December 2024 Who is this information for? This information about human rights assessments is for local authorities in the North West of England, who are supporting separated children and young people seeking asylum in the UK and care leavers. It covers what a human rights assessment is, when they should…
Click here to download our new briefing. In April 2024, the Conservative government’s Rwanda policy became law through the Safety of Rwanda Act (2024). Despite the UK Supreme Court having found the policy unlawful, the then government ramped up attempts to remove people to Rwanda rather than considering their asylum…
We are GMIAU’s action group of people on the 10-year route to settlement. The 10-year route is an immigration pathway that requires us to renew our temporary leave to remain in the UK frequently, every 2.5 years, and pay high visa fees, until we have built up 10 years and…
August 2024 As organisations working in Greater Manchester, after more than a week of shocking far-right violence, we want to state our support for and solidarity with communities who are under attack. People seeking asylum, Muslims, and Black and brown people are being targeted in their homes, businesses, workplaces and…
August 2024 This is a resource for professionals working with children in the asylum system who are interested in volunteering. It is important to understand the distinction between volunteering, which is permitted for children in the asylum system, and unpaid work or exploitation. Current legislation: Under current legislation people seeking…
Through the Greater Manchester Strategy, our politicians have committed to make Greater Manchester a place “where everyone can live a good life, growing up, getting on and growing old in a greener, fairer more prosperous city region”. But at Greater Manchester Immigration Aid Unit (GMIAU) we know that all too…
Supporting people on the 10-year route to settlement in the North West: A briefing for local authorities Today we have published a joint briefing with the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR). It aims to provide local authorities with practical information, to ensure that all those who call the North…
Briefing for Local Authorities on the Illegal Migration Act 2023 and its implications for unaccompanied children May 2024 Key message:The Illegal Migration Act 2023 (IMA) is set to greatly change the protections offered to children and adults arriving in the UK to seek asylum. Not all parts of the IMA…
We have released a new report and policy briefing with the Boaz Trust about destitution in Greater Manchester. The report finds that people in the city-region are forced into destitution for years, sometimes decades, as a result of their immigration status. One woman interviewed spent 16 years in immigration limbo. …
Blog by Will Wheeler This blog post discusses an article by GMIAU’s Policy Officer Will Wheeler. The article, based on ethnographic research Will conducted in a previous role at the University of Manchester, discusses trauma and suicide in the asylum system. The first part of the blog explains the article’s…