How can frontline refugee and asylum organisations prepare for the impact of the Illegal Migration Act?

At our recent series of summer regional member Hub meetings, which brought members together to discuss challenges, issues and opportunities, members shared ideas and good practice on what frontline refugee and asylum organisations can do to adapt their service provision to meet the increased and evolving needs and challenges in the wake of the Government’s new Illegal Migration Act (IMA).

Planning and preparing for the impact of the IMA is key for frontline organisations as it can prevent crisis-driven responses, and ensure that staff, volunteers and organisations are prepared and supported to respond in the best way possible. To assist in this planning, outlined below are some key strategic review questions you may need to reflect on in relation to adapting your service delivery to meet the needs of IMA. 

➡️ Are you actively engaging with your organisation’s board, trustees, supporters and funders to make them aware of the impact of the IMA on your organisation and community? Future planning may consist of updating risk registers and strategic and fundraising plans.  

➡️ What services will be required? And how can you enable effective delivery to ensure people can access support when it is needed? You won’t be able to meet all the needs but new needs may arise such as dealing with exploitation and offering appropriate advice. How can your organisation make the best contribution to mitigate the impact of the IMA? What can you best focus on – individually and in partnership with others? 

➡️ Does your organisation need to increase capacity in order to deliver the services you feel you need to focus on? If not, how can your organisation adapt to meet this need? How can partnership-working best support this? E.g. development of local strategic plans and fundraising. 

➡️ What will move-on look like to someone who may be inadmissible under the IMA and have no pathway or access to statutory support? If your organisation delivers accommodation, will your offer change? What will the offer be, considering that for most people there may be limited options? 

➡️ What will the pathways out of destitution look like for all individuals with differing circumstances e.g. legacy cases and those not under the IMA?

➡️ For many organisations working in isolation is unsustainable. What opportunities are there for you to explore strategic partnerships within refugee, asylum and general homelessness sector organisations, to explore and create pathways out of destitution?  

➡️ With increased needs, what changes do you need to make to your business plan and fundraising strategy? 

➡️ How can you encourage and embed good wellbeing policies and practices without your staff and volunteer team? Ensuring that staff and volunteers are adequately supported to deal with the weight of the issues and challenges they are helping to support people through is vitally important.  

Keep informed

➡️ You can keep informed on policy updates relating to the Illegal Migration Act by signing up to our regular Policy, Research and Advocacy update.

➡️ Read our latest Hub blog, which highlights the key trends, challenges and opportunities that members are currently facing across the network.

➡️ Read our statement on the Illegal Migration Act.