We believe in...
DIGNITY
CHOICE
JUSTICE
The GM Migrant Destitution Fund (MDF) provides cash grants for people forced into destitution by their immigration status.
We shouldn’t have to be doing this. We believe that all of us, wherever we are from, have the right to live with dignity as members of our society, free to support ourselves and access an essential safety net when we need it. But in the hostile environment around migration and asylum, thousands of people across our city region are forced into destitution, denied the right to access welfare and, in many cases, to work - solely because of where they have come from.
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As long as the government goes on using destitution as a weapon of immigration control, we are committed to providing cash grants to support people to meet basic needs and promote wellbeing.
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By providing cash, with no strings attached, we seek to restore a degree of dignity.
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We operate a “fund-plus” model. Beyond our grants programme, we also:
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signpost where possible for additional support and pathways out of destitution
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develop partnership working between frontline organisations across GM
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advocate for change to build towards a society where no one is made destitute because of where they come from.
Many of those accessing the fund will eventually win the right to remain, to work and to access public funds, but it is a long process and in the meantime it traps people in destitution. Others are granted leave to remain but are still denied access to public funds, leaving them without any safety net.
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The Fund aims to restore dignity and empower people forced into these degrading situations by Home Office policy. are some of the most marginalised people in our society.
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The Fund provides grants of £80 once a month. These grants are typically spent on food, winter clothing, phone credit, travel costs (e.g. to crucial legal or medical appointments), dental treatment. We recognise that £80 does not solve all of the problems that recipients experience. Ultimately, we can’t achieve justice while the hostile environment persists. But the fund does provide a lifeline when people need it most.
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For updates on our work and upcoming events go to our news page and follow us on Twitter.
"I was able to call my family. The first time! It made me cry"
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Ruvimbo, asylum seeker, destitute for 7 years
"it meant I could submit my application for appeal just in time. I couldn't have done that without this. [The Fund] stops people having to put themselves in unsafe situations to get money."
WHO OVERSEES THE FUND
The fund is run in partnership between Macc and volunteers the Migration and Destitution Action Group, which initially formed as part of the Manchester Homeless Partnership in 2017.
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In November 2023 we appointed our first paid post, the MDF Partnership Lead, devoted to driving forward the fund's strategic work. This post sits within Macc's Collaboration Team.
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Applications are checked for duplication by an administrator provided by Macc and shared with a panel twice a week for approval. The panel is made up of two people with lived experience of destitution, and two people who work with groups supporting people who are destitute, including the new Partnership Lead. Decisions are made according to whether people match our simple eligibility criteria - if people are eligible, they receive the grant, and there is no limit on the number of times they can apply.
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All donations or grant funds made to the Migrant Destitution Fund are held by Macc as restricted funding. Partners will be asked by Macc to complete straightforward checks prior to registering and making their first application.
WHO DO WE SUPPORT?
The fund supports people made destitute by their immigration status across Greater Manchester.
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In 2020 Citizens Advice reported:
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Nearly 1.4 million people in the UK have no recourse to public funds (NRPF)
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Burden of restrictions falls on Black or Asian people, or people from other minority ethnic backgrounds (BAME)
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Number of people seeking advice on no recourse to public funds has doubled during pandemic
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True figures of those with NRPF in Greater Manchester are unknown as many go unrecorded. What we do know:
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105 individuals with NRPF were recorded as staying in night shelters during the first phase of the GM ‘A Bed Every Night’ initiative between 1 Nov 2018 and 31 March 2019.
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18% of rough sleeping in Manchester according to these figures were for people with NRPF, which suggests there could be 20-50 destitute migrants rough sleeping every night.
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Over 200 people are on the waiting list for Manchester based charity Boaz Trust's accommodation for those with NRPF.
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Go to our stories page to read more about the experiences of those we support and the impact the fund has on their lives
LISTEN
This podcast was created with The Elephant Trail Project. Listen to hear more about the people we support, their ambitions to work, their struggles with the impact of NRPF on their mental health, and the need to make the Migrant Destitution Fund available to more people.