1. 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
@JCWInews

2. 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)

3. 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

4. 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

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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

8. “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”

9. 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

10. 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