November 08, 2024
New Migrant Hub Drop-In Opens in Lewisham
LRMN launched a brand new Lewisham Migrant Hub in New Cross this October! Learn about all the services this drop-in offers and how it expands LRMN's mission to support and empower sanctuary seekers to rebuild their lives.
Over and over, our community members have expressed their appreciation for our Greenwich Migrant Hub as a singular centre to seek support for everything from casework to emergency services. Now, we are so excited to share that a new Migrant Hub has opened in the Borough of Lewisham!
Asylum and Migrant Hub Coordinator Austin says, “I'm really excited about the opening of the Lewisham Migrant Hub: a safe, warm, welcoming space in which sanctuary seekers can access free and reliable advice every week. The hostile environment creates constant barriers for sanctuary seekers, whether that's related to housing, welfare, immigration status, employment, or healthcare; the Hub exists to support people to navigate these systems so that they can live healthier and more fulfilling lives every day.”
Modelled after our amazing Migrant Hub in Woolwich, this weekly drop-in is located at All Saints Hatcham Community Centre, New Cross. The service offers free support for migrants seeking legal advice, healthcare access, eVisa support, domestic violence support, and more.
The Lewisham Migrant Hub hosts advisors from Citizens Advice Lewisham who can offer general advice related to benefits, debt, housing, employment, and immigration. This ensures that our community members receive the help they need immediately! If these needs don’t match the services our advisors can provide, we also have triage volunteers to direct people to those who can help.
The Migrant Hub advisors can provide support with eVisa registration, creating and maintaining UKVI accounts, and understanding the eVisa system. All BRPs expire on 31 December, when the Home Office moves to an entirely online visa scheme. That doesn’t mean that people will lose status – just that all visas are now digital. Our amazing eVisa volunteers and eVisa caseworker are there for all your eVisa needs. Find more information about applying for your own eVisa using Free Movement’s walkthrough here, or helping someone else with their eVisa using Right to Remain’s guide here.
Moreover, our access to healthcare programme is expanding to include drop-in services. Navigating healthcare can be confusing for all of us on the best of days – not to mention for those who face additional barriers to inclusion such as insecure immigration status, language barriers, and unreliable Wifi connection. Our Access to Healthcare advisor helps people register with a GP, make appointments, and handle medical debt at the Migrant Hub every other week.
Beyond these advice services, the Lewisham Migrant Hub also proudly offers community support. Community Connections Lewisham offers social prescribing, meaning they help individuals access different services and opportunities around Lewisham, ranging from support groups to volunteer roles, as well as assisting with filling out forms and other tasks.
For the first time, all these services are being offered under one roof in Lewisham, so people to be seen for all their needs in one place. Though the Hub’s advisors operate on a first-come, first-served basis and prioritises higher need individuals, everyone who walks through the doors will be directed to the services that best fit their needs – no matter what. The Lewisham Migrant Hub truly embodies our goal of creating a world where all people can receive the support they need to thrive, regardless of their immigration status.
Come visit the Hub at 107 New Cross Rd, London SE14 5FF every Wednesday starting at 10 am! You’ll be warmly welcomed by our drop-in team.