effective Pro Bono Partnership category…
On the 2nd October, we as GMIAU staff were horrified and heartbroken to hear news of the deadly attack on Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue in Crumpsall, the area where we have been based for 23 years. We know the effects of this antisemitic attack were felt not only in Manchester but across…
A message to people living in asylum hotels in Greater Manchester We are voluntary and community organisations based in Greater Manchester. We are writing to say that you are WELCOME here in our communities. We understand that you may not have chosen to come to Greater Manchester, but we hope…
Guide for young people In 2020, young people in the All4One youth group, supported by GMIAU, worked together to create a Guide to Age Assessments. This guide was written by young people, for young people, based on their lived experience of having their ages assessed. Through supporting each other as…
This week a new report by the Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration (ICIBI) found appalling failings in the Home Office’s age assessment process. At the same time, the Home Office announced they would attempt to start using Artificial Intelligence (AI) to assess children’s ages. At GMIAU we recently…
Dear Yvette Cooper, We are a group of young people from the All4One group. We all arrived as unaccompanied children to seek safety in the UK. We were all sent to adult asylum accommodation after having our ages disbelieved by the Home Office. We want to talk to you about…
Over recent years, thousands of children have been wrongly treated as adults by the Home Office. These children are in the UK on their own seeking asylum. Following decisions made by UK border officials that they are “significantly over 18” they have been sent alone to adult asylum accommodation, usually…