JRS UK supports destitute asylum seekers across Greater London, and people in immigration detention at Heathrow.
JRS UK provides services for destitute asylum seekers who are ‘Appeals Rights Exhausted’ and who are not eligible for, and do not receive asylum support, Section 4 support, or assistance from social services.
We welcome all nationalities, people of any faith and those who have no faith; there is no proselytising.
Please note that JRS UK will be closed over Christmas and New Year from 10pm on Friday 20th December and reopen at 10am on Monday 6th January 2024.
If you need immediate support during this period, please see the list of organisations below who are open over Christmas and what support they are able to provide.
To register, please phone 020 7488 7310 Monday to Friday between 10am – 5pm.
If we cannot take your call, please leave a message with your name and your phone number and we will call you back as soon as we can.
A member of the JRS team will contact you and check that you meet the criteria for our support, and discuss whether it is what you want. We will ask for some basic details and ask you to send us some evidence that you are an appeal rights exhausted asylum seeker.
Once you’ve been registered, we’ll introduce you to the ways JRS UK can help in more detail.
If we’re not able to register you at this time, these organisations may be able to help.
Support services open over Christmas and New Year
Crisis at Christmas have three day centres across London offering:
.
Full details can be found on the Crisis website:
https://www.crisis.org.uk/get-help/join-us-for-christmas/christmas-guest-invite-london/
“Can I sleep at Crisis at Christmas?”
Most guests do not stay overnight. Crisis have some residential centres for people in the most urgent need. From the website: “If you do not have anywhere to sleep, please speak to your Outreach worker or contact StreetLink on 0300 500 0914 for help.”
Stratford Day Centre
School 21
Pitchford Street
Stratford
E15 4RZ
BUS Nos. D8, 25, 425.
Drop In
10am-5pm
24th-28th Dec
Bermondsey Day Centre (Harris Academy Bermondsey)
55 Southwark Park Road
SE16 3TZ
BUS Nos. 1, N1
Drop In
10am-5pm
24th-28th Dec
Pimlico Day Centre
Pimlico Academy
36 Lupus Street
Pimlico
SW1V 3AT
BUS Nos. 2, 24, 36, 360
Drop In
10am-5pm
24th-28th Dec
212 Whitechapel Road
E1 1BJ
Drop In 6am-11am
Breakfast – 8am
Showers – 7am-10am
Every day
Services include:
St Alphonsus Road
SW4 7AS (South side of Clapham Common)
020 7720 2811 / 020 7720 0178
Drop In day centre
12pm-2.30pm
Monday to Friday
Book Showers and Dentist in advance 020 7720 2811
Service include:
For more info visit: Ace of Clubs
Whatever you’re going through, if you need someone to talk to, we listen.
116 123
24/7, 365 days a year
Services include a call free helpline to talk through any worries, concerns and troubles.
CALM provides a helpline which you can call throughout the year.
0800 58 58 58
5pm-Midnight
Everyday
Mental health support – HOPELINE247
Confidential support and advice service for children and young people under the age of 35.
If you are having thoughts of suicide or are concerned for a young person who might be you can contact HOPELINE247 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
Call: 0800 068 41 41
Text: 88247
24/7
Everyday
Shout 85258 is an anonymous text support service. You can text us from wherever you are in the UK.
If you are struggling to cope and need to talk, our trained Shout Volunteers are here for you, day or night.
Text 85258 for free confidential support.
24/7
Everyday
Services open some days between 21st Dec & 3rd Jan
12 Melior Street, SE1 3QP (near London Bridge station)
020 7403 1931
Services include:
.
CLOSED when Crisis is open.
Between 24th-28th December
St Paul’s Church Hall, 182 Stoke Newington Rd, N16 7UE (on the corner of Stoke Newington Rd and Amhurst Rd)
T 07421 032553
Mon 11am to 2pm,
Wed 5pm to 8pm
Services include:
.
Open Mondays 12pm to 1.30pm and Wednesday 6pm to 7.30pm
CLOSED Monday 25th December, Monday 3oth December, and Wednesday 1st January
Re-opens Monday 6th January 2024
JRS services during the rest of the year
The centre is open Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays for refugees registered with JRS to visit the JRS Shop: to collect food parcels, toiletries, enjoy a cup of tea, and, where possible, speak to a member of the JRS team for advice face-to-face.
A member of the JRS team will contact you to arrange a day and time for you to visit.
You must have an appointment to visit JRS in Wapping at this time. If you come without an appointment, we’re sorry but we may not be able to help you.
For more information, or to register please contact us on 020 7488 7310. The JRS team remains available to support you as much as possible over the phone.
Once registered with JRS, as well as accessing the JRS Shop (by appointment), you can receive small hardship grants via a top-up cash card (Equals card) and regular mobile phone credit top-ups too.
We continue to offer casework advice and support over the phone; as well as an emotional support & befriending scheme, where we pair you up with one of our volunteers for regular check-ins.
For more information, or to register with JRS UK, please contact us on 020 7488 7310
Once registered with JRS UK, you’ll be able to participate in a range of online (and some face-to-face) activities including:
For more information, or to register with JRS UK, please contact us on 020 7488 7310
Our Detention Outreach Team offers support to men and women currently detained at the Immigration Removal Centres (IRCs) near Heathrow Airport – Colnbrook, Harmondsworth and the Sahara Unit. Our team are here to offer you practical help and casework advice as well as emotional and pastoral support during your time in detention.
Our team of volunteers are available to come and visit you whilst you are detained and can be a friend for you to talk to and a vital link with the community outside detention.
If you would like some support and someone to talk to you can call us on 07762 387096. If we cannot take your call, please leave a message or send us an SMS with your name, phone number and the language you speak, and we will call you back as soon as we can.
Our services are confidential and open to anyone at Harmondsworth and Colnbrook. If we are not able to help you we may know someone who can and we will assist you in contacting them.
The majority of people who experience immigration detention are released back into the community, however the damaging impact of detention can continue to affect individuals long after release. JRS UK can help you to make contact with local organisations who may be able to support you after detention and assist you to re-connect with your community.
Our team also provides in-depth casework support for a small number of high-need individuals who would otherwise struggle to engage with their immigration case. By providing long-term accompaniment we aim to help individuals to make progress with their immigration cases. Due to the nature of this project, we can only take referrals when there is capacity.
If you have experienced immigration detention, or are supporting someone who has, and need some support in the community, contact William at william.neal@jrs.net or call 07809 759677
Other places who may be able to offer you support during the rest of the year
There are other places across London who may be able to offer support as well as JRS UK. Below is a short list of places.
116 123
Services:
0808 800 4444
Various Locations: England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland
Services:
12 Melior Street
SE1 3QP
(near London Bridge station)
020 7403 1931
Services:
Services:
Refugees, asylum seekers and other vulnerable migrants can get free emergency support including:
What is offered depends where you are in the country. Help could also include:
The Woodlawns Centre
16 Leigham Court Road
SW16 2PJ
Services:
Maison Pierre Chanel
16 Leicester Square
London, WC2H 7LE
Immigration advice line: 0207 440 2669 (10.30-12.30, Wednesdays & 10.30-13.30 on Fridays)
Services:
Support asylum seekers throughout the asylum process:
020 7732 0505
office@sdcas.org.uk
Various Day centres at Copleston Centre (Tuesdays), Peckham Park Road Baptist Church (Wednesdays) and St Mary’s Newington (Thursdays) are available to clients on a drop-in basis.
Services:
Services:
Book an appointment on the Advice Line, call 07961 014182 (Mondays, 10am -11.30am)
Advice line offers free advice and casework for all migrants regardless of immigration status, nationality or current place of residence on:
Services: