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MIGRANT HELP

IMPACT REP ORT LOOKING BACK AT 2020/21 8

“ Without your support and help, I wouldn’t have been able to survive the last year. Migrant Help is the umbrella in this rainy weather of my life. Without their excellent services, I would have felt helpless and alone. One lifetime is not enough to thank them for all they have done for me.” 8

Help when it’s needed most To leave behind your home, your family, your culture and your language is not a decision anyone takes lightly. Yet, for those fleeing war, violence, exploitation or oppression, it can be the only option.

Our work matters. It supports and guides vulnerable adults, children and families as they try to find a safe home and a better future. In this report, you'll hear about our work in 2020/2021 and the lives that have been changed thanks to the determination of these individuals, our teams and our partners.

“I call myself a survivor…” I was born and raised in a village with the joys of a simple life. My father always taught us about selflessness, generosity and having a genuine concern for others. He never talked about human trafficking, as such cruelty was perhaps far beyond his imagination. My problems started when I was rendered homeless. I felt so embarrassed and desperate that I trusted anyone who offered me any form of help. One day, while still in my home country, I was approached by some individuals who sympathised with my situation and offered to help. I accepted without questions, and they gave me food and shelter. They also offered to help me relocate to the UK, where I would have prospects for a better life. I naively trusted these people and agreed to their plans. Little did I know that I had fallen into a trap of human traffickers who, upon arrival to the UK, subjected me to all sorts of inhumane treatment, including torture. I eventually managed to escape and received immense support from the police and was signposted to the National Referral Mechanism (NRM). Entry into the NRM changed my life. I was referred to the Salvation Army and subsequently to Migrant Help, who have offered me unwavering support. I was allocated an adviser called Amir who has given me a lot of moral and practical assistance. I am now registered with a GP, enrolled for weekly subsistence, and receive psychosocial support, among others. All of this has transformed my general wellbeing.

Thanks to Migrant Help, I now live in safe and secure accommodation, I am treated with dignity and am on my journey to self-sufficiency. This experience has brought to life my father’s lessons and, despite what I have gone through, I still believe in kindness and treating human beings with the dignity and respect that they deserve.

our vision

Our vision is for a global society that protects victims of exploitation and displacement, t

We believe everyone deserves to feel safe and have their human rights protected.

our values 14

We respect and celebrate everyone’s individual experience and ensure inclusion is at the heart of our work.

We believe in fairness and equality of opportunity. This is central to everything we do.

treats them with respect and enables them to thrive as individuals.

We are committed to working in partnership and with all those who help us achieve our vision.

We are committed to embracing new ways of working that deliver ever more effective services.

We are dedicated to providing the best quality services and achieving the highest standard of client care.

“Being disabled, John has been my voice. He has worked tirelessly to make sure things are sorted out for me… he has never relented. John is very kind, very understanding, and good at his job. A huge thank you for all the help and support I’ve received from you.”

How we help We work across the UK to deliver evolving services to help vulnerable people. These include:

a year of positiv 18

ve change

I have dreams Our dreams have a unique power to open discussions and unite people. That is why for International Migrants Day 2020 we released a video that shared the experiences and dreams of five Syrian families from our refugee resettlement service. The campaign reached more than 120 million people and was featured across the world.

Anti-Slavery Day Many people are not aware of the global scale of slavery, or that a lot of it happens in plain sight on our streets in the UK. That is why this Anti-Slavery Day we created a series of blogs, infographics and videos, aimed to educate on the subject. We shared practical information that could help identify people trapped in slavery and what to do next.

Connecting Scotland When schools and colleges closed during the pandemic, children and adult learners alike had to move their lessons into their homes. These changes were particularly devastating for the people we support, who have limited resources and access to technology. We received funding from Connecting Scotland to provide computer equipment to 10 families in Scotland, to keep them connected and learning during lockdown.

Youth Welfare Officer We have been working in partnership with Refugee Council, Young Roots, MEENA, and Refugee Rights to deliver a Youth Welfare Officer project in Birmingham. This project provided support to vulnerable young men between 18 and 25, who are often a group with a high risk of suicide and self-harm. It was such a success that we are now running a similar project in London.

InPower project Clear Voice, our social enterprise, wanted to support and invest in the future of refugees, helping them build a career in the UK. To do so, they launched the InPower Project an initiative that trains migrants to become professional interpreters. Having completed the course, the trainees can join the workforce by becoming part of the Clear Voice team.

Policy The Home Secretary’s New Plan for Immigration was published in March, containing a number of measures that we are very concerned about. We feel the proposal creates an

adverse environment towards those seeking asylum and will foster a culture of intolerance and mistrust. We believe that the Refugee Convention 1951 protects the rights of those seeking asylum in the UK without regard to the route by which they arrived. The UK has been a world leader in support of survivors of human trafficking and modern slavery in recent years and some proposed measures would undo that progress, making it more difficult for survivors to access help. We have responded to the government’s consultation and will continue to campaign around the

Nationality and Borders Bill as it makes its way through Parliament. 22 8

“Thank you for becoming a light in this dark period of my life and for making me feel equal and part of society.” 8

“The words ‘thank you’ are too small to express my gratitude for everything you have done for me.” 25

Every year, thousands of individuals and families are forced to leave their homes due to violations of their human rights. Many are fleeing war and conflict, or persecution based on who they are, what they do, what they believe and who they love. These people often undergo risky journeys, fraught with danger and uncertainty. Our role is to protect vulnerable people once they have reached the UK. We help people seeking asylum to apply for accommodation and financial support and offer advice throughout their asylum journey. We also provide support during the post-decision period, whether the outcome has been positive or negative.

Asylum helpline Our proudest achievement during this year was our ability to continue working and supporting our vulnerable clients throughout the pandemic when other charities were having to close their doors. The number of people calling our helpline doubled during the year, with approximately 30,000

calls being made in April 2020 and 60,000 in March 2021. Despite the challenging circumstances, which on occasions caused increased wait times, we continued to assist our clients to a high standard, available 24/7 and this increased client confidence in the services we provide.

Our staff numbers also grew over the year to help us deal with these increasing volumes. We worked to fill any identified gaps, and, with the support of the Strategy team, we created additional tools, such as a directory of organisations offering mental health support in other languages. We also conducted additional check-ins for vulnerable clients through our

Outreach service.

The use of our Self-Service Portal increased across the year. Many of our clients now feel confident to use both webchat and the enquiry form to alert us to issues or access support, which has been fantastic to see. We continue to work with our partner organisations to encourage clients to use these tools. This year has been an extremely challenging one across the globe and these difficulties were reflected in the nature of calls coming to us. To support the wellbeing and resilience of our advisers, we provided additional training

courses and support to help manage these calls and the impact they have on our staff. We adapted to home working quickly and seamlessly with teams supporting each other and ensuring that we were able to offer the best possible service to those needing our help. Overall, the last 12 months brought us closer together as a team and reminded us of why our work is so important.

Outreach This service exists to offer specialist appointments to some of our most vulnerable clients who, for a variety of reasons, are unable to access support through the usual channels, such as our helpline. The number of clients we assisted through Outreach has doubled this year, to a weekly average of 95 referrals and we are happy to have been able to keep up with the demand. We introduced welfare calls when we were required to limit face-to-face appointments to ensure none of our clients became isolated during lockdown. 30

We have also commissioned other organisations to help us provide these services, including:

“I want to express my sincere thanks to Silvia, one of the most wonderful women I have ever known in my life. Thank you for your positivity, thank you for welcoming me with a smile in every meeting. Your sincere smile gave me courage. Thank you for making me see the world with more colour with your kindness. Thank you for always being there waiting for me every month.” 32

Escaping honour-based violence Following an incident in an asylum accommodation property, we received an outreach referral for a client who was experiencing honour-based violence in their local area. Honour-based violence is described by the Crown Prosecution Service as an incident or crime ‘which has, or may have, been committed to protect or defend the ‘honour’ of the family and/or the community’.

Our Outreach team worked closely with the accommodation provider’s Safeguarding Hub and the police to ensure the incident was reported appropriately. This joint work meant that the client was able to quickly move into a new accommodation where they felt safe. The Outreach team continued to support the person by engaging with the police and offering further advice and signposting around this issue.

Military barracks Like many others, we were concerned by the decision to use military barracks in

Folkestone and Penally to house people seeking asylum, and what impact it may have on this vulnerable client group. At the same time, we felt it was important for us to be present at the sites and offer as much support as possible. We used our charitable funds to employ two Community Support Workers to assist with accessing social, emotional and practical help. Our team worked alongside local charities and businesses who were amazing in extending offers of help. We also created a series of video briefings for those accommodated at these sites explaining the asylum process, access to health and other services, and provided them in a number of languages. These briefings are now being used across the country.

“Thank you for becoming a light in this dark period of my life and for making me feel equal and part of society.” 37

“Even though we were in an office, you brought colouring crayons and paper so that my daughter could draw and not get bored. I wanted to say that in those moments I felt like you were colouring our whole lives.”

Move On Waiting for a decision on an asylum claim is a difficult time for our clients. But the challenges do not stop once a decision is received. Our Move On service helps individuals and families with their next steps, whether they mean preparing for a new life in the UK, appealing the decision or leaving the UK. In the past year, we assisted 1738 clients following a positive decision on their asylum claim and

328 after a negative decision. As with all services, Move On was affected by the pandemic. There were fewer decisions made on asylum claims and support was continued regardless of potential outcomes. As a result, we have assisted fewer clients in this particular service. Our Move On partners, Reed in Partnership, Welsh Refugee Council and

Bryson Intercultural, have been a phenomenal support this past year.

Ami’s story Ami* was a migrant who, due to housing shortages, was relocated from London to Liverpool against her wishes. Ami wanted to remain in London for two reasons: family and ambition. She was fluent in English and had the dream of working as a flight attendant. In London, Ami had the support of her family and, she believed, better career chances due to there being six airports around the city. Unfortunately, Ami had to leave London and, when she arrived in Liverpool, she felt very lonely and adrift.

*Not her real name

One of Migrant Help’s partners, Reed in Partnership, reached out to Ami to try and help her get back on her feet in this new city. Ami shared her ambition with the Reed team and in response, they arranged several online educational courses. These nationally recognised qualifications could be put towards her goal of being a flight attendant. The courses included: customer service, English functional skills and retail training. To help Ami put her new skills into practice and boost her CV they also helped her find a volunteering role at a local charity shop. Whilst discussing the options for work locations, Reed agreed that Ami would benefit from a driving license. She had driven before in her home country and felt she just needed a few lessons to pass a UK driving test. She studied hard to pass her theory and then took a ‘Pass Faster’ week-long intensive driving course culminating in a driving test, which she passed. Her license not only gave her more freedom but increased her availability to work in airports further afield. Ami is now applying to be a flight attendant and has become much happier in her life in Liverpool and is excited to see what the future holds.

Refugee Week 2020 “Karen, who has been looking after my case, is an angel disguised as a regular person. I’m 32 years old, I have seen so many people in my life, but I haven’t seen a person and personality like her, she’s done everything she can to help me. I love this country because people like Karen live here. Maybe I can’t sleep, but I still have a dream. Thanks to all of you, especially Karen.”

Unexpectedly affected by the outbreak of COVID-19, Refugee Week celebrations across the country moved online, but we were determined to maintain involvement for our clients. So, we supplied the Initial Accommodation sites across the country with art supplies and our ‘My Dreams’ worksheets which clients used as a canvas for expressing their dreams. We received very moving pieces, some of which we then displayed in an

online exhibition.

We also ran an exhibition called ‘Their Dreams’, an opportunity to read the stories of incredible survivors of modern slavery and human trafficking.

Participants were able to discover the dreams our clients had when they came to this country, how these were taken from them by exploiters, and the new dreams they are building as they leave their past behind.

Victims of slavery Today, over 40 million people are held in modern slavery worldwide.

One in four is a child under 18. We have been helping survivors of human trafficking for over a decade and whilst we are pleased to support so many people, it is worrying to see the demand for our services grow. Across England, Scotland and Northern Ireland, we supported 1271 survivors of slavery and 230 dependants. 536 women and 735 men. The exploitation they face varies, but the majority of the cases we have seen are labour exploitation (581), sexual exploitation (304), criminal exploitation (200) and domestic servitude (141). We aim to empower clients as they recover from trauma, reduce the risk of re-trafficking and help survivors to move onto a positive new chapter in their lives. The pandemic made doing this vital work a challenge. Across our locations, we feared that a reduction in face-to-face contact from our team could lead to isolation, tension in households and mental health troubles for our clients. Migrant Help teams and our partners across the UK worked tirelessly to adapt our services to continue providing essential support.

“I cannot thank Migrant Help enough, I have been in some very bad places in my life, and this service has been a shining light for me to move forward and begin to be able to hope that I can see my children again.” 50

We countered limitations around face-to-face visits by increasing our phone calls to clients and other means of non-direct contact. Whilst we missed seeing clients in person, the time saved on travel meant that our teams could increase the number of people they spoke to in a day. Our teams across the UK responded to client needs by enhancing digital inclusion, maintaining essential services such as crisis counselling, foodbank provision, safehouse accommodation, English classes, and we developed many new partnerships to provide further support to our clients. We were thrilled to see a Europe-wide operation that led to the arrest of several members of the organised crime gang connected with the human trafficking of several of our Lithuanian clients, who we are supporting in Belfast, in August 2020. Our teams across the country expanded over the year to enable us to support the increasing number of clients in the best way possible. We also set up new teams in Birmingham and Oxford. What we treasure the most are the successes of our clients, from gaining places at colleges and universities (and funding to cover these), getting into accommodation, receiving positive conclusive grounds decisions, starting employment or getting involved with volunteering, accessing additional support, such as specialised counselling and community projects like allotments and baking clubs. And, most importantly, clients being able to successfully move on from our services. We are pleased to say that in the face of adversity so many of our clients have stayed strong and changed their lives for the better.

It is a long journey, but we’re glad to be at their side helping them on the way.

“The last 12 months were challenging but very rewarding for both my clients and me. I have personally learned a huge range of information, processes, skills and gained a lot of experience in the field.

However, the highlight of those 12 months was familiarising myself with safeguarding incidents and how to deal with these. I have learned how to deal with serious safeguarding incidents like suicide attempts and self-harm incidents.

I have been able to overcome the challenge and at the same time provide the best support to my clients, in order for them to be safe and healthy.” (Migrant Help adviser) 52

My whole body was in pain. Just like in thirty two other African countries, homosexuality is illegal in Burundi.

Omar* had spent his whole life fearing for his safety. ‘I had problems with my sexual orientation because I am gay, and it was not safe – I could have been burnt or killed, my life was in danger.’

* not his real name

One day Omar decided that the only way to be truly safe was to flee his country. He found someone who helped him prepare a visa application and could safely get him a flight to the UK. Omar did not know any English, so when he heard a man speaking his own language on the plane, he took a chance: he told him he wanted to claim asylum in England but had no idea how to do so. The man promised to help him so after they landed Omar got into a taxi with him. They drove to an unknown city where they went out for food. Afterwards, Omar was taken to a car park and told to get into the back of a van where a mattress had been placed. From this moment, Omar had to spend all his nights in the van and was forced into manual labour. ‘I had no choice as I had nowhere to go, so I just followed his instructions. He came to collect me and took me to different places to work. I had to load and offload heavy stuff to different empty warehouses, my whole body was in pain. I had to work almost every day, between four to nine hours a day. He never gave me any money. I did not have access to toilets or bathing facilities, I had to go to a pub to use the toilets and wash myself.’ Omar had given his passport to the man who had told him he was keeping it in a secure place. One of the people Omar was working with advised him to ask for his passport back and threaten to go and report to the police if it would not be returned. Omar mustered the courage to follow this advice, and as soon as he got his documents back,

he escaped. Luckily, he met a French-speaking passer-by who helped him go to the Home Office to claim asylum. 56

As a victim of human trafficking, Omar was referred to Migrant Help. He was accommodated in a safe location, given weekly allowances, referred to a doctor and given the opportunity to participate in English and therapeutic art classes. Migrant Help also helped him get free legal aid and has been assisting him throughout his asylum claim procedure. Omar is now awaiting decisions regarding his trafficking and asylum cases. In the meantime, he is putting a lot of effort into English classes, hoping that his future will be in the UK. 57

Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme The Syrian civil war has been ongoing for over a decade. Approximately 500,000 people are believed to have been killed or are missing. More than half of Syria's pre-war population of 22 million have fled their homes, and 5.6 million are registered as refugees abroad. Neighbouring Lebanon, Jordan and Turkey are hosting 93% of them. This is one of the largest refugee exoduses in recent history. In 2015, the UK Government committed to bringing 20,000 vulnerable Syrian refugees into the UK by 2020 under the Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme. The scheme is an international collaboration between the UNHCR, Home Office, International Organization for Migration, local authorities, and organisations like Migrant Help. 58

We help the refugees get set up: from learning English to accessing healthcare, setting up energy suppliers,

education, childcare and employment. We also refer some cases to specialist support if they are dealing with past trauma. The pandemic made providing these services more difficult, but we are pleased to say that we continued to help vulnerable families, whilst keeping them and our staff safe from COVID-19. In the past year, we have supported 32 families (157 individuals) under this scheme. We were delighted to see seven people starting employment during the pandemic. Our clients have gone from strength to strength, showing us just how capable, determined and resilient they are. They have faced unimaginable difficulties amid a pandemic and persevered for a better life. This service is continuing to grow year on year and our team is honoured to play a part in helping to

resettle and reconnect individuals and families who make the UK their home.

We are women of steel. Do not allow anyone to destroy you. Fatima’s story

I am Fatima, an Arab from Syria. I have been a refugee in the United Kingdom for two years. I am 26 years old. What you will read will seem to you, at first glance, sad and depressing and perhaps a little boring. For me, however, it brings pride and achievement. What you will read you will probably consider simple, but for me it was not that easy. It burned my whole life, and made parts of my heart fade away. Each of us has a story and an experience and perhaps, like me, many experiences and stories, but I won't mention them all here.

Building a safe home There are many things in me that I would like to write about, but I have been silent for several years. In the year 2012, I was running away from my home, where there was killing and blood, to a city in Syria. That was my first experience of refuge and grief. I had a harsh experience of displacement. My family and I all lived in one room, and I had my first job where I had to work from eight in the morning until ten in the evening, only going home to sleep. One dark night, I first experienced the pain of parting when my father called and told me that my

brother had been killed. I don't know how to describe that feeling. All I know is that I called my father and started crying. He cried too, and it hurt my heart to hear him cry. I stayed strong, kept fighting and after a while, when things had calmed down, we returned to the city. It was here that I lost my life partner. It was the second time I had lost someone I loved. The situation got worse so, with my family, I fled to Lebanon. I did not know what awaited me there – if I had, I would have chosen to stay in Syria and face the war instead. Two weeks after my arrival in Lebanon, I got a call telling me my father was dead. Can you imagine the size of my shock at that moment? I don't think anyone can imagine the amount of pain of this series of losses: I lost my home, my brother, my partner and my father. I felt I was broken down the middle and faded. Then my family and I were evicted from my house in which we were living. We would have been on the streets had it not been for 'him'. I will not mention his name, I will call him the Saviour Angel

of God. He gave us some money and rented a house for us.

change

Now began the real war, which lasted for six years. Despite the losses in my life, I encouraged myself to stay strong. Pain makes us stronger, and every experience that passes through my life is a lesson for me; a new experience and strength. I went to work again, and felt I was crawling back into life again. It was a strange job opportunity. I worked with an old lady and slept in her house for fifteen days. I decided I could not bear being so far from my family, so I travelled back to my mother and sisters. On the journey, my car was hit by a large truck, causing my skull to be broken and temporarily removing my memory. A large scar remains on my forehead until this day, because I cannot afford to remove it. No amount of money, however, could remove what I experienced in my heart and mind. After this incident, war broke out in Lebanon, and I was forced to live through its events. We could not return home to Syria. Living in Lebanon at that time was one of the most terrible experiences I have ever lived through. It was a life full of racism from the Lebanese and the Syrians, full of sexual harassment and the disgusted looks of our landlords - gazes full of hate, lips full of insult. To live without a man means, in Arab countries, that you have no morals and are available to everyone. As a result, I was exposed to regular harassment and more than one threat of eviction. We could not tell the police, because they would have taken us back to Syria, to our deaths. When I went out shopping, I would pray the Lebanese army would not see me. It was so scary.

Meanwhile, my younger sisters were placed in an orphanage to be looked after. We could not afford to look after them in the way we wanted and it was forbidden to send them to school, so we chose to put them in the orphanage. It was a harsh experience for them, and for us. I was fighting on more than one front: I was fighting war, asylum, poverty, fear, racism, harassment and cruelty. Despite all this, I decided to stay strong. I am a woman, and a woman does not need a man in order to be strong. I joined a hairdressing course, studied at a religious institute for two years and also worked in ceramics. This job did not pay me any money, but I slept at work, so this was my hidden and secret revenge!

I lost my hair and became bald due to severe depression. It was a very painful thing for me. Then a real miracle happened... We were asked if we wanted to travel to the UK. We could not believe it! The joy was immense. I felt like I was in a ship, sinking into the ocean, and had just been rescued. After months, it was finally time to travel. We prepared for it well. We threw all the fear of immigration and language behind us, grabbed each other's hands and went with confidence to the airport. We

were very happy. Everyone at the airport was saying goodbye to each other, but no one said goodbye to us - we were alone. When I entered the airport bathroom, I found a baby who had been abandoned. I rescued him, and could not keep from crying because, though I was happy to save him from death, I was so sad about what had happened to him. Upon my arrival in the UK, I felt the sadness leave my body and, as I saw happiness in the eyes of my family, a new feeling entered. 65

The United Kingdom is God's Heaven on Earth, and the staff of Migrant Help and KRAN are God's angels, who helped us go out and fly free like sparrows! Since I have been here, I suffered a lot of health issues and am still suffering and in pain, but my heart’s wounds have begun to heal, and that is enough for me. It is enough for me to feel safe that I am in a safe house that no one will expel me from. It is enough for me to feel safe that no one can harass me and no one can hurt me. We have been subjected to racism in this country, but not from British people, from other Syrians. They hurt us a lot with words, but I turn my back on them and continue my life. I studied English and now work as a trainee for KRAN. My dream is to be a chef, so I am also learning to cook. I also took part in a writing competition and won praise for it. Everyone here cares about me; all my teachers and friends accept me with my pain and my burning, my mistakes and the things I get right. The United Kingdom collected what was left of my scattered parts and the burned parts of my heart, collected them and put them back together to create a successful, independent woman

who became strong. I can't imagine what would have happened if I had not come to the UK.

I am a woman of steel who lived without the strength of a man in my life. When I fell, I would stand up again. God gave me this life to challenge me, not to give up. Life broke me and tore me down many times, but I collected the debris and built myself up. It pushed me until I fell into a deep hole but every time I fell, I would climb the wall of time and come out of the hole stronger than before. They buried me in the dirt, but they did not know that I was a seed of the tree of hope. It blossomed and became a tree that the wind could not shake. My story this is not for everyone, but I have shared it especially for women. We women are subjected to a lot of criticism, especially if we remain without marriage, love or relationship. They will tell us that you are deficient without a man, but this is not true. All we need is work, hope and ambition. Every woman must begin to realise herself. We must love ourselves as women, because we are beautiful the way we are.

We are women of steel. Do not allow anyone to destroy you.

EU Settlement Scheme After Brexit, EU citizens living in the UK were required to apply to retain their right to live and work in the country. In 2019 we were given funding to help vulnerable people apply for settled status. For those with disabilities, elderly, or homeless, this ‘simple’ application can cause huge amounts of confusion and anxiety. We supported our clients not only in making the applications but advocating on their behalf and liaising with the Home Office to get the best possible outcome for them and their families. In the past year, we assisted 4583 vulnerable EU citizens and completed

840 applications to the EU Settlement Scheme.

“Migrant Help supported me to the fullest, they have helped me access education and medical needs. My caseworker really took the time to help me… Sherko's Story: she put the broken parts I don’t know if I could go through this withfrom together. fleeing religious persecution a life of helping others out my caseworker. I to am now starting a course and I am starting therapy next week which wouldn’t be possible without Migrant Help.”

Finding a way home In 2020, an estimated 10,500 people were sleeping rough every night in the UK. People end up homeless for a plethora of reasons, many of which are out of their control. For Rimvaldo, an accident at work led to him sleeping in front of Barclays bank in Coventry for three years. The council contacted us to see if we could help him with his EU status and living situation.

The EUSS application requires proof of residency for the past six months which, being homeless, was not a possibility for Rimvaldo. We helped him contact several charity organisations and local authorities to see if they could provide a support letter – but no one could help. With no other options, we walked into Barclays and asked if they could assist. The manager of the bank was happy to provide a letter confirming that he had been sleeping rough in front of the bank for the last three years. It was that letter and our continued dedication to helping Rimvaldo that managed to get him the

positive decision from the Home Office. He was then moved into emergency accommodation provided by the local authority and managed to get his benefits started as well. Rimvaldo told us that in the three years he had been sleeping rough, no one had approached him to offer any help.

“I had lost hope and never thought that I’d ever again get back to normal.”

Rimvaldo couldn’t thank our team and Migrant Help enough for the support and advice provided.

Clear Voice Clear Voice is the trading arm of Migrant Help, offering high-quality interpreting and translation services throughout the UK. Clear Voice is a unique social enterprise, with 100% of its profits donated to Migrant Help. Clear Voice has had a strong year, continuing to grow its team and services. It has seen increased demand for all its services and grew its customer base. Their fantastic work continues to be recognised nationally, with Clear Voice making the Social Enterprise UK Roll of Honour and receiving the Institute of Translation and Interpreting’s Corporate Member Award. However, the social impact of Clear Voice does not stop at donating its profits to Migrant Help. Clear Voice also undertakes its own initiatives to contribute to the asylum and refugee sector. The past year Clear Voice was particularly proud to pilot its Community Interpreting Academy, offering nine refugees the opportunity to train as interpreters. After the success of this pilot scheme, Clear Voice will be expanding it substantially next year. Now called the InPower Project, the aim is to fund interpreting qualifications for 37 refugees per year. This will allow them to pursue a new career here in the UK and hopefully bring them some return to normality.

Found in translation I first learned English by studying in Iraq. In school, they taught us a lot of names for things, and we also watched a lot of TV episodes and films. I remember the first one I watched was Around the World in 80 Days with Jackie Chan. In Iraq, electricity is a difficult thing to get, but whenever I had some, I would watch films. I left Iraq at the end of 2018 and arrived in England in a small boat on Boxing Day, 2019. They sent me to the

Millbank centre in Kent at around four in the morning. I was alone and I was crying. But I was good at English, and I loved studying. I was in love with languages, I speak five - English, Arabic, Sorani Kurdish, Kurmanji Kurdish and a bit of Italian. Staff members at Millbank found out because I was helping people. I was there for three months when a lady from Refugee Council asked, “Do you want to study to become an interpreter?” The course was 12 weeks and I finished on June 25 this year. I started working with Clear Voice in Dover immediately. I interpret mostly for people seeking asylum and I get a lot of calls every day, up to 20. I just want to relax between them because it’s too much when you have your own problems and listen to other people’s problems. I’m trying to separate them. Language is important. When you don’t have it, you need to have somebody to help – a lot of people don’t know how to talk. I am gifted with that ability, and I am trying to do as much as I can. When you can

help people, you feel like you’re somebody and you feel people need you. – Radil Barzan

“When you can help people, you feel like you’re somebody and you feel people need you.” 79

A closing word from our CEO Our experiences over the past year were previously unimaginable. Along with the rest of the planet, we were suddenly cast into a new world, one which no one was quite prepared for. As the year began, with the threat of COVID-19 moving inexorably across the globe, we knew that we would need to quickly adapt to constantly changing restrictions on how we could operate. We also recognised that, while it seemed the world had come to a standstill, we could not stop. There were thousands of people fleeing persecution and seeking refuge in the UK. People traffickers were abandoning their clients or forcing them into underground and online activities. Torture, hatred, cruelty and intolerance did not go away through lockdown, they just happened behind closed doors and away from the media spotlight. We saw that keeping people safe from COVID-19 created new dangers: isolation, fear, loneliness, addiction and abuse. Increasingly, people in our services were reaching out to us for help. As we modified how we worked, harnessing technology to keep us connected and implementing safety measures when we needed to be in close contact, we were determined to make sure that we were still there for all the people who relied on us. Throughout the year, we saw more and more people needing assistance, across all our services. We grew our operations, increasing staff on our helplines and in our regional teams. We supported each other, getting closer together as we stayed apart. And as society stepped back, our staff stepped forward. When the moment came, we found that our compassion was more powerful than our fear. I proudly share my gratitude to all our

colleagues and partners for the tremendous impact Migrant Help made on people’s lives this past year.

Caroline O’Connor, CEO 81

• A Better Tomorrow • Activate Learning Colleges • ALaCarte Recruitment • All One World • All Saints Church Luton • Anchor • Anchor Church • Ashiana • Asirt • Aston Villa FC • Asylum Link • Asylum Welcome • B30 Food bank • Baby Bank • Baby Basics Sunbury • Barnardo’s • Bawso • BCHA • Belfast Health & Social Care Trust • Bhatia Best Solicitors • Big Local Green • Bikes For Refugees • Birch Network • Birmingham City Council • Birmingham Law Centre • Birmingham RMC • BJO Amara Charity • Black Country Women’s Aid • Bloomers Trust • Bloomsbury Nursery School • Bournville Trust • Bramber Bakehouse • Bright Futures • Bright Futures for Children • Brighton & Hove City Council • Brightwork Recruitment • British Red Cross • Brush Strokes Sandwell • BRWR Bromsgrove and District Asylum Seeker Support • Cadbury World • Cambridge Ethnic Community Forum • Canterbury City Council 82

• Care4Calais • Carriers of Hope • Cars Lane Church • CAVA • CHAWREC • Citizens Advice • City Hearts • City of Sanctuary • City of Sanctuary Scotland • Clearsprings Ready Home • Cockshut Hill School • Code Your Future • Computer Friendly • Connect Assist • Connecting Scotland • Conversation Corner • COSLA • Coventry Building Society • Coventry City Council • Coventry Refugee and Migrant Centre • Cowshed • Cranhill Development Trust • Crisis • Crisis Counselling • Crookston Community Group • Croydon Refugee & New Communities Forum • Croydon Voluntary Action (CVA) • CSB • Cycle Recycle • Darwn Asylum and Refugee Enterprise • Derby Refugee Solidarity • Doctors of the World • Dover Counselling Centre • Dover District Council • Dover Outreach Centre • Dover/Deal Health Centre • DRAC • East Glasgow Integration Network • East Midlands Strategic Migration Partnership • East of England Strategic Migration Partnership

• ESOL Providers Network – Glasgo • Essex Integration • Every Child Online • FACES • FareShare • Fear Free • Fircroft • Flourish NI • Freedom from Torture • Gateway Services • Glasgow City Mission • Glasgow National Primary School • Govan Community Project – GCP • Greater London Strategic Migration Partnership • Groundwork • GYROS • Hanworth Methodist Church • Happy Baby Community London • Harbour Project • Hastings Borough Council • Helen Bamber Foundation • Help Refugees • Herts Welcomes Refugees • Hestia • High School of Glasgow (donation of £1.6k) • Hope at Home • Hope Centre Derby • HostNation London • InstaLaw • International Organisation for Migration • Justice & Care • JustRight Scotland • KCC Children’s Services • Kensington Staff and Management • Kent Adult Education • Kent Police • Kent Surrey & Sussex Community Rehabilitation Company • Laaslo Coventry • Leicester City Council

• Little Village • Martineau Gardens • Maslow • Medaille Trust • Mears • Merry-Go-Round • Micro Rainbow • Mind Network • Mosamosa • Moseley School • Mosley Road Baths • Napier Friends • National Human Trafficking Unit • Near Neighbours • New Beginnings • New Citizens Gateway • New Routes • Northfield Community Partnership • Nottingham Refugee Forum, • Oasis Church • Olive Branch Network • Oxford Gatehouse • P3 • Palm Cove Society • Pencester Surgery • Picture House (East Dulwich) • Police Scotland • Porch • Portsmouth Hub • Positive Youth Foundation • Principal Dwellings • Probation Board NI • PSNI (Police Service of Northern Ireland) • Rainbow Haven and Caritas Salford • Rainbow Migration • Raven Housing Trust • Reading FC Social Inclusion • Reading Refugee Support Group • Rebuild Derby • Redhill Baptist Church • Reed in Partnership • Refugee Action • Refugee Council

• Refugee Council Infoline • Refugee Women Connect • Refuweegee • Safe in Scotland • Saheliya • Salvation Army • Scottish Government (Human Trafficking Team) • Scottish Guardianship Service • Scottish Refugee Council • Scottish Refugee Festival • Secret Santa 365 • Serco • Sharewear Nottingham • Shiva Foundation’s • Simon Community (Access Hub) • Slough Borough Council • Snowdrop Project • SOHTIS • Sólás • Somerville School • Sophie Hayes Foundation • South East Integration Network • South East Strategic Partnership for Migration • Sporting Communities Derby • Sporting Equals • Spring Housing Birmingham • St Chads • St John of God • St Pauls Church • St Thomas Children Centre • St Vincent De Paul Society • St Werburgh's Church, Derby • Staffline • STAR • Stevenage Probation Office • Stoke Citizen Advice Bureau • Stop Domestic Abuse • Survivors of Human Trafficking in Scotland (SOHTIS) • Swale Borough Council • Swap Wigan

• Thai KickBoxing Community • Thames Valley Probation Service • The Active Wellbeing Society (TAWS) • The Bike Project Birmingham • The Flying Seagull Project • The Forward Trust • The Gate Church • The Vineyard Church • The Workers Educational Association • Thrive Together Birmingham • Total Wellbeing • Trinity Safe Space • Trussell Trust Food Bank • U Matter • UNHCR • University of Birmingham • University of Edinburgh (Student Union on Homelessness) • University of West Scotland (UWS – Midwifery Department) • Unseen • Upbeat Communities Derby • Victim Support • Victims Support • Wakefield City of Sanctuary Clothing • Watford Women’s Centre • Waverley Studio College • We Are Digital • Welsh House Farm Community School • Welsh Refugee Council • West London Welcome • West Midland Strategic Migration team • West Midlands Council • West Northamptonshire Council • Who is Hussain • Wirral Change • Wolverhampton City Council • Wolverhampton RMC • Wolves Foundation • Workers’ Educational Association • Young Roots • Your Local Pantry

www.migranthelpuk.org

info@migranthelpuk.org

01304 203 977

Registered address: Migrant Help, Kemp House 160, City Road London, EC1V 2NX