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 InfOnT￿tIOn
TNstees' Annual Report
TNstees' Annual Summary
Independent examiners report on the Accounts
Income and Expendi￿re 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 PG￿Vett
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 2￿4.
Trustees
Ms S M Shutter (Chair)
Mr J R Barkley (T￿asUrer)
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 prO￿5s, 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 SIo￿9h 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 fr￿1p 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 pa￿rts 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 eXa￿rbate 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
￿nhan￿S 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￿, Inf￿ation 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 ext￿melY 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￿$S1onS did not rxjver all
issues. This has meant an increase in family members who cannot meet the financial requirement
getting pemission to stay on the ten-year routs to settlement, meaning they will not have a secure
'settled' status in the UK for ten years. More people have needed to apply for their immigration fees to
be waived, or for their conditions restricting aC￿sS to public funds to be amended. These applications
are labour-intensive, as the Home Office requ￿eS extremely detailed financial eviden￿ and
explanations.
The 'hostile environment, created for people wtthout immigration rights, officially renamed the 'compliant
environment. by Sajid Javid when Home Secretary. continues and affects others who have the right to
remain. The most extreme Injusti￿ affected many from the 'Windrush generation'_ with people still
fighting for slow and inadequate compensation. A similar situation has arisen for those who did not
apply in time under the EU Settlement Scheme, for whatever reason, as late applications are
continuing. From 9 August 2023, such late applications are much more likely to be rejected. The
cOn￿ntratIon on asylum issues and dealing with the ba¢kFog of asylum applications still drans
resour￿$ from other immigration areas so that family human f￿￿hts 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 child￿n,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 re￿lY 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 Child￿n, 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
ser￿1￿5. so we applied for a fee waiver first. The application was Su￿ssfUl, 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 ￿p￿￿ntatiOn. 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 a￿a, 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 (SI￿gh 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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h Imm5 rat
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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
C￿dItorS 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