SIAU Annual Re ort and Financial Ststements for the year ended 31 March 2024 for Slou h Immi ration Aid Unit funded by: *Qn&Slov TIIF. AC".C.F.S.S I'll J L1s-1-I C. Id. l.L)L'X I):I-I'IO IhLUNION BERKSHIRE COMMUNI FOUNDATION ondon Legal Il Tiusl The Louis Ba lis The lan Mactaggart Trust and the Mactaggart Third Fund
Contents of the Financial Statements forthe r ended 31 March 2024 Page Generdl InfOnTtIOn TNstees' Annual Report TNstees' Annual Summary Independent examiners report on the Accounts Income and Expendire A¢count Balance Sheet 10
Slou h Immi ration Aid Unit General Inforniatio forthe r ended 31 March 2024 CHARITY NAME: Stough Immigrdtion Aid Unit REGISTERED NUMBEFi" 1064293 ADDRESS: 52 Chalvey High Street Slough Berkshire SL12SQ INDEPENDENT EXAMINEIi. Ms PGVett Grevett & Co Certified Accountants 346a Famham Road Slough Berkshi SL2 18T
Slou h Immi ration Aid Unit Trustees, Re ear ended 31 March 2024 for the The Trustees of the Slough Immigration Aid Unit (also known as SIAU) pre*nt their Annual Report for the year ended 31 Marth 24. Trustees Ms S M Shutter (Chair) Mr J R Barkley (TasUrer) Mrs M A l<nibbs (died 8 May 2024) Ms P K MathaN (resigned April 2023) Ms N Shabir Ms S Saeed (appointed April 2023) Ms K Beddow (appointed April 2024) The Trustees are appointed at Trustees, meetings. The Charity is govemed by the Trust Deed dated 18 December 1996 as amended by Special Resolution on 15 August 1997. The objects of the Charity are to relieve hardship by the provision of free legal advice, assistance and representation to people who live or work or study in Slough and neightouring areas, and their families, who have difficulties caused by imm uration. nationality or refugee law and practice and who cannot afford altemative representstion; and to collaborate with others to improve such advice for the people of Slough. In addition other objects are to provide information and edue2tion on immigration, nationalty and refugee law to those who are most dosely affected by them. This work is clearty for the public benefrt, as required under charty law. The Trustees have had regard to the public benefrt guidan publish&d by ts Charity Commi&sion Wh exercisiryj ary Frf)wers or duties to which the guidance is relevant. Financial summa for the ear The Charity was funded through several grants. including £8,483 carried forward from a grant of £12,196 from the Access to Justice Foundation Communty Justice Fund last year. We also received unrestricted grants from the Berkshire Communty Foundation. the Louis Baylis Charitable Trust, UNITE, the Mactsggart Third Fund. the lan Mactaggart Trust and the London Legal Support Trust from our participation in tts sponsored walk. The #Onesloughfunding, administered by Slough Council for Voluntary Service, to provide immigration advice to SIOU restdents, continued through the year. We continue to seek further grant funding for our work, and to maintain our aim of having at least three months, running costs in reserves. The Charity is also fvnded by cost recovery fees from some clients who do not qualrfy for a free Servi and by donations from individuals. At the year end we held cash at bank of £22,494 which is unrestricted funding (induding £10,000 from the lan Mactaggart Trust for 202&2024), held to meet the ruming costs of the Chartys offi and related expenditure. The Trustees dedare that they hale approved the trustees, report above. Signed on behalf of the charitys trustees Ms SM Shutter (Chair) Date
SIAU'S work during the yearApril 2023 to March 2024 SIAU'S work and aims SIAU is a tharrty which provides specialist legal advi, assistan and representation to people who live, work or study in Slough and neighbouring areas, and thetr families, who have difficulties with UK immigration, n*i(nality or refugee law and practi. We have done this work for over 17 years. We provide a free seNice to people on low incomes, or no income, and who would have qualrfied financially for Legal Help, when this still existed for immigration matters. Wnere people's income or savings are too high to qualfy for Legal Help, we may operate a cost recovery prO5s, charging a fee towards our costs only - we do not make a prof Ive wort< closely with other 0uP5 giving advi in Slough and provide infomation and support to them. For the past few years this was formalised through the SIo9h Community Network organised through Slough Council for Voluntary Service. This nelwork is now called #Oneslough. We have helped other voluntary and community organisations to understand Eaw and to fr1p their members or refer them on to approprtate advi and help. This year our work largely continued in a hybrid way. because of the covid-19 pandemic and its after- effects. Since March 2000, the majority of our work has been done from home, through phone and email and zoom and post. We have got used to working in this way, explaining to dients about sending scans and photos of documents by email to us in support of their cases, and providing infomation on- line for us to be able to advise. One member of staff was working from abroad for part of the year. We now normally have a presence in the office once a week to llect and retrieve documents and to see some clients, but most of our work continues remotely. There are diffiojlties and advantages: we are considering our plans for the longer tenn. Why our work is so important Immigration law is cc4nplex and can affect all aspects of people's INes. Access to competent immigration advice and representation be vital, making the drfferen bthean, for example, a couple or family being able to live together in the UK or remain separated on different continents,. an asylum seek8r having more understanding of the complex process,. relatives being able to visit for a family wedding or being refused a visa to come. It may enable people confused and worried by the complexities of the EU Settlement Scheme to understand what they may be able to do to secure their position., or elderly parts being able to live with their adult Child here rather than left ak)ne and in need of G2re abroad. Ignoran of the law can lead to serious and unnecessary drfficuEties. Not understanding the basis on which immigration decisions are made. or the Importan of using the right foms and providing all the right documentation to the Home Office or to British Visa Application Centres abroad at the right time, can result in applications which could meet Ihe requirements of the immigration rules being refused. The fees for immigration applications were raised again in October 2023, to £2885 for settlement as a spouse or partner, £1048 for framily extensK)n of stay, £1846 for family entry Clearan abroad, making the importance of preparing a case well and getting the application right first time of huge signffiican. Since April 2015, most immigration applicants also have to pay a 'health surcharge,. which rose from £400 to £624 per year in October 2020, and to £1036 in February 2024. for a$S to the NHS, for which most of them will already be paying through their taxes. en immigration problems can be solved, people are able to continue their INes withoth this extra problem. Uncertainty about immigration status can cause and eXarbate povety and exploitatFOn. People who have at last been allowed to work and thus to support their family will be able to do so, and will have the securty not to be exploited at WO and to be able to access other rights. The basic securty for people thowing that they are able to reman with their family and continue in their life nhanS community cohesion and makes for a more unified and stronger society. SIAU remains the only SOU of free specialist immigration and nationality law advice based in Slough. Such work is much needed in Slough. around hatf of its population is of minority ethnic origin, with the largest communities from Kashmir and the Punjab, but there are also signtfic2nt African, East European, other Asian and Middle Eastem populations, as well as those from the Caribbean. There remains a large unmet need for immigration advi, Infation and representation.
Changes in the law The unbroken flow of new laws on migration continued. The Illegal Migration Bill was introduced to Parliament on 7 March 2023, includng still more measures to stop °small boar arrivals across the English Channel, was enacted C 20 July 2023. The Supreme Court declared the Rwanda policy, in the Nationality and Borders Act 2021. unlawful on 15 November 2023. The Safety of Rwanda (Immigration and Nationaity) Bill was introduced on 7 December 2023 and enacted on 25 April 2024. After the general election of 7 July 2024, the new govemment confirmed that rt would rK)t operate this policy but has plans for yet another bill. the 8¢xder Security, Asylum arKI Immigration Bill. The positive provisions on nationalty, enabling people to register to become British citizens without charge rf historical injustice in the previous laws meant they were not bom British, are in effect. After some confusion on status, the British Nationalty (Regularisation of Past Practice) Act was in force from 29 June 2023, confiming that children bom in the UK to EU nationals between 1 January 1983 and 1 October 2000 were bom 8rttish citizens, as had previously been believed. Migration and asylum issues have frequently been in Ihe news. There were six separate Statements of Changes in the immigration rules from April 2023 to March 2024, including several amendments to tre EU Settlement Scheme and n(xeasing the minimum income requirement for sponsoring family migration. There were four Supreme Court decisions relating to immigration matters, including the Rwanda case and cases on the interpretation of bng sidenCe. The rules on family migration remain extmelY complex and restrictive, and the cost of living crisis means many people are unable to meet them as they do not eam £29,000 per year, required since 11 April 2024, to be able to maintain Iheir spouse. or cannot provide the very precise evidence demanded. The financial difficulties caused by the lon*tenn effeds of the pandemic have meant fewer people could qualfy, even before this rise, and the Home Office's covhY-19 Con$S1onS did not rxjver all issues. This has meant an increase in family members who cannot meet the financial requirement getting pemission to stay on the ten-year routs to settlement, meaning they will not have a secure 'settled' status in the UK for ten years. More people have needed to apply for their immigration fees to be waived, or for their conditions restricting aCsS to public funds to be amended. These applications are labour-intensive, as the Home Office requeS extremely detailed financial eviden and explanations. The 'hostile environment, created for people wtthout immigration rights, officially renamed the 'compliant environment. by Sajid Javid when Home Secretary. continues and affects others who have the right to remain. The most extreme Injusti affected many from the 'Windrush generation'_ with people still fighting for slow and inadequate compensation. A similar situation has arisen for those who did not apply in time under the EU Settlement Scheme, for whatever reason, as late applications are continuing. From 9 August 2023, such late applications are much more likely to be rejected. The cOnntratIon on asylum issues and dealing with the ba¢kFog of asylum applications still drans resour$ from other immigration areas so that family human fhts applications are still taking 12 months on average to process. The govemment's continued use of outsourcing to private sector providers to operate the immigration system, TLS Contact and VFS Global abroad, and now TLS Contact in the UK as well, makes the processes less transparent and harder to deal with, and it is more difficult to find out where sponsibl1ty for problems caused to individual applicants lies. SIAU helps people to understsnd the immgration law and rules and to satisfy the authorities that they can qualfy, or advises them how they can do so. but also explains when they do not. SIAU'S work empowers people by helping them to be aware of their posttion under immigration law and to access their rights and by reducing the need for people to pay often expensive arnl incompetent nSUltantS. British nationalty law is CiThnplicated and people often need help in understanding C collecting the documents needed and making their applications to become British citvzens. Naturalisation ts atways discretionary and the Home Office changes its criteria for using ts disffttion without publicity. Again, the naturalisation fee of £1580, raised to £1630 on 10 April 2024. is non-refurtd8ble rf the application is refused. SIAU'S specTalist workers are able to help people through this maze.we have advised and represented people on applying under the new sections of the law ained at rectfying historical injustices, and for childn,5 fee waivers.
StAU's advice work and casework Our legal advice and representational work thmt4h the year o)ntinued. Our work is regulated by the Office of the Immigration servi Commissioner, no. F200500137. OISC most relY audited SIAU'S work in May 2016 and was fully satisfied. During the year April 2023 - MarL*12024, SIAU records show we advised 366 people and families and took up 69 new cases to represent to the irnmigration auihorities, with work ntInuing on many others. Our websrte had 1054 interactions. according to Google Business Profile statistics. Our records show that the people we advised or represented were of 81 different nationalities - the largest numbers were again Pakistani (69) and Indian {32), but there were 82 from dtfferent African countries and 13 from the Caribbean. There were 75 inquiries from citizens of 18 other EEA countries this year, often those of minority ethnic descent," the largest numbers were Romanian (12), Polish (11), Italian (13) and Portuguese (9). Other nationalities include Ghanaian (26), Nigerian (23), Zimbabwean (14), Atgerian (9),arKI fewer than 9 people fr(xn each of the other natM)nalities. Many inquiries, 52, lated to the EU Settlement Scheme, often ndudirKJ non-EU national family members. Many others related to establishing or acquiring British crtizenship, 25 in retation to adult naturalisation, 15 in relaticn to children. either registering as Brrtish or establishing the status of children born here. The majonty of the other issues raised were in relation to family matters, 53 about spouses, partners and children in the UK 37 about entry dearance for spouses, partners and children currently abroad. 46 related to marriage breakdown and domestic abuse and the immigration law effects of escaping a violent relationship or the possibilty of qualfying to remain in the UK independerrtly. 22 were related to asylum or distxetionary leave matters. 19 people inquired about qualfying to remain on long residence grounds. 13 people rfteded advi or help about their entitlement to benefits, or in tying to change the conditions on their stay that they <2nnot have recourse to public funds, arKI 15 about applying to waive the Home Office application fees and the immigration health surcharge. Other matters included 20 people wanting advi about famity members comiro to visrt from abroad, and matters such as NHS charges. proving the right lo work or to claim benefits and obtaining travel documents and biometric residen permits. Inquiries aÈout setting up UKVI accounts, and accessing evisas increased through the year, as all immigration records are planned to be onlne only frorn 2025. In relation to the 69 people arKI families W1$e cases werepresented, they were of 33 dtfferent nationalities; the largest numbers were Pakistani (12), Ghanaian (9), Gambian (4) and Bangladeshi, Indian, Italian, Nigerian (3 each). Many UPleS and families have more than ore nationality between them, and non-EU nationals married to, or chiklren of, EU nationals, may have most difficjjlty in establishing their EU SS status. we represented 8 such cases. Others included pemission to remain with settled or British spouses or as parents of such Childr (25) or enty Clearan to join family (3). applying to remain after experiencing dornest abuse (16), long residence applications (5), applying for change of conditions on stay. to be able to attess public funds (2) and applying for British citizenship (10). We represented 12 people in successfulty obtaining fee waivers for their family and human rights applications, or children's citizenship applications. The majority of people we advised and helped were tocal. 164 came from Slough, 33 from Bracknell, 30 from High Wycombe, 18 from Reading, 17 frwi Maidenhead. 12 from Windsw, others from a bit further afield, such as Wokingham, Ascot, Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, and west London, and a few from other areas, usually by email or phon8. 52 people self-identified as having a person with a disability in the family, ranging from mobility difficulties to mental health issues. autism, HIV+ or had a medical condition such as cancer, stroke. diabetes or heart failure. A family we helped SJAU has advised and represented one Ghanaian faniily &nce 2020, when we applied for a mother and her thr UK-born Childn, then seven. &x and one. forpermi&gon to Emain on human rights grounds. as her oldest child had lived fve forseven yea. The family was supported by &xial ser15. so we applied for a fee waiver first. The application was SussfUl, and we were then contacted by the latherof her youngest child for adwce in securing his own status, as a parent and step-parent. The family were granted permission to rna1n for 30 months, and then needed to apply again for another extension, wth SIAU s pntatiOn. By that time, the two older GhildEn were over 10, so SIAU applied for fee waivers for them to register for 817tish o"tizenship. The family has been able to remain heE securely l)ecause of SIAU'S support and help.
SIAU'S staff are highly skilled and experienced, and tIEir experttse can rnake a Significant difference to chances of success in an application. Shabana Bokhari, OISC level 3 regulated. has continued to work for one day a week for most of this year, Parveen Akhter, OISC Level 2 regulated, worked for four days a week. Sue Shutter, level 2 regulated, volunteered more frequently, dealing with advi queries and some casework from home. We have not been able to support admin volunteers, but Nazia Shabir continued to provide vital volunteer casework support. supervised by Parveen Akhter. There is a huge demand for our wort which we have cfjntiwed remotely. through email and phone, throughthis year. SIAU continues to work with and receive referrals other k)cal organisations and Community groups doing complementary work in Slough and the surrounding aa, induding Crtizens Advice East Berkshire, Slough Refijgee Support, Hestia, The Dash Charty (Domestic Abuse Stops Here). SEWAK refuge. until it closed in July 2024, SHOC (SIgh Homeless Our Concem), Slough Foodbank. neight)ouring Citizens Advice Bureaux and others. The council, Slough Children First, and the Slough MP'S offi, as well as communty groups. may also refw people to us for help and advice. We continue to be a member of the #Oneslough network of voluntary organisations. with regular zoom and in-person rneetings facilitated through Slough Council for Voluntary Service. We are represented in their community dewrating of 8 temporary hoarding in Slough High Street. As an OISC-regulated organisation, we hold their Slough Qualty Prote<Xs Platinum level accredrtation. SIAU'S infomiation and lobbying work SIAU participated in lobbying on the Illegal Migration Bill and in raising issues of concem, such as about the EU Settlement Scheme and the minimum incorne requirement, through our membership of the Immigration Law Practitioners, Association. particpate in on-line discussion groups of immigration advisers and lawyers, sharing ideas and infomiation. SIAU expects to corrtinua all our areas of work into the fvture. as we anticipate the need for it will remain and increase as more parts of the new irnmÉgration system and the ever-incfeasing legislation come into effect. The EU settlement and we-settiement stheme and rts June 2021 deadline, and people travelling in small boats across the English Channel and the Mediterranean keep migration in the forefront of public debate. We )ntinUe io advise many EU nationals and their families worried about their status, or applying late, along with others having ditficulties caused by the family migration rules. The move to 'digital by defauif so that all immigration records will be online only after the end of 2024 causes many problems and worries, especially for people who are not digitally confident or do not have access to the intemet, Domestic abuse remains a large proportion of our casework. Restrictions on eligibility to daim benefits, and the increased ievel of the Home Office fees have added to diffieJJlties this year, and fee waivers and change of (*nditions applications remain a significant proportion of our work. We continue mainly worktng motelY. and rely on email, intemet, phone and post, as well as meeting people in the office. We continue to attempt to mitigate some of the worst effects of the laws and practi for our clients and their families and to he them to achieve their aims. SIAU'S staff Parveen Akhter, Shabana Bokhari SIAU'S volunteers Nazia Shabir. Sue Shutter SIAU'S Trustees Sue Shutter (thair), Ray Barkley (treasurer), Nazta Shabir, Shabana Saeed. Keren Beddow
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Slou h Immi rdtion Aid Unit Income and Ex nditurÈ Account for the rended 31 March 2024 2024 Tolal funds 2023 Total funds Unrestricted Restrlcted funds ftinds Unrestricted Restiicted funds funds In¢ome Grants Donations Fees recovered Rents received 38,666 8.451 3,870 1.400 52.387 38,666 8N51 3,870 23.619 7,391 6.785 23,619 7.391 6.785 52,387 37.795 37.795 Other Incom Deposit account interest 220 220 220 139 139 139 139 Total Income 52,607 52.f 37.934 37.934 Expendlture Rent Wages Cloud based data system & training Professional servlces Telephone & intemet Post & stationery Professional indemnty insuranr Employers liabilty Insurance Sundry expenses Accountancy Membership fees Professional lees Bank charges Nest pension Computer equipment vffitten off 5,040 29,700 5.040 27,170 5,040 30,600 480 1,750 1,634 636 235 182 451 1,000 195 29,700 3,430 1.750 1,634 636 235 182 451 1,000 195 1.837 729 251 198 414 1,000 150 1.837 729 251 198 414 1.000 150 74 475 1.710 43.224 74 475 1.710 74 74 443 40,936 3,430 44,368 NET SURPLUSI(OEFICIT) 9,383 9.383 3.002 3.430 6,432 Reconclliatlon of funds Total funds brought forward 12,062 12.062 15. 3,430 18,494 Totsl funds carried fopward 21.445 12.fA2 12,062
Slou hlmm ration Aid Unit lan¢e Sheei r ended 31 March 2024 forthe 2024 2023 FIXED ASSETS Computer equipment 1,710 CURRENT ASSETS Debtors Prepayments Bank deposit account Bank account no. 1 Bank account no. 2 405 159 18.478 1.869 150 14,159 1,460 3,900 20,334 23.058 CURRENT LIA8IUTIES Grant received in advance CdItorS and accrued expenses 8.483 1.499 9,982 1,613 NET CURRENT ASSETS 21,446 10.352 NET ASSETS 21,445 12,062 REPRESENTED BY: Restricted funds Unrestricted funds 21,445 12,C62 12.C62 10