Greater Manchester Immigration Aid Unit

Fellow: Suzanne Mahoney

Greater Manchester Immigration Aid Unit (GMIAU) exists to advise, support, represent, and campaign with people who are subject to immigration control. We were set up in 1989 and we provide specialist legal advice on all aspects of immigration, asylum, human rights and nationality.

We are passionate about the work that we do and we are committed to providing the best possible service to people in need in the north west of England. We represent adults, families, and children in their immigration and asylum matters in the Immigration and Asylum Chamber and in the High Court and Court of Appeal.

We provide services during very challenging times. The political climate is hostile to immigration and this is having a harmful impact on those who seek to be reunited with family, or who seek protection in the UK. Lack of legal aid threatens the integrity and capacity of organisations such as ours to take on new and challenging work and to represent those who are most in need. We do however try to combat some of the harmful effects of this by securing grant income from other sources and developing services to meet the needs of particular groups of people.

We work closely with others to promote access to justice for all people subject to immigration control and campaign for improvements in the law and the treatment of people within the asylum system.

GMIAU is a registered charity and company limited by guarantee. All our services are free.

The Staff Team

There are currently 23 staff including 15 caseworkers and solicitors.

Services

We take on individual cases and carry a caseload of about 1000 cases at any one time. Our main office, where you will be based, is in Crumpsall, North Manchester. We identify groups of people who are most at risk and develop services to meet need. Currently we prioritise people claiming asylum, including unaccompanied asylum seeking children; people who are homeless and destitute; people who are in need and who have ‘no recourse to public funds’; people who have been given refugee status and who want to reunite with family; people who are at risk of violence and exploitation.

Campaigns and Influencing

This is an essential part of our work. We speak out whenever and wherever we see injustice.

For further information, visit our website.