The Vital Role of Charities in Providing Support for Migrants

Charities play a transformative role in shaping a more just and inclusive society. Across the UK, numerous charitable organisations support migrant communities—some of the most underserved and vulnerable groups in society. They do so by providing essential services that not only meet their immediate needs but also empower them to rebuild their lives. From addressing physical and mental health challenges to securing employment and finding a home they can call their own, these charities play a critical role in addressing wider societal issues that extend to, and often disproportionately affect, migrants.

Supporting Migrants Gain Access to Healthcare

For many migrants, accessing healthcare services in the UK presents significant challenges. Language barriers for those with limited English, coupled with unfamiliarity with the healthcare system, can lead to confusion, miscommunication, and, in some cases, serious health risks.

Without adequate support, these individuals may struggle to understand medical diagnoses, follow treatment plans, or even access the care they need.

A study on Limited English Proficiency Patients (LEPPs) revealed the impact of these challenges:

• 49% had difficulty understanding their medical condition.
• 34.7% were unsure how to take prescribed medication correctly.
• 41.8% found it hard to interpret medication labels.
• 15.8% experienced adverse reactions due to misunderstandings of medical instructions.        

One charity making a significant impact in this area is the Refugee Council. Their Health Access for Refugees Programme (HARP) helps beneficiaries better  understand, manage, and communicate their healthcare needs. HARP collaborates with local services to deliver comprehensive support and works closely with healthcare providers to raise awareness and promote best practices in refugee healthcare.

This important work means that refugees receive the care they need without unnecessary barriers, improving health outcomes and overall well-being. By advocating for more inclusive healthcare practices, providing access to language support for patients, and supporting collaboration between medical professionals and migrant communities, HARP plays a crucial role in bridging the gap in healthcare access.

Barriers to Employment for Migrants and Refugees

Closely connected to physical health are employment and housing. Without stable employment, many migrants and refugees face financial hardship, which directly impacts their ability to access healthcare, secure safe housing, and integrate into society. However, the barriers they face in the job market differ.

For refugees, language proficiency is one of the biggest obstacles to securing employment. According to reports from the Migration Observatory:

• 84% of refugees reported that they did not have sufficient English language ability to secure a job.
• Non-EU-born migrants who moved to the UK seeking asylum were less likely to be employed than those who moved for employment, family, or study reasons.

Limited English proficiency, combined with a lack of recognition for foreign qualifications, unfamiliarity with the UK job market, and discrimination, means many refugees struggle to secure stable work. Those who do find employment are often in low-paid or precarious roles despite being highly skilled in their home countries.

On the other hand, economic migrants—those who have moved for work opportunities—are much more likely to be in employment than refugees. However, they frequently face underemployment, meaning they work in roles that do not match their qualifications or experience. Many highly educated economic migrants end up in jobs below their skill level due to barriers in transferring qualifications, employer bias, or difficulty navigating the UK job market.

Charities such as Breaking Barriers provide crucial support by offering employment programmes designed to support refugees. They work with businesses to create pathways for skilled refugees, providing mentoring, job training, and assistance with CV writing and interview preparation. Such initiatives help individuals rebuild their careers and achieve financial independence. 

To make sure their services are accessible to all, Breaking Barriers has made their website available in multiple languages, including Amharic, Arabic, Pashto, Persian, and Chinese, allowing refugees to access and understand Breaking Barriers’ support services with greater ease.

The Housing Crisis Facing Migrants and Refugees

Without stable employment, housing security also becomes a major issue for migrants. Statistics from 2023/2024 highlight the severity of the problem:

• Non-UK citizens were the head of 22% of households assessed as either homeless or at risk of homelessness.
• In London, 48% of individuals who are rough sleeping are migrants.

Refugees specifically struggle to access affordable housing due to restrictive policies, lack of financial resources, and limited support networks. What’s more, those granted refugee status often face a “move-on” period of just 28 days before losing asylum accommodation, leaving many at risk of homelessness.

Charities like St Mungo’s play a crucial role in addressing these housing challenges. Through initiatives such as the Roma Rough Sleeping Project, they are actively working to support migrant communities. St Mungo’s is also making their services more accessible by translating key resources, including information on the EU Settled Status Scheme, into Romany. If this wasn’t enough, they provide audio versions for individuals who struggle with reading so that vital information reaches those who need it most.

These important initiatives provide migrants, and those supporting them, with the resources and support needed to secure stable housing, reducing the risk of homelessness and improving overall well-being.

The Need for Mental Health Support for Migrants 

The challenges faced by refugees extend far beyond the immediate need for healthcare, employment, and housing. Many arrive in the UK after fleeing war, persecution, and unimaginable trauma. The burden of past experiences, combined with the stress of adapting to a new environment and navigating complex systems, takes a significant toll on their mental well-being.

Studies reveal a distressing reality: up to 40% of refugees and a staggering 90% of refugee children are grappling with PTSD, a condition deeply rooted in past trauma. This not only severely impairs their daily functioning, making it hard to concentrate, sleep, or partake in normal activities, but also underscores the urgent need for specialised care for this vulnerable group. 

The urgency of providing appropriate mental health support for these conditions is clear, as they can spiral, making it even more difficult for individuals to integrate, find employment, or rebuild their lives.

Ultimately, this highlights the urgent need for charities and healthcare providers to prioritise language accessibility and culturally competent care. One charity doing something about this is Oxfordshire Mind, whose initiatives are making a significant impact. In a bid to make their services more accessible to migrants with limited English, they have translated key resources into over 20 languages to raise awareness of their services amongst migrants and improve accessibility. By offering multilingual mental health support, and outreach programs tailored to migrant communities, charities can begin to bridge the gap between exclusion and inclusion so that no one is left alone to suffer in silence.

Charities Leading the Way in Support for Migrants

These charities—Refugee Council, Breaking Barriers, St Mungo’s, Mind and many others—deserve our recognition and support for their invaluable work in assisting migrants. Their efforts play an important role in breaking down barriers to healthcare, employment, housing, and mental health support so that some of the most vulnerable people in society receive the help they need.

For organisations that may not yet be actively supporting migrants—this highlights an opportunity to reflect on to what extent the issues their charity works to tackle affect migrant groups, the challenges these groups face and explore how their own services could become more accessible and inclusive. By adopting strategies such as interpreting support, multilingual outreach, translated resources, multilingual websites and culturally tailored support, charities can better engage with migrant communities and ensure vital services are accessible to all.

As more organisations recognise the importance of language accessibility and targeted outreach, the third sector as a whole can play a greater role in building a society where no one is excluded from the essential care and support they deserve.

If your organisation is looking for ways to better support migrants through language accessibility, outreach, and tailored services, read our Oxfordshire Mind case study. 

See first-hand how strategic collaboration with AST Language Services helped translate vital mental health resources into 20 languages, ensuring migrant communities across the UK could access the care they need.