Advocacy, Research and Campaigns
IRMO engages in advocacy and campaigning to ensure that migrants, including asylum seekers and refugees, have fair and equal access to services in the UK and can fully exercise their rights and entitlements.
We actively support the involvement of people with lived experience in consultations and research, amplifying their voices and enhancing representation in key networks and forums.
Our efforts aim to influence policy and practice on the issues that directly affect the Latin American community and drive meaningful and lasting change for all migrant communities.
The Coalition of Latin Americans in the UK
We proudly chair the Coalition of Latin Americans in the UK (CLAUK), a group of ‘led by and for’ Latin American migrant organisations, initiatives, and passionate individuals actively collaborating to raise awareness of the issues affecting Latin American communities, amplifying our collective voice, and building systemic change through policy-influencing campaigning and capacity-building.
Access to Education
Drawing on a decade of front-line experience supporting migrant and asylum-seeking children who are out of school, we’ve developed an advocacy strategy to break down the structural barriers that keep these children from accessing education.
Through community organising, offering training for parents and carers, and working closely with schools and local authorities, we’re dedicated to making sure every migrant child has equal opportunities to learn and thrive.
Housing and Temporary Accommodation
We work to address the impact of temporary accommodation (TA) and housing insecurity on the Latin American community in London.
We are part of the Better TA alliance, a London-wide coalition working to end the temporary accommodation crisis. In Lambeth, we lead local work on the Fix the Five Basics campaign, calling for minimum standards in temporary accommodation so that all families can live in dignified conditions that meet their needs.
We also lead the Latin American Temporary Accommodation Forum (LATAF), with support from Trust for London. This brings together organisations supporting Spanish-speaking and Latin American communities in South London to strengthen advocacy, share learning, and build collective action on housing issues.
Research and Reports
Through our research, we aim to shine a light on the key issues affecting our community and push for more effective responses from decision-makers. You can explore our full catalogue of reports below.
For more information, contact info@irmo.org.uk.
IRMO Reports
- Bridging the Gap – The Educational Experiences of Latin American Migrant Youth in England
- A Human Rights Guide by the British Institute of Human Rights and IRMO
- The Right to Access Education for Migrant Children and Young People in England – Factsheet (2024)
- The Right to Access Education for Migrant Children and Young People in England – Legal Briefing (2024)
- The Right to Healthcare: A community-led approach to better health outcomes for the Latin American community (2023)
- Evaluation of IRMO’s Health and Wellbeing Initiative – National Institute of Economic and Social Research (2023)
- The impact of COVID-19 on the lives of Latin American migrants – Briefing (2021)
- The impact of COVID-19 on the lives of Latin American migrants – Full Report (2021)
- Data Brief: EEA Migrant Assistance – MigrationWork CIC (2020)
- EU-Latin Americans Mobile and Participating – Lessons learnt and recommendations (2020)
- Children Out of School in Lambeth (2016)
- Latin Americans in London: Housing Situation (2016)
- Latin Americans in London: Barriers to English Language Skills (2016)
Collaborations
- Migrants’ Agency and Mobilisation in Times of Crisis: London’s Latin American Community Navigating the Impact of Covid-19 – National Institute of Economic and Social Research (2024)
- Access to Health and Social Care Services for Latin American Communities in Southwark Report – Healthwatch Southwark (2023)
- “So I decided to carry on…”: The Continuum of Exploitation in Practice – LEAG (2024)
- Coalition of Latin Americans in the UK – 10-Year Report (2024)
- Long-term conditions in minoritised urban populations: Latin American community of London, Scuffell et al. (2024)
- Understanding Young People’s Experiences of Violence in Lambeth – Lambeth Peer Action Collective (2022) Exploring the experiences of recently arrived Latin American migrant parents regarding their children’s education – Gilsenan and Lee (2021)
- Key impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic on migrants in vulnerability in London – Black Thrive (2020)
- “I like it here because I have to” Migration and Adolescent Identity Formation: Exploring the Experiences of Students in a London School – Gilsenan (2018)
- Latin Americans in Southwark: Service access and provision – COMPAS, University of Oxford (2017)
- Towards Visibility: the Latin American community in London – Queen Mary University (2016)
- Migrant precarity in London: The case of Latin Americans with Spanish passports – Baum (2015)
- No Longer Invisible: the Latin American community in London – Queen Mary University (2011)
Networks and Forums
We work together with others in advocacy and campaigning to raise awareness and push for policy changes on important issues affecting Latin Americans and all migrant communities. These partnerships allow us to share resources, exchange best practices and tackle common challenges. Below are the networks and forums we’re proud to be a part of.
- Mayor of London’s Refugee and Migrant Advisory Panel (MRAP)
- London Initial and Contingency Accommodation Civil Society Forum
- Southwark Latin American Network
- Together with Refugees Coalition
- Network for Justice
- Migrants Rights Network
- Migrants Organise
- Civil Society EUSS Alliance
- Pan-London Migrant Frontline Network
- The National Homelessness Advice Service (NHAS)
- Advice UK
- Lambeth Advice Network
- Ethnically Diverse Advice Providers Network
- Better Work Network
- London Youth
- 4in10 London’s Child Poverty Network
We work together for a future where through our solidarity and collective strength we're able to live as a visible community in the UK, one that is truly seen, understood and integrated in every aspect of life.
Bruna Boscaini, IRMO's Director
