Access to Justice: Helping Newham-based migrants assert their rights via free legal representation
From "People Powered Stratford & West Ham"
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Proposed budget
Description
We will deliver free immigration legal representation to migrants, refugees and asylum seekers (RAS) in Newham who would otherwise be unable to afford/access support. Our project will help migrants regularise/improve their immigration status on all legal grounds, this in turn will enable migrants to escape anxiety around detention/deportation, assert their rights to benefits, statutory healthcare, further education and feel settled in the community.
We provide full legal representation (never one-off advice). This ensures we address the root-causes of clients’ crises, rather than passing them from agency-to-agency. As an IAA level-3 accredited charity, we can conduct appeals, this means we can overturn wrongful refusals, and only conclude clients’ cases once they’ve reached the best possible outcome.
This funding will help us support Newham-based migrants one day per week. Our advisor/solicitor will help clients:
- Register children as citizens/naturalise as citizens
- Regularise their status by applying for leave to remain based on their private/family life.
- Renew status (and apply for fee waivers as applicable) for migrants on the 10-year route/other long-term settlement routes.
- Request change-of-conditions; so those with no recourse to public funds can access benefits.
- Apply for indefinite leave to remain (ILR) and request discretionary fee waivers so poor/destitute clients can avoid fees.
- Apply for asylum/navigate the asylum process.
- Conduct appeals to overturn wrongful refusals.
- Submit late EUSS applications for European nationals and their family members.
- Register their eVisas (so they can prove their status)
We will also refer destitute clients to RAMFEL’s foodbank, ensuring they never go hungry whilst awaiting status/benefits. Similarly, RAS-clients experience asylum-housing, benefit/income and other issues will be referred to our destitution casework service (subject to capacity).