Information for Refugees and Migrants

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This section gives you information that will help you if you: 

• became separated from your family members while you were fleeing your country and you would like to try to find them
• want to meet people from your own country here in Manchester  
• want to bring your family to join you in the UK
• want to return home

Tracing Family Members

The British Red Cross works with the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement in other countries to reunite families. If you have lost contact with family members, the British Red Cross may be able to help you to find them and make contact.

The British Red Cross cannot guarantee that the person you are seeking will be traced, but every effort will be made.

If the person or people you are looking for are traced, but do not want their whereabouts to be known, their details will not be passed on to you.

All enquiries are kept confidential, and there is no time limit on finding the lost person.

The Red Cross Tracing Form

If you want to trace a family member you will be given a Red Cross tracing form to fill in and you will be asked to give the following information: 

• Full names 
• Dates of birth 
• Last known address

This information is necessary and will help the Red Cross trace the person (or people) you are looking for.

Sending a Message Overseas

If you want to send a message to a relative overseas who is living in a place that is difficult to contact - such as a refugee camp - the British Red Cross Message service may be able to help you.

British Red Cross Message Service

The Message Service staff will give you a form to write your message on. Messages must be about family or personal things only; they must not include political or military information. The Red Cross cannot send money or packages.

Health and Welfare Visits to Overseas Relatives

If your relative overseas is ill, elderly or living alone and communication stops without explanation, they may need some help. The British Red Cross may be able to ask a member of the Red Cross/Crescent in that country to visit your relative and report back about their health and welfare.

Family Reunion

Once you have been given indefinite leave to remain (ILR) in the UK , it is possible to apply for overseas members of your family to come and join you. You will need to ask your solicitor to make the application for family reunion for you.

Once all family members wishing to come to the UK have been issued with entry visas by the British embassy in the home country, the British Red Cross can get involved in helping to organise their journey to the UK .

This help is given primarily to those refugees on a low income and can take many months to arrange.

Contact the British Red Cross for further information.

Permission to bring family members into the UK is only given to those refugees given Refugee Status. If you have been given discretionary or humanitarian leave to remain, you will not be able to apply for family reunion.

The British Red Cross has no influence in this matter, nor is it able to help with obtaining entry visas.

Refugee Community Organisations (RCOs) in Manchester

While you are staying in Manchester , you may want to get in touch with people of your own country or who speak your language. There are a number of Refugee Community Organisations (RCOs) in the city that exist to serve their communities. If no group exists for your community there are organisations that can give you information and help to set up your own group.

The Refugee and Migrants Forum Directory will help you find the contact details for the local community. The Manchester Refugee Support Network could help in setting up your own community group.

Return to Your Home Country

If you are thinking about going back to your home country on a permanent basis, you may be able to get help and support with travel and life after your return (including resettlement grants and employment/training).

You can get help and advice on how to return home from Refugee Action or the International Organisation for Migration (IOM).