The information included on this page was collated through research work conducted by Roma Support Group and Sheffield University.
This research concluded with the report Roma EU citizens in the UK: Ongoing struggles with the EU Settlement Scheme. Its findings informed a toolkit for community organisations and local authorities on engaging with the Roma community on the EU Settlement Scheme. The full toolkit is available here.
Click on the drop down menu below for relevant information extracted from the full toolkit.
This research concluded with the report Roma EU citizens in the UK: Ongoing struggles with the EU Settlement Scheme. Its findings informed a toolkit for community organisations and local authorities on engaging with the Roma community on the EU Settlement Scheme. The full toolkit is available here.
Click on the drop down menu below for relevant information extracted from the full toolkit.
Providing information in community languages
Most Roma in the UK come from Romania, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Poland or Bulgaria, and also speak the community language, Romanes. If possible, it is a good idea to make any materials available in community languages – (mainly Romanes, and Eastern European languages: Polish, Slovak, Romanian, Czech, Bulgarian and others). If possible this work should be conducted with input from Roma advocates and include information delivered through videos.
Working with Roma supporters
A recent report has emphasised the general importance and cost benefits of the local provision of immigration advice by LAs. It is in the interests of LAs where there are significant Roma populations to ensure that as many resident Roma as possible are able to acquire a settled status and, wherever possible, do not fall into a situation where they have no status or a less secure pre-settled status. We know of many Roma EU citizens who have been seeking to access LAs various forms of ‘No Recourse to Public Funds’ support (because, rightly or wrongly, they had no status).
At a minimum, LAs should work closely with Regional Strategic Migration Partnerships to ensure and build an awareness of issues related to migration in general and Roma in particular.
On EUSS, LAs could work closely with Grant Funded Organisations, community organisations, Citizens Advice (where relevant), local universities (where relevant) to ensure good provision of community and legal support.
All social and health workers engaging with Roma on a regular basis should be offered some training on Roma culture and on EUSS in particular (this toolkit may serve as a useful resource).
As the RSG has previously highlighted, it is far more effective, wherever possible, to engage with Roma via trusted Roma supporting organisations (or via Roma community members with relevant skills). Otherwise organisations that have advice workers with suitable language skills and who are trusted within the community should be used (see case study 1). This might include community centres that provide Roma with holistic support in relation to education, healthcare, housing, welfare and/or employment. Another effective approach can be to work through churches, such as Pentecostal churches or Jehovah’s Witness Kingdom Halls, which are likely to have many Roma members.
At a minimum, LAs should work closely with Regional Strategic Migration Partnerships to ensure and build an awareness of issues related to migration in general and Roma in particular.
On EUSS, LAs could work closely with Grant Funded Organisations, community organisations, Citizens Advice (where relevant), local universities (where relevant) to ensure good provision of community and legal support.
All social and health workers engaging with Roma on a regular basis should be offered some training on Roma culture and on EUSS in particular (this toolkit may serve as a useful resource).
As the RSG has previously highlighted, it is far more effective, wherever possible, to engage with Roma via trusted Roma supporting organisations (or via Roma community members with relevant skills). Otherwise organisations that have advice workers with suitable language skills and who are trusted within the community should be used (see case study 1). This might include community centres that provide Roma with holistic support in relation to education, healthcare, housing, welfare and/or employment. Another effective approach can be to work through churches, such as Pentecostal churches or Jehovah’s Witness Kingdom Halls, which are likely to have many Roma members.
Case study 1: Sheffield City Council and Local Community Organisations
Sheffield City Council successfully bid for HO funding to support with the EUSS in the early phase of its rollout. In order to ensure that it engaged with the Roma community (predominantly Slovak in Sheffield) it worked closely with local organisations located in areas with significant Roma populations and with a track record of supporting the Roma community, in particular Darnall Wellbeing in Darnall (with staff who speak the community language) and Firvale Community Hub in Page Hall (with Roma staff). These relationships allowed the Council to reach significant numbers of Roma and effectively support them to acquire and use their status. It also established a relationship with Citizens Advice Sheffield, which had higher level OISC accreditation and was able to support complex EUSS cases.
Outreach through schools and the NHS to Roma children and their parents
LAs can work with local community actors to reach communities via various public sector organisations, particularly schools and the NHS.
Schools can be an effective way to reach and inform Roma communities, including on EUSS. Connecting to parents through schools can be an effective way of informing communities and ensuring that they are aware of ongoing issues relating to settled status.
LAs can facilitate relationships between schools and community organisations to ensure that families are able to manage their digital status (section 5.6, page 18 of the toolkit). It is also a good idea to check if schools have staff who speak Roma or other Central/Eastern European languages, depending on the origin of the local Roma community. Some LAs will have English as an Additional Language networks, which could be used to share information.
It is important that LAs and other actors support families to regularize the status of their children by making an application to the EUSS.
We know of instances where Roma families have been charged for NHS treatment where their children do not have a status. LAs can also therefore work effectively with NHS trusts and GPs in order to raise awareness of issues related to status. This support should extend to checking if/when a child is British (section 5.2.1, page 12 of the toolkit), informing families of this, and supporting applications for British passports.
Every effort should also be made to identify any remaining eligible children with EU citizenship who are looked after, in care or care leavers, and support them to achieve settled status (this will include children who need to upgrade from pre-settled status) (see this report on the broader issue).
LAs can use our resources with relevant community organisations, schools, GPs and other relevant actors in the areas with high Roma populations.
Schools can be an effective way to reach and inform Roma communities, including on EUSS. Connecting to parents through schools can be an effective way of informing communities and ensuring that they are aware of ongoing issues relating to settled status.
LAs can facilitate relationships between schools and community organisations to ensure that families are able to manage their digital status (section 5.6, page 18 of the toolkit). It is also a good idea to check if schools have staff who speak Roma or other Central/Eastern European languages, depending on the origin of the local Roma community. Some LAs will have English as an Additional Language networks, which could be used to share information.
It is important that LAs and other actors support families to regularize the status of their children by making an application to the EUSS.
We know of instances where Roma families have been charged for NHS treatment where their children do not have a status. LAs can also therefore work effectively with NHS trusts and GPs in order to raise awareness of issues related to status. This support should extend to checking if/when a child is British (section 5.2.1, page 12 of the toolkit), informing families of this, and supporting applications for British passports.
Every effort should also be made to identify any remaining eligible children with EU citizenship who are looked after, in care or care leavers, and support them to achieve settled status (this will include children who need to upgrade from pre-settled status) (see this report on the broader issue).
LAs can use our resources with relevant community organisations, schools, GPs and other relevant actors in the areas with high Roma populations.
Further resources
RSG resources
RSG and the University of Sheffield have produced a range of resources that can be shared with the Roma community, including the following:
- EUSS information in Slovak
- EUSS information in Romanian
- EUSS information in Polish
Also see our detailed 2024 report on the issues that Roma communities encounter in relation to EUSS.
- An RSG information leaflet in community languages that can be adapted as needed for local use.
- EUSS information in Slovak
- EUSS information in Romanian
- EUSS information in Polish
- A series of RSG explainer videos on current EUSS issues all in relevant community languages.
Also see our detailed 2024 report on the issues that Roma communities encounter in relation to EUSS.
External resources
- The3million video resources that aim to answer the most frequently asked questions relating to EUSS. Their FAQ tool is also very useful.
- Settled also have a range of useful resources.
- New Europeans UK have resources in Romanes, Romanian, Czech and Polish.
- The current organisations with Home Office funding to offer EUSS advice at all levels of OISC accreditation can be found here.
- Citizens Advice may be able to support in relation to a number of issues including immigration and welfare questions.
Local organisations supporting the Roma community
Belfast
Bradford
Cardiff
Coventry
Derby
Dover
London
Glasgow
Ipswich
Kent
Luton
Leicester
Nottingham
Peterborough
Rotherham
Sheffield
Wakefield
Bradford
- St Edmunds Bradford
- Communityworks
- Kaskosan (Roma charity)
- Migrant Info Hub - links to other EUSS support
Cardiff
- TGP Cymru
- Newfields Law - for complex casework
Coventry
Derby
Dover
London
- Roma Support Group
- Romanian and Eastern European Hub
- Settled – EUSS Roma Advice Service
- New Europeans UK ([email protected])
Glasgow
- Community Renewal
- Romano Lav – campaign organisation for the Roma community
Ipswich
Kent
Luton
Leicester
Nottingham
- Nottingham Law Centre
- Ideea Rom Association
Peterborough
Rotherham
- Clifton Learning Partnership
- Migrant Info Hub - links to other EUSS support
Sheffield
- Citizens Advice Sheffield
- Darnall WellBeing
- Firvale Community Hub
- Sheffield Roma Network
- Oasis Community Space
Wakefield
- The Youth Association
- Migrant Info Hub - links to other EUSS support
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The Roma Support Group is a registered Charity (No. 1103782)
and a Company Limited by Guarantee registered in England and Wales, (No. 0464598). Registered office address: 17 Old Ford Road, London, E2 9PJ |
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