We cannot walk alone
“We cannot walk alone” is the theme for Refugee Week 2021. This week Praxis has been reflecting on how ‘when we choose to walk side by side, to share networks and resources, or make space for others to lead, we create deeper and longer-lasting change than is possible alone.’
Together, with our supporters, for almost 40 years we have walked in solidarity with people who made the UK their home.
In May we launched a new five-year strategy which renews our commitment to walk together with those we support, ensuring all our work is informed by their needs, hopes and experiences. This June, the NRPF Action Group - a group of campaigners and experts by experience - and Praxis were proud to launch our first fully co-produced campaign with a Manifesto document. This manifesto outlines the impact that the no recourse to public funds condition has had on members’ lives, and critically - the change that they want to see. Over the next two years, we will work together to call for changes to policy and practice to ensure that everyone can live safely and free from exclusion and poverty, regardless of their immigration status.
In our new strategy, we also pledged to continue to walk side by side with other organisations to create deeper and long-lasting change through the cross-sector sharing of networks, resources and knowledge to build shared approaches and collaborative services.
The STAR partnership is an example of why we believe this approach is so important. Led by Shelter and funded by London Councils, STAR is a specialist partnership between Thames Reach, Stonewall Housing, Praxis and St Mungo's providing support for people facing homelessness across London.
“There are many factors that can push someone into homelessness – and people subject to the immigration system face additional barriers when trying to escape homelessness as they are often prevented from accessing welfare support.”
Many of the people who are referred into the project face additional barriers in resolving their homelessness because of their immigration status, including issues accessing benefits, no recourse to public funds, questions around eligibility for homelessness services due to immigration issues including lack of documents, insecure immigration status and landlord discrimination.
Walking together with partners in the homelessness sector, Praxis is part of an integrated service to provide people experiencing homelessness the support they need. Praxis provides independent legal advice and casework to support people regularise their status and access public funds, housing, health care and complementary services.
Since September 2020 we have offered vital immigration advice and casework to hundreds of people.
“By accessing just one of the partner organisations, people can receive support from multiple services who are each specialising in different areas, but who are all working closely together to ensure the best outcomes for the clients. Once we have secured vital documents for the people we support, other partners within the project can assist them with housing.”
One of the people supported through the STAR partnership is Said* – a man who lost his job because of the pandemic. Said couldn’t access public support, even as he was facing crisis, because of the No Recourse to Public Funds condition linked to his visa. With no options for him to access a safety net during the pandemic, he became homeless.
It was one of the partners in the STAR project referred him to Praxis. Within one week of meeting him, we successfully applied with the Home Office so that Said could access public support. Once he held the vital papers needed, one of the partners in the STAR project could help Said to access a place to live. Said is now back on his feet, able to work and to live in safety.
Every day the Praxis STAR team works with partners to support people made homeless and destitute as a result of unfair and discriminatory immigration policies, like no recourse to public funds.
But we know we must also get to the root cause of the barriers people face. Please walk with us, and the NRPF Action Group, and join the campaign against NRPF, by contacting your MP today.