Speaking out

At GMIAU we see first-hand the experiences of many people in Greater Manchester who are affected by the UK’s immigration laws. As well as being lucky enough to share in people’s joys – when someone is granted refugee status or a family is reunited – we also witness how the immigration system deliberately treats people unjustly, with suspicion and disbelief.

We are committed to speaking out about the injustices we see through our work, identifying solutions and influencing decision-makers so that immigration laws and policies uphold the rights of the people they affect.

We do this by

• gathering evidence, carrying out research and analysing laws and policies
• supporting people affected by immigration control to speak out about their experiences
• briefing decision-makers, including civil servants and politicians
• working with our supporters to campaign for improvements to immigration law and policy
• speaking to the media about the impact of immigration laws on the people we represent

The four issues which GMIAU is currently focusing on are:

We work with significant numbers of children and young people, many of whom are separated children claiming asylum and others who are trafficked to the UK or have unresolved immigration issues. As well as our work providing immigration and public law services, we also have a youth worker who supports separated children in the North West through one-to-one support and through our monthly All4One youth group and our fortnightly Girls Group.

People who claim asylum in the UK are prohibited from working or claiming mainstream benefits. We believe that no one should be destitute as a result of their immigration status.

GMIAU runs a free service for refugees trying to reunite with their families in the North West.

As part of its plans to decrease immigration, the government has said it will deliberately create ‘a really hostile environment for illegal immigration’ in the UK. We believe that the government’s hostile environment measures encourage racial profiling, xenophobia and discrimination – they should be repealed. It is a scandal that every week people in Greater Manchester are deliberately made vulnerable to exploitation as a result of measures to create a hostile environment.