Immigration

Providing Immigration Advice

By Mr Jean-Paul LAWRENCE TAMPU-EYA, BA LL.B. LL.M. PhD (Law Res.)

As a registered not-for profit charitable organisation with the Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner (OISC - Ref No N200500010), the Central Africa's Rights & AIDS (CARA) Society offers advice and representation services to those who wish to live and work in the United Kingdom.

We offer our services to anyone wishing to apply for a variety of UK visas and stay permits, including the Working Holidaymaker Visa for Commonwealth Citizens, UK Work Permit, Highly Skilled Migrant Programme (UK HSMP) that allow people to live and work in the United Kingdom without the need to get a work permit from an employer.

Further, we provide our services on a full range of UK Immigration and Naturalisation services, including British Nationality and Passport, Visitor & Family visa and extensions, Spouse visa, Fiancée visa, Unmarried partners visa, Family members and children, Dependant family member, Student Visa and extensions, Innovator, European Economic Area and family members, Appeals against refusals, Entry Clearance, Indefinite leave to remain, Extension of visas, and Applications outside of the rules have all resulted in CARA becoming one of the most busiest charitable organisation in East London.

Providing asylum advice and support

After fleeing often-horrific experiences of persecution, refugees face the harrowing process of making their asylum application. For this reason, CARA's caseworkers not only provide professional advice, but also personal support throughout this ordeal.

CARA has a team of Caseworkers who provide advice and representation to clients at all stages in their cases. Our Casework Coordinator oversees the work of 2 part-time caseworkers. We provide a dedicated and comprehensive service in the form of ongoing representation and outreach and advice casework for clients at all stages in the asylum process by focusing our attention on the most vulnerable groups of asylum seekers.

As a result of the changes in public funding and the ensuing reduction in the availability of publicly funded immigration advice, the services of CARA is much more demanded and we receive daily requests to take on new cases, many of which we are sadly forced to turn away due to lack of resources. This includes a large number of asylum seekers contacting us following the refusal of public legal funding.

As ever, many of our clients suffer from HIV/AIDS pandemic and other ongoing health problems and live in dire poverty. Whilst their claims are being processed they are generally not allowed to work and are forced to live in inadequate accommodation on incomes set below the poverty line. Shamefully, the difficulties they face daily are not only a result of traumatic experiences in their countries of origin, but also a result of the British government's policies towards asylum seekers.

Helping the most vulnerable

CARA reaches HIV/AIDS victims and many of the most vulnerable asylum-seekers and refugees by targeting advice services to those who are marginalized, including women, within the community and have difficulty accessing services.

Linked to our work prioritising the most vulnerable, CARA is looking for funding in order to set up a timely and unique project aimed specifically at helping women asylum-seekers get protection from human rights violations.

We believe that women deserve more from the society because the traditional image of the refugee is of a male political activist, persecuted for his involvement in protests against the state. Women's political activities often take a different form, perhaps giving shelter or food to those in hiding or refusing to abide by restrictions such as dress codes. Women face forms of persecution that are unique to them such sexual violence or rape, sexual and domestic slavery, being forced to dress/behave in a specific way, Female Genital Mutilation, Honour Killing, Domestic Violence from which they are unable to get state protection.

As women are particularly badly affected by recent changes in legislation such as dispersal and new support arrangements resulting in isolation, poverty, lack of support, this Project shall:

Ensure that women's asylum claims are fully considered;

Help women to access the asylum determination process in the UK;

Highlight problems facing women asylum seekers;

Draw attention to procedural and evidential obstacles for women

We shall combine research and training on the effects of asylum law and procedures on refugee women with the provision of expert and sympathetic advice to women asylum-seekers.

Challenging injustice

As many of the most deserving cases are initially refused asylum, CARA shall work very hard to challenge unfair and arbitrary refusals of asylum in order to prevent people from being returned to situations where their life may be in danger, as this would be in breach of international law.

Protecting human rights

African refugees are one of the many groups whose rights CARA Society shall timelessly work to defend.

Campaigning for a fairer asylum policy

CARA shall campaign for a fairer asylum policy because the rights of individual asylum-seekers and refugees fleeing from persecution can only be properly represented if attempts are made to improve an asylum system that presently works against their interests. Our advocacy work shall be effective, as it shall be informed by our casework.

CARA urgently need your support in order to continue this valuable work.

By becoming a member of CARA, you help defend the human rights of some of the most persecuted people in the world.

CARA provides advice and legal representation to Africans and almost everyone seeking asylum in the UK. We help asylum-seekers to obtain the support they need throughout the process and eventually the safety they deserve.

This was written by:

Mr Jean-Paul LAWRENCE TAMPU-EYA, PhD (Res.),

BA(Hon's), LL.B.(Hon's), LL.M. (London)

Co-ordinator, Central Africa's Rights & AIDS (CARA) Society

Charity Registered in England and Wales,

CARA - Charity Reg. No. 1135610 - Company Reg. No. 06673504 - HMRC No.: XT12788 - ICO No.: Z154587X

Registered Office Address: 18 - 22 Ashwin Street, Dalston, Hackney, London E8 3DL United Kingdom (UK)

Tel: +44 (0) 844 478 0015 - Mob: +44 (0) 795 695 2645 - Fax: +44 (0) 872 115 8436 - E-mail: info@cara-online.org - Website: http://www.cara-online.org/

Copyright © July 1999

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