How you can help refugees and migrants

For new arrivals to become a real part of our community, it really depends on the help and generosity of community groups and other residents.

Find out how you can help.

Make a donation

Always make sure a charity is real and trustworthy before giving any financial information. Use the GOV.UK charity register tool to check a registered charity’s name and registration number.

The following charities work to provide support to refugees and migrants in all areas of the world:

• British Red Cross
• Refugee Council
• UNICEF - The United Nations Children's Fund
• Medecins Sans Frontieres.

You can contact a number of refugee and migrant organisations working in Islington to see how you could help.

Hosting

Hosting plays an important role in helping to end extreme poverty in the UK, especially for asylum seekers with no recourse to public funds or people who recently received refugee status. There are a number of charities who specialise in supporting hosting arrangements, including: 

• Refugees at Home
• Rooms for Refugees
• Reset.

The No Accommodation Network (NACCOM) has a list of member projects that provide housing or hosting schemes for refugees, asylum seekers and people with no recourse to public funds who are destitute. 

If you are considering a hosting arrangement, we recommend reading:

• NACCOM's Hosting Toolkit
• The Sanctuary Foundation's information for hosts.

If you want to host a refugee as part of the Homes for Ukraine scheme, or have a spare room and are interested in sharing this space with a refugee, contact us by email at resettlement@islington.gov.uk.

Individuals or organisations with property that could be used by refugees

Every pledge of private rented accommodation is critical to resettling refugees in Islington. We will prepare properties for arrival, ensure that the terms of the rental are agreeable and deliver integration support to the resettled family.

Email resettlement@islington.gov.uk with a description of the type of property, number of bedrooms and weekly/monthly rent rate to find out more.

Community sponsorship

Community sponsorship allocates refugees outside of the UK who are registered with the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) a suitable community group who has been formally approved as a sponsor. Groups are responsible for sourcing adequate housing for a two-year period and providing welfare and integration support for one year.

We are responsible for reviewing group applications and agreeing to the proposed refugee family. Our No Recourse to Public Funds, Refugee and Migrant service is also available to help and advise groups on their sponsorship journey. Find out more from Reset UK, the coordinating organisation of the national community sponsorship movement.

If you are interested in sponsoring a family, email resettlement@islington.gov.uk for more resources and guidance.

Volunteer

There are a number of organisations that support refugees in London that need volunteers. You can find out more information through these groups and resources.

• British Red Cross
• The Refugee Council
• Refugee Action.
• Go to Voluntary Action Islington for more information on supporting social action in Islington
• Search for volunteering opportunities across London, including Islington.

Foster a child refugee or child seeking asylum

Unaccompanied children and young people arrive in London after difficult journeys from conflict areas. They are all in need of a caring home where they can feel safe and encouraged in their education, and Islington is in need of more foster carers to help.

If you have a spare room to offer, call 080 0073 0428 or email fostering@islington.gov.uk. View our fostering page or find us on Facebook