It’s understood that the former Home Secretary, Priti Patel, had in her office a whiteboard setting out the priorities of the department, with Windrush very close to the bottom. And her time in charge of the Home Office made it abundantly clear that her primary concerns, rather than providing any…
Research by the National Children’s Bureau into our work with young people leaving care and their local authorities, funded by the Paul Hamlyn Foundation, was published today. We wanted to ensure the local authority identified children and young people whose immigration status was insecure, and supported them to access advice…
This is an account by someone we are supporting at GMIAU to apply for compensation through the Windrush Legal Initiative. I live in Essex. I came here in 1961 from India. My father was a civil engineer, he came here to work on the railways. The liner was supposed…
In August 2021, the Greater Manchester Patients Not Passports coalition called for signatures to an open letter to the NHS Trusts in Greater Manchester, alongside the Greater Manchester Health and Social Care Partnership and Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham. It called for support in ensuring that everyone has access to healthcare, regardless of…
On 3 April 2019, the Windrush Compensation Scheme (“WCS”) was launched. Since this time the end date has been lifted, the level of awards increased from a derisory level, preliminary payments have been made available and the application forms have been frequently adapted, yet the WCS remains unfit for purpose.…
Last week, GMIAU Policy Officer Rivka gave evidence to the Women and Equalities Committee as part of their inquiry, Equality and the UK Asylum Process. The evidence session focused on access to services for vulnerable people in the asylum process: financial support, accommodation, healthcare, children’s services and education. Here’s a…
The government have announced today that they will introduce “offshore processing” of asylum claims by detaining people seeking asylum in Rwanda while they wait to have their claims decided. GMIAU wholeheartedly opposes these plans. The idea of “offshoring” the asylum process is dehumanising, degrading and an abdication of moral responsibility towards…
Those of us who have been following the progress of the Nationality and Borders Bill – also known as the #AntiRefugeeBill – were disappointed, if not surprised, to learn that it had been passed by the House of Commons last week. MPs voted down amendments by the House of Lords…
Fatou Jinadu is GMIAU’s new Community Organiser. Thanks to funding from the Justice Together Initiative, as part of work in collaboration with IPPR and Praxis, Fatou joined us in February. Previously, she has worked at Visit From the Stork CIC and as a community radio host. We caught up with…
As bombs fall on Ukraine and millions have been forced to flee their homes, the UK government have once again been called upon to step up and support people in need of refuge. Once again, they have failed. A spate of confusing, badly-organised visa schemes have been rushed through in…