HMSC Christmas Crowdfunder!

About Haringey Migrant Support Centre (HMSC) 

HMSC is a charity based in North London providing a lifeline for refugees, asylum seekers, and migrants facing overwhelming challenges. We provide free advice and specialist support with immigration, housing, homelessness, and welfare. Our mission is to stand with those most affected by restrictive and punitive immigration policies, ensuring they receive the support and advice they need. Our doors are open to anyone across Greater London who needs us, with a special focus on those who are undocumented or have no recourse to public funds and face significant barriers to accessing essential support.

Until Christmas, every donation up to £250 will be doubled. Our goal is to raise £15,000 for Haringey Migrant Support Centre so that we can continue providing vital, holistic support and advice for our visitors. 

The Impact of Insecure Immigration Status 

For many who come to us, insecure immigration status impacts every aspect of their lives. It limits their access to housing, education, employment, healthcare, and even basic financial support. Many of our visitors are dangerously close to destitution and homelessness. Over the past year, 37% of those who reached out to us were already homeless, 45% were destitute, and an overwhelming 72% had no recourse to public funds. They live in extremely precarious situations with no safety net whatsoever.  

At HMSC, we are working in an increasingly challenging environment. Hostile immigration policies make it near impossible for migrants to assert their rights and access the support they are entitled to without powerful and persistent advocacy. With a lack of funded legal representation, migrants can wait months—sometimes years—to secure the right to remain. Our work is crucial, helping migrants navigate the immigration system, empowering them with knowledge about their rights, and guiding them through the long, complicated journey to securing their leave to remain in the UK. 

How HMSC responds 

Advice and Casework  

Specialist advice and casework is at the core of the support that we offer to migrants in London.  Our OISC-regulated immigration advice team reviews visitors’ current situation, provides detailed advice on what steps they can take to regularise their status or extend their leave to remain, and then follows up with intensive casework and ongoing advocacy.

We also have specialist Housing and Destitution caseworkers providing support for migrants who are homeless or at risk of homelessness.  With an expert understanding of housing and community care law and the destitution support available in the community, our teams explore all options for visitors and support them into safe and suitable accommodation.

As resolving housing and immigration issues is often a lengthy and complicated process, HMSC also makes foodbank referrals and signposts to emergency hardship support for those who are in crisis and have no way to support themselves.    

“My experience with Haringey Migrant Support brings life back to me and it makes me feel like I have a great helper around my life and my kids.” - One of our visitors

Community Space  

Twice a month, we open the doors to our Community Space, a place where our visitors can find a sense of belonging. Here, they can share a meal, connect with others, build support networks, and take part in activities that foster community. This space is led by those who know it best, our Experts by Experience, who shape the activities and workshops, creating a safe space for others.  

Information Workshops  

As it is increasingly difficult for people to access legal advice, HMSC delivers tailored workshops for visitors on different aspects of the immigration and asylum system so they can better navigate the process independently. These workshops cover topics such as: applying for leave to remain due to long residency in the UK, how to extend your current leave to remain, understanding the asylum process, and what to expect from your immigration representative.

“Very nice and friendly, the association helps migrants be more confident in their journey to seek asylum in the UK, HMSC is always in my family's hearts” - One of our visitors

Policy and Campaigning  

We are not just responding to the symptoms of a broken system—we are fighting to change it. HMSC is actively working to dismantle the barriers that prevent migrants from building stable and secure lives. We’ve contributed to strategic litigation against the legal aid crisis, worked on exposing systemic delays to Subject Access Requests, campaigned against extortionate visa fees and joined others calling for free bus travel for asylum seekers. Through our advocacy, we are making sure the voices of migrants are heard at the highest levels.  

This summer we held a one-day conference bringing together representatives from front-line migrant support organisations. The conference focused on sharing best practice, pooling research, and collectively calling for systemic change.

Support our work 

We need your help to keep these vital services running into 2025 and beyond. By supporting HMSC, you’re standing in solidarity with migrants who live in and contribute so much to our communities but are often unjustly denied their basic rights. Your support will help people find stability by accessing necessary advice and support. 

Over the next six weeks, all donations under £250 made through this platform will be doubled! So, support this campaign today to show your solidarity and help us create communities where everyone can safely build their future in the UK.  

“Am thankful for the support am receiving and even though the journey hasn’t been easy they have  been there for me.” - One of our visitors