Refugee and migrant charities: Help and information

On this page you can find:

• helplines and email advice

• links to advice in other languages

• local services run by other UK charities

Phone numbers that start with 0808 or 0800 are free to call.

Ask for an interpreter if you need one.

These charities work with refugees, people seeking asylum and other migrant groups.

Some of these charities and services are small. Keep trying if you cannot speak to someone straight away.

Food and practical help

Local charities and community groups could offer support with:

• food and toiletries

• small amounts of cash

• winter clothes and blankets

• children's clothes, toys or nappies

• travel vouchers for appointments

• phone top ups or SIM cards

Find a food bank on the Trussell Trust website.

Help for children under 18

In the UK you are legally a child if you are under 18. You have different rights to adults.

Lawstuff has advice on your rights if you're from another country.

Help for people seeking asylum

Migrant Help is a refugee charity that can help you:

• apply for asylum support

• deal with problems in asylum housing

• move on from asylum housing if you get refugee status or other leave

Asylum advice guides in other languages

The right to remain toolkit is an online guide to the UK asylum system. It has lots of information that can be translated directly into most languages from the website.

Rainbow Migration's asylum guide for LGBTQI+ people is translated into Arabic, Bengali, Farsi, French, Mandarin, Pashto, Portuguese, Shqip, Spanish and Urdu.

Other refugee charities

These charities provide information and support for people seeking asylum, people refused asylum and people granted refugee status who are moving on from asylum housing.

Refugee Council's Infoline
0808 196 7272

Refugee Action
Find contact details for projects and services.

Free immigration advice

You could get free immigration advice from:

• Citizens Advice

• a local law centre

Only lawyers and registered immigration advisers can give immigration advice.

Helplines and email advice

Some charities offer specialist immigration and asylum advice to certain groups.

Rights of Women run 2 immigration advice helplines:

• EU settlement scheme advice line 020 7118 0267 - for women who have experienced domestic abuse, sexual violence, trafficking or modern slavery

• immigration and asylum law line 0207 490 7689 - for women who need advice on long residence, claiming asylum, domestic abuse, trafficking or 'no recourse to public funds'

Rainbow Migration give free confidential advice and support by email or phone to lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer and intersex (LGBTQI+) people seeking asylum.

Coram Children's Legal Centre offer email advice and online information for children and young people who are seeking asylum on their own or with their families.

Online guides in other languages

Migrants' Rights Network has a guide on migrant rights which you can download in Amharic, Arabic, French, Hindi, Japanese, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Spanish and Tigrinya.

If you're helping someone from abroad

The Housing Rights website has advice on legal rights based on immigration status.

The Refugee Council's guide to homeless applications explains how to get homeless help from the council if the person you are helping gets refugee status.

UNHCR has information on organisations throughout the UK who give support.