New NGO offers free Brexit immigration services to EU/EEA citizens, publishes free self-help guide

A new NGO was launched last week to provide free immigration services to EU/EEA citizens during and beyond the Brexit process.

The NGO known as Here for Good was founded by two recent law graduates – Isabella Mosselmans, a trainee solicitor at Wesley Gryk, and Tahmid Chowdhury, who was an interested party in the case of R (Miller) v Secretary of State for Exiting the EU on the triggering of Article 50.

Here for Good says it will assist with the fight for a clear and fair policy on EEA citizens' rights by providing a free and tangible benefit to those most affected and in most need.

You can access the Here for Good website at http://www.hereforgoodlaw.org/.

Here for Good will fund caseworkers across the UK to advise specifically on immigration law pertinent to EEA citizens and their families. Particular attention will be paid to the most in-need EEA citizens living outside of London, where there are high numbers of EEA migrants but a lack of comprehensive pro bono immigration services.

Here for Good has also published a comprehensive self-help guide for EU, EEA and Swiss nationals and their family members currently living in the UK. The guide was authored with extensive pro bono support from Wesley Gryk LLP and Bindmans LLP.

You can download the free 48-page guide here.

The Here for Good guide sets out to answer the question "what should I do now?" by posing a further 21 relevant questions and then offering short, practical answers from a team of expert lawyers. Jargon and legalistic language are avoided wherever possible.

Examples of the questions the guide sets out to answer are:

• What rights do I already have?
• What will happen to these automatic rights when the UK leaves the EU?
• Does the 'in principle' agreement of December 2017 give me any rights?
• As a European national living here, should I be thinking about applying for a Home Office document to confirm my current rights?
• When must I apply for a Home Office document confirming permanent residence?
• Am I likely to benefit from applying for a Home Office document confirming permanent residence?
• Are my children likely to benefit if I apply for a Home Office document confirming permanent residence?
• Might there be other benefits to applying for a Home Office document confirming permanent residence?
• How do I apply for a Home Office document confirming permanent residence?

The guide is up to date as of February 2018. It assumes the UK will leave the EU, that it will do so on the date currently set for its departure (Friday, 29 March 2019) and that there will be some form of EU/UK agreement on a 'transitional period'.

The guide will be updated to reflect changes to law and policy, and you can check for updates at www.hereforgoodlaw.org/the-guide. You can also sign up from there to the Here for Good e-mail newsletter to be notified when there have been changes in relevant immigration policy.

Isabella Mosselmans and Tahmid Chowdhury said: "With extensive support from our lawyers, we have created a Guide that will help tangibly improve people's lives. At best, EEA citizens and their families are facing uncertainty in the aftermath of the referendum – this guide combats that, and our proposed advisory service will further enable people to take action to protect their rights in the UK".

Wesley Gryk Solicitors and Wilsons Solicitors will also be holding pro bono outreach sessions to advise EEA nationals. The next one will be held at 7pm on 7th March 2018 at Islington Town Hall, London N1. You will need to register to attend and you should see here for details. A further session is planned to follow at the Waterloo Action Centre at 1pm on Saturday, 19th May 2018.