IOM’s work across Scotland is preventing many vulnerable migrants from ending up with uncertain immigration status

Markus vividly remembers the happiness he felt when he received the good news that his EU Settlement Status application had received a positive outcome. He explains how this has positively changed his life: “I have an accommodation now, a large room with a kitchen and a bathroom with a shower!” he smiles. “Since I received my EUSS status, things have changed a lot for me. Before I could not receive any help, now I have a place to live in, and I can finally return to work. I would not have been able to overcome those difficulties by myself.” 

Supporting migrants to resolve uncertain or irregular status is key for the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the United Nations Migration Agency. IOM’s mandate is to support migrants across the world, developing effective responses to the shifting dynamics of migration and, as such, IOM is a key source of advice on migration policy and practice. An uncertain immigration status can negatively impact on people’s lives in many ways, by exacerbating existing vulnerabilities, undermining the ability of individuals to meet their basic needs in life, and preventing them from integrating and contributing meaningfully to society; it can also expose people to serious risks of destitution and exploitation.

Since 2019 and following the UK’s departure from the EU, IOM has been working tirelessly across the UK, including in Scotland, to raise awareness of the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) and ensure that EU citizens in vulnerable situations could access the newly introduced process to regularise their status. IOM’s support has been decisive to prevent many EU nationals from ending up with irregular status. IOM has worked closely with frontline staff from Local Authorities and community-based organisations across the country, to build capacity and ensure improved access to the EUSS, especially for those most at risk of being left behind.

Homelessness and destitution are among the main vulnerabilities faced by the people supported by IOM frontline staff: “Qualified immigration advice to help regularise immigration status, can support the most vulnerable people on their way out of destitution.” explains Maria Cristina Carletti, IOM UK caseworker. “With secure immigration status, people can access employment and the support they need in order to rebuild independent lives, which ultimately supports integration and cohesive communities.” 

In addition, IOM support has been vital to ensure that many children under the care of Local Authorities with uncertain status could regularise it, which is key for young people to be able to access to further education, employment, and help them with building a better future.

In Scotland, IOM works in partnership with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA), the coordinating body for local authorities across Scotland, to provide qualified immigration advice to vulnerable migrants. Since 2019, IOM has directly supported over 800 at-risk individuals and worked closely with Scottish Local Authorities and community-based organisations. As part of the joint Scottish Government-COSLA Ending Destitution Together Strategy, IOM is increasing access to specialist immigration advice to support local authorities assisting people with no recourse to public funds. IOM has also expanded its support to the provision of specialised immigration advice beyond the EUSS, to address a range of complex immigration cases, to prevent people from ending up with uncertain or irregular status and so to help mitigate destitution or the risk of destitution. 

“The service provided by IOM to councils and people with insecure visa status in Scotland is a vital support to help mitigate migrant destitution and exploitation." says COSLA Community Wellbeing Spokesperson, Councillor Maureen Chalmers.
"IOM supports Scottish local authorities in their progress towards the Ending Destitution Together strategy and assists Hong Kongers on British Nationals (Overseas) visas and those in Scotland under the EUSS scheme to remain in Scotland. Through our partnership with IOM, Scottish local government has received ongoing advice, training and complex case work assistance to ensure people are aware of their legal rights and entitlements. This has become increasingly important as changes to immigration policy have resulted in a complex legislative landscape.", adds Councillor Chalmers. "This work directly supports some of Scotland’s most vulnerable communities including looked after children, care leavers, people with No Recourse to Public Funds, people with disabilities, older people, Roma community, homeless people and those impacted by domestic violence.”

Jim Digney and Natalie Reading are respectively welfare rights officer and social worker in the Glasgow City Health and Social Care Partnership.  Their team attended the regular workshops organised by IOM in Scotland, to raise awareness of the EUSS scheme among frontline workers, to equip them with the knowledge and understanding to spot individuals at risk of being left behind.

“IOM support has been particularly helpful in providing timely and accurate updates, especially on legislation changes,” explains Jim – who has been working specifically with the Roma community in Glasgow for over a decade.

“Without IOM support, we would have been lost.” says Natalie, who also works closely with the Roma community in Glasgow. In this community, one of the main challenges faced in applying for the EUSS, is gathering evidence to prove the continuous residence in the UK.  

At the same time, the lack of pre-settled or settled status was starting to have real life consequences for many people. “Many people did not realise that they had to submit an application or did not understand the importance of doing so.” explains Natalie.  

“In one case, a family had experienced a tragic family bereavement and wanted to travel overseas for the burial ceremony. Without the status in place, the members of the family could not travel outside the UK to attend the funeral, or if they did so, they might have been prevented from re-entering the country” recalls Natalie. Working closely with IOM caseworker, the EUSS application for the family members was submitted and the status was confirmed in time for the family to be able to travel and take part in the family funeral.”

“Working with IOM has definitely alleviated our frontline team from many pressures,” says Natalie, “and prevented many members from marginalised communities from ending up in irregular situations.”

Markus*, an EU citizen originally from Poland, had been in the UK for seven years when the EUSS came into force. At the time, he was homeless and facing many other challenges, including language barriers and mental health issues. In 2023, he reached out for help to Simon Community Scotland, an organisation based in Edinburgh dedicated to providing advice, care, support, accommodation and homes to people experiencing, or at risk of, homelessness. 

As IOM stepped in to support frontline organisations such as Simon Community Scotland, for cases requiring highly specialised immigration advise, the impact of this model of collaboration has been very tangible. This support can belief-changing for many people like Markus. “I was sleeping rough and goring through a very hard time. When I came here to ask for help, I did not have my status and all doors were closed for me” recalls Markus. 

When Markus reached out searching for some help, support worker Kay Patterson immediately started to search for organisations that could help with his case, and IOM offered a helping hand. 

IOM’s support was available to Kay and the team at Simon Community Scotland, guiding them through the process of helping Markus - as well many others - gain settled immigration status. Regularising his position was a pre-requisite to enable Markus to access the services and support that he needed.
 

Some of the main challenges identified by Simon Community Scotland’s frontline workers were due to an interplay of several vulnerabilities that clients faced: the lack of awareness of the scheme, difficulties in understanding the process, lack of evidence to prove their continued residence, digital exclusion or poverty barriers preventing people from accessing the online process and being able to submit their EUSS applications. 

Filip*, an EU citizen originally from Lithuania who has been in the UK for many years at the time the EUSS was introduced, was facing similar challenges due to homelessness, severe health issues and the fact that he was living with a disability. The outreach team of Simon Community Scotland found Filip living out in the streets of Edinburgh, and offered to help. “I did not know anything about the EUSS or how to apply for it. A proof of status is now necessary to do anything, settling my status has changed my life. I could not do anything before, but now I feel everything is going in the right direction.” 

 “The model of collaboration with IOM has proved to be very effective,” explains Kay, “as IOM caseworkers have a deeper understanding of the EUSS process and legislation, and they guide us through the various documentation that needs to be gathered, to submit the applications. This valuable support continues to be key at this stage, with the submission of the late applications.”

*Names in this story have been changed to protect identities of individuals in vulnerable situations.