Our Publications

The Moving Out of Hardship project ran from 2016 to 2021 as a partnership between Hackney Migrant Centre, Haringey Migrant Support Centre  and Coram Children’s Legal Centre. The project supported upwards of 1,000 migrant families and young people with specialist immigration advice and specialist welfare and housing advice.

This external evaluation of the project, conducted by Ceri Hutton and Ruth Grove-White. details key achievements, challenges and lessons from the project; finding that the wrap-around, holistic service model provided “a gold standard of service provision which other organisations could learn from and replicate”.

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Free school meals are essential to protect vulnerable children from hunger. All children from low income families, regardless of immigration status, should be able to rely on the vital support of the free school meals system, during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. This report is based on HMC’s work with low-income families with no recourse to public funds (NRPF) conditions, revised to also explore the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Section 17 can ensure destitute families receive support with accommodation and living costs. However, for migrant families there are many hurdles to accessing support. Assessments can take up to 45 days. Many are asked intrusive questions and treated with suspicion.

This Guide was produced collaboratively by families with experience of requesting Section 17 Support from social services, and groups supporting families to access support from social services.

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This report reviews standards of accommodation and the degree of support provided to children whose families are in need of assistance provided by social services, particularly for those families who need to resolve their immigration status or who are subject to a ‘no recourse to public funds’ (NRPF) restriction.

It was commissioned by Hackney Community Law Centre and Hackney Migrant Centre, and funded by Strategic Legal Fund for Vulnerable Young Migrants.

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This booklet provides stories of the experiences of some of our visitors. It is intended to illustrate the kinds of cases that HMC advisers and volunteers deal with each week.

Several of the stories demonstrate how irregular or uncertain immigration status creates many other problems and can often lead to destitution and homelessness.

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This booklet contains findings from research conducted by Hackney Migrant Centre on growth, change and cohesion in Hackney, funded by Hackney CVS. It draws on six weeks qualitative research in Hackney, using focus groups and in-depth interviews with professionals and local people.

It includes reflections from staff, volunteers and refugee women at Hackney Migrant Centre and North London Action for the Homeless.

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