Generating and Sharing Data on Migrants and Refugees: Case Study on Irregular Migrant Advice Line Charlotte Peel, Policy Officer, Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants charlotte.peel@jcwi.org.uk www.jcwi.org.uk @JCWInews

Background: the Irregular Migrant Advice Line Started in May 2012, funded by Trust for London Operates 3 mornings a week Run by JCWI in-house immigration solicitor Half-day outreach provided at Red Cross centre since 2014 Provides one-off, confidential advice to undocumented migrants about their immigration status, legal rights and legal avenues to regularisation Where a case has merit and there is capacity to assist, an appointment is made Referrals to other organisations are made where there is no capacity, or other issues identified beyond JCWI’s remit (e.g. housing, healthcare)

Data Collection Methods Data collection method amended in 2014 Form drafted and regularly reviewed with input from both legal & policy teams Consists of multiple choice and open-ended answers Form filled out by lawyer for each caller Electronic copies and hard copies stored (Non-identifiable) information from each call inputted onto a ‘master spreadsheet’ by policy team Each form/entry given a code for cross-reference purposes

1. Demographic/ Legal 2. Family & Children 3. Support 4. Medical Age Gender Country of origin Type of case Status upon entry Cause of irregularity Length of time in UK Main reason for moving to the UK 2. Family & Children Does caller have family in UK? Nationality/status of family members Number of children (in UK) Ages of children Nationality of children Country of birth of children Are school-aged children in school? 3. Support How do callers support themselves/their family? What is their housing situation? 4. Medical Does the caller have any medical conditions? Do these relate to physical or mental health? Are they registered with a GP? Have they been charged for treatment? 5. Other Do they have any criminal convictions? Have they been detained? How long for? Are they reporting? How frequently? 6. Legal Advice Given Advice on merits Case summary Advice/Action agreed

What the Data Can Tell Us Undocumented migration is by its very nature a clandestine activity and there is very little understanding of or reliable, robust information regarding the population. The data collected can shed light on: The demographic characteristics of the “undocumented” population The impact of legal/policy changes on the undocumented population over time The limitations/barriers to legal routes to regularisation/settlement Wider trends in issues faced by the population (homelessness, trafficking, exploitation) Potential impact of future policies/legal changes based on the above

Benefits of Wider Data Collection The undocumented population is the target of successive policies aimed at making their life increasingly unbearable in the UK Capturing the data to identify wider trends can: Provide the basis for policy formation/ briefings Assist policymakers and others to understand the undocumented population Provide a critique of current and proposed policy Identify strategic legal challenges/ organisational strategy Demonstrate importance of advice service provision

Briefing on the Immigration Bill 2015: Hostile Environment for Undocumented Migrants Callers come from over 50 countries, from Australia to Zimbabwe The age of callers ranges from 12 to 75 years old There is a roughly even split between male and female callers Just under half of callers have a child under the age of 18 in the UK Length of time spent in the UK ranges from less than a week to over 40 years The majority of callers have other immediate family members in the UK, who are often British citizens or have another form of legal status A large proportion of callers suffer from health problems. The most common health issue reported is depression

“The picture is of a highly varied population with diverse backgrounds “The picture is of a highly varied population with diverse backgrounds. The common factor is that they are overwhelmingly poor and vulnerable. …It is impossible to put forward a single image of what an undocumented migrant looks like. Recognising this heterogeneity, one can conclude that policies that apply the same methods to the undocumented population as a whole and assume the same outcomes are fundamentally flawed.” JCWI (2015) “House of Lords Second Reading Briefing Immigration Bill 2015: Undocumented Migrants”

Challenges to Data Collection Sensitivity of client group & ethical and client wellbeing considerations Limited understanding of legal decisions/processes among callers Reliability of information gathered from callers Lack of follow-up from initial call (where not taken on as a client) Importance of consistent data recording & entry Practical considerations Inability to anticipate future law/policy change

Challenges to Data Sharing Upholding & ensuring client confidentiality Investing staff time – level of analysis and interpretation How representative is the data? Risks of misinterpretation by others following publication Can identify correlation but cannot prove underlying causes of trends