Migrants' Advisory Panel (MAP)
Migrant Londoners are integral to our great city: London has remained the region with both the largest proportion of people born outside the UK and the largest proportion of people with non-UK passports. London would not be the welcoming, diverse, and truly global city that it is without its people, who come from all over the world. Estimates suggest at least 40% of Londoners are migrants: in 2021, more than 4 in 10 (40.6%) usual residents in London were non-UK born, and more than 1 in 5 (23.3%) had a non-UK passport.
In recent years, the capital has stepped up to welcome and become a home to people from Afghanistan, Ukraine and Hong Kong, amongst many others. Alongside this, thousands of Londoners have continued to navigate the profound impact of events such as Brexit, the Windrush scandal, and the passing of the Nationality and Borders and Illegal Migration Acts. These developments have led to the emergence of new and dynamic needs across London’s communities, which require an effective response.
We use ‘migrant Londoners’ to include anyone with past, present or future experience of the immigration/asylum system, including people seeking asylum and with refugee status; people in the UK on visas; those with leave to remain; those with indefinite leave to remain, settled or pre settled status; people with insecure or unknown or no immigration status; as well as migrants who have acquired British Citizenship and those who are impacted by the Windrush scandal and/or are eligible for other schemes.
The UK Government’s expansion of hostile environment policies towards migrants mean that many people face barriers, or are excluded from, accessing fundamental support and opportunities, such as housing, healthcare, or a basic income if they are unable to prove their immigration status or are subject to restrictive visa conditions. This includes people with insecure immigration status, lack evidence of their status, or are subject to the ‘no recourse to public funds’ (NRPF) visa condition. The introduction of the Illegal Migration Act has added to insecurity and vulnerability experienced by people subject to the legislation, including victims of trafficking and people seeking asylum in the UK. These policies disproportionately impact racialised communities, and make many migrant Londoners some of the hardest hit by the cost-of-living crisis.
About the Panel
As part of the hostile environment, policies and programmes are created for migrants and statements made on behalf of migrants, without their consultation or opportunity to respond, despite the significance of these policies in shaping their lives in the UK. To deliver on the Mayor’s opposition to the hostile environment and to deepen community engagement practice, a programme of inclusion of migrant Londoners in the GLA’s work is being established.
Through meaningful engagement with migrant Londoners, the Panel will:
- identify opportunities to amplify the voices of this community who face structural barriers to participation;
- embed community insights relating to the experiences of migrant Londoners to inform greater understanding of their needs and aspirations;
- and seek to foster an equitable relationship between migrant communities and decision makers, including the GLA and partner organisations.
The Panel will also feed into improving engagement practice in specific ways, including through the sharing of practice via the GLA-funded London Engagement Collaborative and through the Insights Hub.
The aims and structure of the Migrants' Advisory Panel (MAP) will be co-designed and further developed with migrant Londoners. The current vision is to develop a two-way consultation approach between the panel and the GLA on planned work (including with wider professional networks), and to have a safe space to raise key issues of importance to their communities, to network, and to develop a trusted relationship with the GLA.
Thematic focus
In its first 18 months, the Panel will focus its work on four policy themes to help London navigate changes to migrant rights (including the hostile environment and the Illegal Migration Act) and work towards a vision for migrant Londoners to thrive. These themes will be migrant Londoners' access to:
- Healthcare
- Advice & support for migrant Londoners
- Good work
- Learning.
Eligibility to join the Panel
Londoners with past, present or future lived experience of the immigration/asylum system are eligible to apply. ‘Lived experience’ can mean personal or family experiences (e.g. second generation). We also welcome applications from frontline organisers working with affected communities.
Applications from individuals with expertise on any of the thematic areas of focus are welcomed. We define ‘expertise’ broadly to include personal, academic and/or professional knowledge.
Immigration status
At initial stage we aim to recruit individual Londoners from as many immigration status types as possible, including:
- Asylum seeker
- Discretionary leave to remain
- EU nationals and family members
- Humanitarian protection
- Indefinite leave to enter/remain or settled status
- Leave to enter/remain (including people on work, family, and study visas or pre-settled status)
- Limited leave to enter/remain
- Naturalised British citizens
- Refugee
- UASC leave or section 67 leave, or Calais leave
- ‘Inadmissible’ (interim term until Illegal Migration Act implemented and new language developed)
- ‘Other’ forms of British Citizenship (e.g. those who were Citizens of the UK and Colonies (CUKC) who make up the Windrush generation/Commonwealth; BNO Hongkongers; citizens of British Overseas Territories (including Chagossians).
Persons with lack of evidence of their status or insecure status are also welcome to apply.
Community representation
In particular, we will welcome inclusion of:
- Disabled Londoners
- LGBTQ+ Londoners
- New arrivals to London
- Older Londoners
- Persons with unclear entitlements to public funds (commonly referred to as 'NRPF')
- Racialised Londoners
- Women
- Young Londoners (this will largely be undertaken in partnership with GLA colleagues working with Children and Young Londoners).
Apply to the Panel
We’re currently looking for migrant Londoners across all immigration statuses to express their interest in joining the Panel. This includes people seeking asylum, descendants of the Windrush generation, recent arrivals like Hong Kongers. We’re also taking nominations if you want to put any community leaders forward.
For any questions about joining the Panel or how we can help, please contact [email protected].
The deadline for applications is Friday 28 June 2024.
Information sessions
We will be hosting a series of virtual Q&A sessions for interested applicants or organisations considering referring community members.
Please come along and ask the team your questions about the Panel. To register for one of the sessions, please click on the relevant link below:
Community engagement partner
The GLA's Migration Team has commissioned TSIP and Revoke CIC as community engagement partners to provide wrap-around support to the Migrants' Advisory Panel (MAP).
This partner will support the recruitment of members into the Panel, co-design the Panel's approach with members and facilitate work over the first 18 months of the Panel.
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