Decision details

Greater Manchester Immigration Aid Unit is a specialist provider of legal advice for asylum and immigration issues, and this funding will increase the capacity to provide this support, as part of a wider agreement with Greater Manchester Combined Authority and the other nine Greater
Manchester districts. Oldham Council is currently having problems accessing this specialist support either from GMIAU or commercial providers with the relevant legal aid contract.
The service will help to enable vulnerable individuals to: leave abusive and dangerous situations which can escalate into serious mental health or physical crises in their homes or communities, and to avoid further periods of emotional trauma, vulnerability to danger, exploitation, and injury in relation to domestic abuse, gender-based violence, forced marriage, immigration abuse, Female Genital Mutilation, honour-based violence and modern slavery.

RESOLVED - That: the Council purchase a specialist service for a three year period from Greater Manchester Immigration Aid Unit to support individuals experiencing domestic abuse who have no recourse to
public funds (NRPF) to access specialist legal advice and support to protect them from destitution or from returning into an abusive situation.

Option 1. - Provide funding for 3 years to provide specialist legal advice and support to 25 individuals per year with no recourse to public funds
Option 2 - Not to provide this support

Option 2 - Not to provide this support. If the support is not provided, the Council will continue to experience delays in accessing specialist legal advice and support for individuals with no recourse to public funds who have experienced different forms of abuse. This will incur additional costs to the Council as a result of the need to provide them with accommodation and support due to delays in securing agreement from the Home Office to fund this, and increase the risk that support will not meet their needs and they will return into an abusive situation potentially putting their life at risk.

None