Newry, Mourne and Down Ethnic Minority Support Centre

Sep 22, 2021 | Agencies

Newry, Mourne and Down Ethnic Minority Support Centre provides a free and confidential support/service for NMD ethnic minority residents:

  • in English, Arabic, Polish, Russian and Romanian and Bulgarian (also Lithuanian on request)
  • cooperates with NMD Community Advice and Housing Executive
  • distribution point of Red Cross TEO Crisis Fund (£10 K)
  • Front Line Services:

• EU Settlement Scheme

  • EUSS registration in our clinics/generating share codes for employers and surgeries, and schools to prove migration status
  • Opening and running Universal Credit accounts
  • Food parcels and vouchers distribution for the destitute migrants

• information on housing and employment rights

• help with GP registration/ placing

children at local schools

• advice on how and where to look for jobs

• help with self-employment registration

• help with writing CVs for potential employers

• integration programmes: information evenings in for migrant communities/ promoting cultural events/assisting Saturday schools

 Artur Kmiecik is the Social Inclusion Support Worker and his contact details are –

07837 406859 

ethnicsupport@nmandd.org

Profile of our clients: Romanians 55%/Bulgarians 20%/Poles and Lithuanians 15% / Latvians, Syrians and others 10%

The Centre operates 5 days a week:

 

3 outreach clinics:

  • weekly clinic in Downpatrick
  • weekly clinic held in partnership with NI Housing Executive in Newry and Downpatrick
  • weekly Arabic Clinic for Syrian Refugees in Newry

ISSUES:

  • illiteracy in mother tongue (Roma community)
  • different alphabet (Bulgarians and Russian speakers)
  • no proof of arrival/work/addresses 
  • no long-term plans (migrating where jobs are available) 
  • children usually finish education at 16 
  • acceptance of life on move
  • high level of mistrust towards different governmental or non-governmental agencies/institutions
  • no equivalents of the same services
  • totally different organisation of life in their home countries (schools/registration of residence/rubber stamps on all documents and letters)
  • LITTLE UNDERSTANDING OF DIGITAL SERVICES: UC/EUSS/DIGITAL EUSS IDENTITY which manifests in losing email addresses/ changing phone numbers/ forgetting passwords/ discarding all official correspondence.