Slough Immigration Aid Unit (SIAU) is a small charity giving specialist legal advice and representation in some aspects of UK immigration and nationality law and practice. SIAU is a registered charity and is regulated by the Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner.
In the last year SIAU advised some 400 people and families, from over 80 different nationalities; around half from Slough, the rest nearby, including High Wycombe, Maidenhead and Bracknell. They gave advice on matters such as immigration of family members in the UK and abroad, British citizenship matters, family visits, the EU Settlement Scheme, fee waivers, domestic abuse and long residence. In addition, they represented 69 individual’s and families’ cases to the immigration authorities, 43 from Slough.
Sue Shutter from Slough Immigration Aid Unit said: “Helping to sort out people’s immigration status may enable them to work, or make them eligible to apply for mainstream benefits, thus reducing poverty and increasing community engagement. Helping people in understanding their immigration status and what we and they can do about it improves people’s mental health and wellbeing, when they may see a way through their problem. We have worked together with social prescribers, who refer people to us, when their immigration issues have contributed to their mental or physical health issues.”
An example of a family helped by SIAU
Mr R and Mrs D are Zimbabweans who have been in the UK since September and December 2001 when they had to leave due to political violence and intimidation. They left their five-year-old daughter in the care of Mr R’s sister, thinking it would not be long before she could join them. But Mr R’s asylum application was refused and nothing seemed to happen about Mrs D’s. They are both HIV+ and the drugs they were on would not have been available to them in Zimbabwe. In 2014 they had a son born in the UK. Mrs D’s brother in the UK has been helping and supporting them, and they had foodbank vouchers. They contacted SIAU in mid-2021 to ask how they could sort out their immigration stay. SIAU applied for fee waivers for them all, and then for permission to stay on long residence grounds because of their son. After about 15 months their application was at last successful. SIAU will soon be helping them to apply for their son to become a British citizen; he will be entitled to this when he is 10.
Some feedback from clients
“Honestly I don’t know what I would have done without your support, more especially during the time when is like hope is gone.”
“It is a great feeling to go to work, l am enjoying the job, thanks to your help and support.”
“Your team are doing a fantastic job for the community.”
Visit https://www.siauslough.org.uk/ to find out more about the group or email to info.siau@gmail.com.
Slough Immigration Aid Unit is a #OneSlough funded project.