Immigration Services and Support
About the project
We are registered with the OISC to provide level 3 advice in asylum and protection and Immigration, and our work supports those affected by displacement and exploitation by providing immigration advice and casework services. From the launch of our project in December 2020, our outcomes have bucked the trend of the national average and to date we have not had a fee waiver application rejected.
In 2021 we launched “Stay Settled in Newham” supporting vulnerable EU-migrants at risk of status insecurity following Brexit, and in 2022 we provided legal advice and support to Ukrainian migrants as part of “Welcome Newham”.
A secure immigration status is crucial to moving clients out of the poverty cycle, and opens opportunities to suitable jobs, homes and education.
Who is behind the project?
Sylwia Szymczyk
Sylwia joined the Renewal Programme from a private sector in April 2021 as an Immigration Advisor, having worked for and managed ILAS (LLP) and IMMIGRA LEX Legal Consortium (ILLC) in the past, where she specialised in deportation and EU cases. She obtained LLM in International Law and possess qualifications to provide immigration services from the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives (ILEX Level 6) and the Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner (OISC Level 3) and has over 19 years of experience as a senior caseworker, advocate and the OISC supervisor.
On the 28th of September 2022 she has been awarded Law Fellowship by the UEL Royal Docks School of Business and Law for her work with law students under partnership with the UEL Legal Advice Centre.
In November 2022 Sylwia was invited to join the UEL Law Advisory Board.
Her immigration guides and articles appeared on gov.pl and an internet portal Emito.com.
Sylwia helps destitute and vulnerable asylum seekers and undocumented migrants to regularise their stay in the UK. She is responsible for training of prospective immigration advisors and immigration casework volunteers, as well as the OISC regulatory and compliance matters.
She has worked on various projects designed to prevent destitution of the RP service users, Local authority, NHS, local charities and the food banks clients around Newham.
Important information
Please note that our drop-in sessions are currently suspended.
Please note that our immigration referrals are currently closed externally until further notice however, limited number of clients can still be offered legal advice and representation, depending on the initial assessment of needs by our Refugee And Migrant Project’s (RAMP) service worker under the Trust for London funding.
As of March 2021, we are an OISC registered organisation specialising in Asylum, Immigration and Nationality Law. Our OISC number is: N202000133.
We recognise the complex nature of needs of our local population; RAMP is designed to support migrants and asylum seekers who are destitute or are facing destitution.
RAMP, and The Renewal Programme, believe that supporting people with unclear immigration status, asylum seekers and undocumented migrants can reduce homelessness, prevent destitution and contribute towards their integration into the society.
An immigration advisor provides advice and advocacy in asylum, immigration and nationality matters. We help individuals, as well as families, to obtain refugee status, leave to remain, settlement and British citizenship.
To ensure that clients’ needs are addressed adequately, we also offer assistance in complex cases involving previous refusals of applications or appeals and immigration enforcement.
Useful information
We are a referral-based service and we do not accept referrals over the telephone.
Please fill in the form above only if you are sure that your matter falls within the accepted categories or you are referring under a partnership agreement with the Renewal Programme.
Our bi-monthly drop-in session, face to face consultations and follow up appointments take place at our premises.
Attending a drop-in session does not require prior appointment and clients are seen on a first come first serve basis. There is no cost to receive legal advice from the Renewal Programme.
Drop-in sessions are often conducted in presence of the law students from the University of East London, who also volunteer in the UEL Legal Advice Centre and shadow our lawyers and accredited immigration practitioners, who deliver our legal services.
Please note that there is no supervisory element involved in delivery of our legal services and we do not have trainee advisors, therefore all our legal services are performed by specialist caseworkers operating at appropriate level.
If you are from an organisation based in Newham and interested in partnering with the Renewal Programme in order to secure legal services for your clients, please express your interests here.
Please also note that our immigration services phone line is for existing clients only and we do not provide legal advice or take referrals over the phone. We will update our website accordingly once we are in a position to accept new referrals meanwhile, please visit the OISC or the Law Society website to find a suitable representative.
If you think that you need our help, then please do get in contact. On a rare occasion that your matter falls outside the remit of our services, we might be able to refer you to an appropriate organisation.
Vacancies
Immigration Advisor / Lawyer
Do you have a passion for the plight of refugees and migrants? Do you like to work to the highest professional standards but have the freedom to offer your clients creative solutions? Then this might be the role for you.
Feedback from clients
Hello Sylwia,
Good morning to you and I hope this email meet you well.
Please, find attached the decision letter for my application which is a VERY good news! It came in yesterday but it wasn’t until last night that I checked my email. I wanted to write you instantly but couldn’t put words together as I was very happy and my emotions were high. Thank you soooo much for everything you did in the process of making this a possibility. I will forever be grateful. You are Godsent!
Thank you very much once again.
-A recent client granted leave to remain as a parent, with recourse to public funds.
Updates
UEL Partnership September 2023
September updates on UEL Partnership work with our Immigration Advisor, Sylwia
Making a difference
In 2019, the Guardian reported that 72% of destitute immigration applicants seeking a fee waiver were rejected. They presented that over the past five years, rejection rates varied from 72% to 90%!
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