A charity set up to support migrants living in Fife will expand its service to Dundee after being “inundated” with calls from EU citizens struggling to secure their settled status before Brexit.
Fife Migrants Forum helps foreign nationals living or working in the Kingdom and as well as offering a translation service in more than 20 languages, the organisation has been busy helping EU citizens apply to remain in the UK.
The charity offers services in Kirkcaldy and Dunfermline but recently set up a clinic every Tuesday at St Johns Parish Church in Cupar to help deal with demand. It will have a further open session at St Andrews University on February 20.
The charity has also confirmed a full-day clinic will be held at St Joseph’s Church in Dundee due to a reported lack of services in the area, with city residents now offered the chance to book an appointment for the visit or attend the Kirkcaldy office directly.
Dundee has a large contingent of EU migrants and it is expected Angus, where Europeans play a key role in supporting the local workforce, could also see large numbers apply for settled status before the deadline on June 30, 2021.
Fife Migrants Forum has urged those who may need help to get in touch as soon as possible as their Home Office grant will run out on March 31 this year, leaving a “big question” over whether further assistance will be available thereafter.
Manager Justyna Majewska said: “Right now we are looking to hold a full-day event in Dundee to help members of the public.
“The help is really needed in Dundee because at the moment there are no other services. We don’t have a date set but we are sure this will happen in February.
“We have received phone calls from people (in Dundee) because we try to outreach our service in as many places as possible, and they tell us they would love to have it in Dundee as well.
“We noticed in December the number of people contacting us was lower – I think that was probably down to Christmas and the election, there was a hesitation to apply.
“But people are more interested again, so I hope they will make the decision to make their application now given the date for Brexit has been made final.”
EU, EEA or Swiss citizens looking to remain in the UK after Brexit will need to apply for settled status if they have lived in the country for more than five years, or pre-settled status if they have moved more recently.
The Home Office said the process should be “straightforward” but concerns have been raised about a possible application backlog. Figures released earlier this month showed 900,000 EU citizens in the UK have yet to apply for settled status.
One individual involved in facilitating outreach meetings for Fife Migrants Forum said it had been “inundated” with requests for help from across Tayside and Fife.
The charity has not ruled out offering more dates and outreach sessions in Dundee but said “everything depends on demand”.
“Perhaps we will will look at doing another day but right now we are looking at one, maybe two sessions – possibly one at the end of March,” Ms Majewska said.
Fife Migrants Forum can be contacted by phone on 01592 642 927, on social media or at fifemigrantsforum.org.uk.
Father-of-two praises charity for support navigating ‘alienating’ settled status process
A father-of-two who has lived in Scotland for more than a decade praised Fife Migrants Forum for helping him navigate the settled status application earlier this week.
Mateusz Lackowski, 28, who is originally from Gdansk, Poland, moved to the UK 13 years ago and has lived in Cupar for the last six.
He was put off beginning the settled status process sooner after hearing stories of how other people have faced issues.
Mr Lackowski, who is father to Xander, 3, and nine-month old Elijah, said the system felt “very alienating” to EU citizens who have spent years working and contributing to local communities.
He said: “I met with Fife Migrants Forum earlier this week for help with the settled status application. I was quite weary from hearing about people who’ve been through the process and been rejected. It was a big worry for me.
“They helped me with my application and made sure I didn’t make any rookie mistakes. The whole thing was very pleasant and professional and it felt like there was someone who can help to make sure I get it right first time.
“I would absolutely recommend the service. My case was fairly straight forward so it only took about half an hour to go through it.”
Mr Lackowski still needs to look out a few documents before sending off his application but does not know when he will hear back from the Home Office.
The petrol station worker said a number of his friends have also been through the process and he felt some of the requirements were unnecessarily difficult.
“It feels very alienating,” he said.
“I know a lot of people who have been here for a long time. I have a friend who fled Poland at the fall of Communism, that’s how long we’re talking, and even she had to apply for settled status.
“Some of the stuff in there felt like it is almost to put people off.”
