Doctors of the World have collated resources to help organisations supporting migrants navigate the latest announcement with regards to the Covid Pass and the booster jab.
The deadline to provide specified documents has been extended to 31 March 2022.
The temporary concession for coronavirus (COVID-19) related research has ended.
People in receipt of an endorsement from a Global Talent endorsing body who have not been able to apply for a visa within the 3-month deadline due to Covid-19 related reasons, may still be eligible.
The Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants are launching a report based on interviews with undocumented migrants, exploring some of the systemic issues they have faced as a result of the UK’s Hostile Environment policies.
The Migrant Aspiration Programme (MAP) is a free 4 month online training course created for anyone who has lived experience of migration and the hostile environment. MAP is for people who are looking to lead and make a difference in their community. Training will run from April – July and the application deadline is the beginning of February.
Also available embedded in the blogpost in Arabic, Bengali, Chinese (Simplified), Dari, Farsi, Gujarati, Hindi, Pashto, Polish, Punjabi Gurmukhi, Punjabi Shamakhi, Romanian, Slovak, Somali, Turkish, Urdu and Welsh.
University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Trust are looking for help in identifying great approaches or services that are supporting good health or good health care for refugees or people seeking asylum around the world.
Yorkshire, Humber and the North East Health Stream of Sanctuary Online Event on 24th November 2021
The Yorkshire, Humber and the North East Health Stream of Sanctuary invites you to participate in an online day of events on Wednesday 24th November 2021.
Specialised services have developed to meet the needs of sanctuary seekers, for example, Primary Care Practices specifically set up for asylum seekers. This stream aims to support City of Sanctuary Groups and Health Practitioners to develop and share good practice in inclusive health care for sanctuary seekers. Round table event chaired by City of Sanctuary UK Trustee Jeff Morgan.
Mental health and well-being are big issues for many people seeking sanctuary, made worse by the many impacts of the hostile environment. In this session we will look at some of the problems people face in getting help for mental distress and trauma and explore ideas for making things better.
As of Monday 1st November, The Welcome Centre will be reopening to the public for the first time since March 2020.
Since the pandemic began, The Welcome Centre has been closed to the public and we have been operating a home delivery service for our foodbank clients. Clients and referral agencies have been unable to visit our centre due to restrictions and for the safety of all those involved, however, as of 1st November that will change.
From 1st November, clients and/or referring agencies will need to collect their food packs from The Welcome Centre.
Referrers can collect packs on behalf of clients from our Lord Street centre between 10 am and 4 pm Monday to Friday. Packs will be ready 1 hour after the referral has been made
Clients can collect their own packs from our Lord Street centre between 10 am and 4 pm Monday to Friday. Packs will be ready 1 hour after the referral has been made
In exceptional circumstances, some clients may be offered a delivery service.
When making a referral for a food pack please consider your clients’ needs and only request a delivery if your client meets one or more of the requirements below
Does your client or their child have either physical or mental health issues that prevents them collecting their packs?
Have you requested a large pack for your client with multiple items or for a large family?
We are not assuming that all clients with mental/physical health issues or requesting large packs are unable to collect their packs. They may be able or have transport available to collect their packs and should do where possible. Please check with your client whether they would prefer collection or delivery.
Alternatively if you as their referrer can collect on their behalf it should be arranged.
If your client does not meet one of these requirements but you feel they need a delivery then please call the AGS team on 01484 515086 ext 5 to discuss further
If you do not request a delivery it will be assumed that your client can collect.
Lone working or high risk clients
All packs for clients viewed as aggressive/high risk or pose a lone working risk will need to be collected by their referral agency.
We need your help So that those clients who are most in need receive our deliveries, it is vital that you support us with this process. We no longer have capacity to deliver 100% of our packs to clients and want to ensure that clients who meet the above requirements are prioritised based on their need.
Refugee Council have produced maternity guides for women on asylum support It explains the healthcare services and financial support available during pregnancy and after birth.5 November 2021
Refugee Council’s policy note on health barriers outlines the main issues their clients are experiencing when they access health services, including issues arising in the course of the Covid-19 pandemic. 5 November 2021
A webinar covering access to housing, support and primary care for Afghan women who are pregnant or new mothers will be held on 16th November 10:30-12:00.
Roma Support Group conducted a questionnaire between February and April 2021 to assess how the Covid-19 pandemic had affected the daily lives of their clients, and whether they were able to access support when needed.
Their report includes good practice recommendations on public health engagement and adapting existing support to changing community needs.
We are pleased to announce that registration for the Yorkshire Integration Festival 2021 is now open!
Join us on Friday 19th November 2021, for a fantastic virtual event. You will hear from a range of local and national speakers and stakeholders, and find out about the excellent integration work that communities up and down Yorkshire and Humber are doing. With the theme of ‘Rebuilding together in a changing world’, the Festival will showcase and celebrate our region’s success in integrating refugees, asylum seekers, and other migrants.
We are excited to see you all there and to come together to enjoy an engaging day filled with inspiring content.
1. Call for migrant participants in “Routes: new ways to talk about Covid for better health” research atTheLondon School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
“We would like to talk to migrant workers to understand their experiences of COVID and the pandemic response, because they are not always well served by healthcare services. We are particularly interested in talking to migrant workers in precarious jobs (e.g. zero hours contracts, informal economy).
Please circulate information about our project among your networks to see if there might be migrant workers interested in either being interviewed for about an hour or participating in a group discussion. We will pay £40 per interview, or £40 for participation in a group discussion, as cash or a voucher. If anyone from organisations supporting migrant workers would like to participate as a key informant, please let us know and we can discuss how that might work too. We do have some funds to support organisational involvement.
We know it’s important to work directly with communities to understand what type of research needs to be done, and that’s why we want to speak to community members and community organisations at every stage. We are funded by DHSC (Department of Health and Social Care) but we are independent and are not part of health services.
You can contact us at depth@lshtm.ac.uk if you would like more information”
A workshop from the Health Creation Alliance taking place on Thursday 4th, Tuesday 16th and Tuesday 30th November, 14:00-15:30, aimed at NHS staff and those working in partnership with them.
This Zoom training aims to draw on the learning from COVID-19 and vaccines to improve understanding of how the NHS can work with local communities to address health inequalities among marginalised communities, particularly asylum seekers, refugees and homeless people.
The Department of Health and Social Care and Office for National Statistics have prepared a paper on the direct and indirect health impacts of Covid-19 between March 2020 and Spring 2021.
A short version of the paper (18 pages) was published on 9th September 2021.
It provides analysis of current evidence and understanding of the COVID-19 transmission risks associated with hotels and MQFs, to understand whether there are risk factors specific to hotels.
A review of migrant health research has been published, outlining trends in research in the last couple of decades and setting out recommendations for the future research agenda.
Leeds City Council’s Communications department are currently setting up a Winter Response group, which will co-ordinate communications on Covid-19 and various other interlinked issues around Winter and health.
To ensure the Communities toolkit remains relevant, they would like volunteers to complete this 5-minute survey to highlight your needs and indicate how you’re using/have used the toolkit:
The latest iteration of the toolkit includes:
Two new government items (Vaccines Toolkit by the Cabinet Office and Back to Schools/Colleges guidance by the Dept of Education)
Links to social media artwork displaying vaccination locations for 16-17 year olds
Gov.UK have updated their guidance on how everyone can help stop the spread of coronavirus in line with the latest Step 4 guidance and the government’s plan for Autumn/Winter 2021.
The University of Birmingham has published a report into Doctors Of The World’s casework, proving significant unmet healthcare needs and an evident digital divide in migrant patients during the first wave of the pandemic.
Key findings from the report
The average number of consultations per month dropped drastically from approximately 170 before the pandemic to 50 during the pandemic
Service users were much more likely to find themselves in inadequate housing
Significant barriers to GP registration remained
Percentage of undocumented service users decreased, while the percentage of asylum seekers increased.
There was a significant increase in service users reporting ‘bad’ or ‘very bad’ health
Gov.UK have produced an easy read guide for children and young people (aged 12-15) with learning disabilities, explaining what they can expect when they receive their Covid-19 vaccination. Additionally, a Coronavirus vaccine consent form for young people is available.
Following the news that people aged 50 years and over, health and social care workers and younger people at risk are being offered a third dose of COVID-19 vaccine this autumn, the UK government have published a guide to booster vaccinations.
The Royal College of Midwives has produced ‘Caring for vulnerable migrant women’ which is a pocket guide for midwives and maternity support workers, covering a range of topics.
The UK government has published guidance on financial support for people who cannot afford the managed quarantine and testing fees associated with ‘essential travel’ to the UK during the pandemic.
The UK government has updated its migrant health advice and guidance on prevalence of communicable diseases and other health topics from different countries.
To support the Health Foundation’s COVID-19 impact inquiry, Good Things Foundation, the Health Foundation and the King’s Fund joined to convene a diverse group of people with a shared interest in tackling digital exclusion and health inequalities. The workshop was also an opportunity to make and strengthen connections, and share experience on promising approaches, opportunities and how to achieve sustained and inclusive change. Their paper gives an overview of digital exclusion and its relationship to health, social and economic aspects of people’s lives; who is affected; how the pandemic has impacted on this; and what responses we have seen.
Report on migration and vulnerability during the pandemic
A new report on migration and vulnerability during the pandemic was produced as part of the University of Birmingham Vulnerable Migrants’ Wellbeing Project led by Professor Jenny Phillimore (and funded by the Nuffield Foundation and ESRC IAA). The report, which shows significant unmet healthcare needs and deep digital divide in migrant patients during first wave of the pandemic, draws on Doctors of the World’s anonymised service users’ data at the height of the first wave of the pandemic. Amongst the key findings of the report:
The average number of consultations per month dropped drastically from approximately 170 before the pandemic to 50 during the pandemic
Service Users were much more likely to find themselves in inadequate housing
Significant barriers to GP registration remained
Percentage of undocumented service users decreased, while the percentage of asylum seekers increased.
There was a significant increase in service users reporting ‘bad’ or ‘very bad’ health.
Migration Yorkshire has launched the Migration news roundup for anyone interested in migration but without lots of time to search for news.
The roundup is a new, weekly service drawing together news items on migration, covering policy, immigration law, individual stories, research and statistics, mainly relating to the UK but also with a snapshot of overseas stories.
Doctors of the World have kindly shared their Vaccine Confidence Toolkit, a resource aimed at assisting community leaders in encouraging people to take up the vaccine.
The toolkit includes Vaccine Confidence slides and speaker notes and will soon be available in 5 community languages.
These animated resources address recommendations arising from a stakeholder engagement exercise to improve the Migrant Health Guide NHS entitlements page, done in 2019, which asked for more clarity about NHS entitlements and to adopt a more culturally sensitive approach. These outputs will also complement a suite of PHE and NHSE/I COVID-19 vaccination resources (for the general public) being made available to mitigate vaccination inequalities.
The animations aim to dispel fears of being charged for free NHS services, supports PHE’s role in reducing health inequalities by clarifying entitlements to healthcare and upholds the Public Sector Equality Duty.
Doctors of the World social prescribing resources to support migrants
New DOTW guidance on how social prescribing workers can support migrants.
COVID-19 translated advice and guidance is available on the PHE Migrant Health Guide here
PHE COVID-19 guidance collection page for the general public includes translated versions here
The updated guidance for accommodation providers of asylum seeker accommodation was published on Fri 23rd July here. The guidance is aimed at all staff involved in providing support to asylum seekers in all accommodation settings.
A Braille version of the leaflet is also available to order.
A set of 4 posters and social media cards encouraging vaccine uptake among pregnant women are available for download only – by logging into this NHS England website.
Public Health England have issued translations of their comprehensive stay at home guidance for anyone with symptoms of coronavirus. This also applies to anyone who is asymptomatic but is waiting for results of a PCR test.
The Department for Education have published a policy paper on the National Tutoring Programme (NTP), a scheme started in 2020 to provide support for pupils and students most affected by disruption to their education as a result of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
Further information about the programme can be found on the NTP website.
The aim of the training is to educate and raise awareness of the ongoing racial injustice and everyday discrimination faced by colleagues from ethnic minorities across our diverse communities.
The voices and experiences of the Race Equality Network members from ethnic minorities have shaped the purpose and content of the training.
Solace have a vacancy for a Children and Families therapist (closing date Monday 23rd August) and are looking for trustees with lived experience of the asylum process or being a refugee. Please share with your networks.
As restrictions have been eased following the move to Step 4 of the roadmap, the UK government are advising clinically extremely vulnerable people, as a minimum, to follow the same guidance as everyone else.
From the WomenCentre……..We would like to share with you our newly launched report Digital Ways of Women Centred Working that brings together good practice principles for work with women migrants. The report shares practical, tangible examples of the adaption of services and support for digital, remote and blended ways of working.
The learning brought together in the report is summarised in six principles that offer guidance, with practical steps that showcase practice examples. The principles have emerged from work with women migrants and partners on Connecting Opportunities.
Get inspired by learning from women migrants about the transition and adaptation of support services; explore the resources that are available on the website and consider the steps you can take to make your work more women centred. To download the report please click: here
After 30 June 2021 all EU citizens (adults and children) living in UK lost their right to be in the country lawfully with the exception of :
Those who have settled or pre-settled status through the EU Settlement Scheme
Those who made an application to EUSS on or before 30 June 2021 (they should have a Certificate of Application to show this)
Those who have some other sort of status, e.g. Indefinite Leave to Remain, Discretionary Leave to Remain
Those who are British citizens (even if they hold dual citizenship)
Other EU citizens may be visiting the UK as a tourist or with visas allowing them to stay for a set period or to join family members. These people do not have the same rights as those with settled status living in the UK.
People who do not have the right to live in the UK but who are living in this country do not have rights to most benefits, NHS treatment other than for emergencies (and some other exemptions), to be employed, to enter into a rental lease for property, to access further or higher education, or to have a UK bank account. They may be removed from the country by the British authorities.
How does an EU citizen get the right to live in the UK?
The government maintains that the deadline to apply under the EUSS was 30 June 2021, which has now passed. Almost everyone who has did not apply before this deadline is now unlawfully resident in the UK as explained above.
However, the Home Office have effectively extended the time limit for applications, allowing late applications until at least 28 July 2021. During this period from 30 June – 28 July 2021 applicants can apply as before, but must explain why their application is late. During this initial 28-day period following the 30 June 2021 any explanation for lateness can be minimal and requires little or no supporting evidence, and can still be expected to be processed as normal.
Beyond 28 July 2021 applicants will likely need to provide stronger explanations for their late application. The Home Office guidance provides a helpful non-exhaustive list of accepted reasons for lateness. Some of the common reasons will involve age, medical condition, capacity, vulnerability (e.g. victims of trafficking or domestic violence), and a useful catch-all of any other compelling reason e.g. waiting for anew ID/passport to be provided.
This allowance for late applications does not change the legal position and lack of rights now that the 30 June 2021 deadline has passed. At present no indication has been given about the government’s policy after 28 July 2021 and whether they will seek to remove EU citizens with no right to remain. Late applications to the scheme can be made after 28 July and there is, at present, no end date for these, but the government could begin enforcing much harsher measures against those who have yet to apply by 28 July 2021.
The process for applying under the EUSS remains much the same. Applicants can apply online using a valid national ID, passport, or BRP/BRC. Now, applicants with an expired passport or national ID can use the online application process. Those without a valid or expired ID document will need to use some alternative ID, such as a Birth Certificate, and apply via a paper application form.
Most applicants will still need to prove their residence in the UK before 1 January 2021, as a minimum. Applicants will also still need to prove “suitability”, which is effectively proving they should not be excluded from the EUSS based on serious criminal history.
There remain other, more complex, routes by which applicants can apply including non-EU national family members, victims of domestic violence, carers of British citizen children. Do check with a legal professional if you feel someone might be eligible under these routes.
How does someone prove their right to live in the UK?
People with settled or pre-settled status can prove this by obtaining a “share code” online and logging into the UK Immigration – ID check website (link below). They will need details from the same ID document they used when applying to EUSS and have access to same mobile number or email address used to make the initial application. Some EU citizens may have a Biometric Residence Permit or an entry in their passport to prove their status but the majority will need to access the online site. If people are looking to rent or to prove their right to work there are other online sites that can be used by a prospective landlord or employer.
This document is for guidance purposes only and reflects the situation at the date of writing. Readers should take specific advice or research theirposition before taking any action. Useful websites include :
Following the progression to Step 4 of the roadmap, this guidance is for everyone in England who has been identified as clinically extremely vulnerable from coronavirus (COVID-19).
This guidance has been updated to reflect Step 4 roadmap changes. Translations and easy read guidance have temporarily been removed while being updated.
The UK government has issued public health information to protect the public and stop the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19). This includes public health advice and coronavirus-related duties for entering and staying within England.
Gov.UK have created an overview of NHS Test and Trace, including what happens if you test positive for coronavirus (COVID-19) or have had close contact with someone who has tested positive.
The UK government have issued guidance on how to get the NHS COVID Pass and demonstrate your coronavirus (COVID-19) status when travelling abroad and domestically at events and venues in England.
The Home Office has confirmed that as of 19th July 2021 negative cessations will resume meaning that anyone who has had a negative decision on their asylum claim can now have their support discontinued. All recipients on support whether on section 4 or section 95 support will receive 21 days notice of their support ending.
The #HandsUpForOurHealth coalition, which includes Doctors of the World is campaigning on this issue. As part of this they highlight the Safe Surgeries initiative – a network GP practices can join.
Racial Justice Network, with the support of Queen Mary University of London and University of Huddersfield, have produced this report; “Between a Rock and a Hard Place,” following interviews with community advocates living in Yorkshire and Humber during Covid 19.
The report is available in various formats including short-form and video.
The Leeds Health Partnerships team have produced this video featuring representatives from across a wide range of Leeds communities who have had their Covid vaccine.
Languages featured include English, Arabic, Bengali, BSL, Cantonese, Dari, Farsi, Czech, Irish, French, Hindi, Mandarin, Pashto, Polish, Punjabi, Romanian, Slovak, Thai, Turkish, Vietnamese and Urdu.
The briefing identifies three key groups of EU citizens for which NHS healthcare entitlement will differ:
EU citizens who came to the UK before 31/12/20 with status under the EUSS
EU citizens who came to the UK before 31/12/20 without status under the EUSS
EU citizens who came to the UK after 31/12/20
In the briefing, Doctors of the World have also published results of an online survey taken by both EU citizens and supporting organisations:
• 18% of the participants mentioned encountering issues when applying to the EU Settlement Scheme with a large majority mentioning issues with documentation and the website as the key reasons behind their difficulties
• 5% mentioned being asked to prove their immigration status when registering with a GP
• Amongst those asked to prove their immigration status when accessing hospital care, 22% were then unable to receive treatment due to issues in verifying their status
The Leeds Public Health Resource Centre (PHRC) supports anyone with a responsibility for or interest in improving health and wellbeing in Leeds, including students and volunteers.
The PHRC would like to hear your views on their current services, even if you have never used them before. Your feedback will also help shape their services in the future.
Click this link to take the survey and please feel free to share it with other people you know who are interested in improving health and wellbeing in Leeds.
Following the high profile incident in football earlier this week, St John’s Ambulance service, Joe Humphries Memorial Trust and the Resuscitation Council UK have developed an online training course for treating sudden cardiac arrest, funded by Sport England.
This accessible 30 – 45 minute course is designed for anyone involved in sport or physical activity from players to coaches to spectators.
Participants will have access to the online materials for 12 months after enrolling, in order to keep their SCA first aid skills updated.
Ask Doc have added translated videos in Cantonese, Gujarati and Farsi, suggesting that people shouldn’t use lateral flow tests if they have covid symptoms, and explaining what people should do instead.
Student sponsors should also read the student sponsor guidance which sets out the requirements for education providers wishing to apply for a licence to sponsor international students to come to the UK under the student and child student routes.
The purpose of the workshop is to share the findings of the UK SEREDA project, undertaken to understand the nature and incidence of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) experienced by forced migrants residing in the UK, and to work collectively to develop recommendations to help improve the lives of SGBV survivors, build their resilience and reduce vulnerability.
The online workshop will take place on 23 June from 13.00 to 14.30 using the virtual platform Microsoft Teams.
kirkleeswelcomes 
