JCWI - along with 30 other organisations - wrote to all party leaders on the 18th November 2019 regarding our concerns about the EU Settlement Scheme. We did not hear back from the majority of leaders, including Boris Johnson.

With vital Home Office funding for organisations working with vulnerable EU nationals due to run out in just over a month, we decided to send a follow up letter to Priti Patel.

---

The Rt Hon Priti Patel MP                                                                                   05 February 2020 

Home Office  

2 Marsham Street  

London  

SW1P 4DF  

 

Dear Priti Patel MP,  

Re: Renewal of the Home Office’s EU Settlement Scheme grant funding  

We wrote to all party leaders on the 18 November (please find a copy of this letter below) regarding our concerns with the EU Settlement Scheme, and outlining what needs to happen to make the system fairer and more accessible for all EU nationals and non-EU family members, including the most marginalised groups.  

We are particularly concerned about the fact that the £9 million of funding provided to 57 front-line organisations is due to run out in March 2020, just one month away, and we have not yet heard anything from the Government about whether the funding will be increased or extended.  

As we raised our previous letter, we asked that the government commits to increasing this funding with a particular focus on people who are socially isolated or with no engagement with services, such as elderly people in care homes or temporary agricultural or construction workers.  

The uncertainty is extremely disruptive for both the grant-funded organisations and the vulnerable EU nationals they support. At present, organisations do not know whether they can keep staff on to work on the EU Settlement Scheme, and many will have to close their service to any new clients, regardless of how high-need they are.  

Given the timings, we ask that you treat this as a matter of urgency and respond as soon as possible, so organisations can begin to make necessary arrangements. 

We look forward to hearing from you.    

Yours Sincerely,  

 

Ali Harris, Chief Executive, Equally Ours  

Angela Kail, Director of Consulting, New Philanthropy Capital  

Brian Gormally, Director, Committee on the Administration of Justice (CAJ)  

Caroline Abrahams, Charity Director, Age UK  

Caron Bradshaw, Chief Executive, Charity Finance Group  

Christopher Stacey, Co-director, Unlock - for People with Convictions  

Dave Prentis, General Secretary, UNISON  

Denise McDowell, Chief Executive, Greater Manchester Immigration Aid Unit  

Elizabeth Jiménez-Yáñez, Coordinator, Step Up Migrant Women Campaign 

Gisela Valle, Director, Latin American Women's Rights Services (LAWRS) 

Jackie Murphy, Chief Executive Officer, TGP Cymru  

Jennifer Ang, Director, Just Rights Scotland  

Jo Hickman, Director, Public Law Project  

Julie Bishop, Director, Law Centres Network  

Kamena Dorling, CORAM, Group Head of Policy and Public Affairs  

Kim Dams, Director, Scottish Rural Action  

Kush Chottera, Executive Director, Europia  

Malene Bratlie, Coordinator, Brexit Civil Society Alliance  

Dr Mary-Ann Stephenson, Director, Women’s Budget Group  

Matthew Evans, Director, The Aire Centre  

Mhairi Snowden, Coordinator, Human Rights Consortium Scotland  

Nicolas Hatton, CEO & Founder Member, The 3 Million  

Nicole Francis, Chief Executive, Immigration Law Practitioners’ Association  

Nicole Masri, Senior Legal Officer, Rights of Women  

Paddy Kelly, Director, Children’s Law Centre  

Roger Casale, Secretary General & CEO, New Europeans  

Sam Smethers, Chief Executive, Fawcett Society  

Satbir Singh, Chief Executive, Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants (JCWI)  

Sue Bott CBE, Head of Policy and Research, Disability Rights UK  

Sylvia Ingmire, CEO, Roma Support Group  

Tahmid Chowdhury, Joint-CEO, Here for Good Law