NCVO has urged the home secretary to withdraw her department’s proposal to make volunteering a route to earned settlement for refugees and migrants.
In its letter to Shabana Mahmood, published today, NCVO quoted its recent research, which found that three-quarters of charities opposed the proposal.
The charity membership body criticised the government’s failure to engage with the sector before announcing the policy last year.
It said not doing so undermined the government’s commitment to early engagement and open communication in last year’s Civil Society Covenant.
“The covenant explicitly states that ‘government and civil society [will] work together to facilitate and create the conditions for active participation in society, such as volunteering or social action ’,” the letter reads.
“Whilst we welcome the constructive engagement from officials since the announcement, for the covenant to be successful civil society should have been engaged prior to the launch of the consultation to support better policy outcomes.”
In a social media post on Tuesday, NCVO’s chief policy officer Leigh Brimicombe said the organisation planned to meet Home Office officials this week.
Policy ‘risks undermining’ volunteering
The letter, signed by NCVO chief executive Kate Lee, says: “Our members tell us that the reality is refugees and migrants already want to volunteer, and that when they do, it fosters community, integration, and belonging.
“This policy proposal risks undermining these existing positive outcomes by creating conditionality and fails to address the barriers many face to volunteering such as insecure housing, frequent relocation changes and complex DBS checks.
“Voluntary organisations are already operating under high levels of strain, with a significant number facing increasing demand and using reserves to meet day-to-day running costs.
“They cannot absorb additional responsibilities this policy would create, including recruitment, safeguarding, supervision, and reporting. In addition, there is a serious risk that bad actors from outside the voluntary sector could use this proposal to exploit refugees and migrants.”
Lee said she would welcome a meeting with Mahmood to discuss the issue further.
Commenting on NCVO’s recent research, a Home Office spokesperson told Civil Society: “We’ll always welcome those who make a positive contribution to our country, because settlement in the UK has long been seen as a privilege rather than a right.
“While the standard period migrants must spend here before qualifying for settlement will rise from five to 10 years, individuals may shorten this through contributions to our economy and society.”
The Home Office’s consultation on its earned settlement proposals closes today.
