Current projects of the MCNI include:
– Migration Justice Advocacy – Migrant Centre NI engages in advocacy, lobbying, and policy work to advocate for migrant rights and for a more just immigration system. Our advocacy work is informed by the lived experiences of our service users and we engage in legislative, policy, and media lobbying, education, and awareness raising at the NI and UK levels.
– Free EU Settlement Scheme Support Service – In partnership with Advice NI we are providing support to vulnerable EU citizens who need additional help when applying for their immigration status through the Home Office EU Settlement Scheme. This service covers the whole of NI and is provided in a range of languages.
– Race Hate Crime Advocacy, which is funded by the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) where our Bi-lingual Support Workers provide a one-stop shop model of services to victims of race hate crime and incidents.
– Financial Health and Wellbeing for BAME community, which aims to address issues around debt, poverty, financial health and money management (including benefits) by providing a culturally sensitive service in a variety of languages to ensure migrants and their families do not face financial instability which can lead to mental health issues and increased risk of substance abuse.
– The Global Majority Fund – MCNI is an intermediary body for funds supported by Comic Relief co-financed by The National Emergencies Trust, The Clothworkers’ Foundation, Barclays and Esmée Fairbairn Foundation.
– Migrant and Ethnic Minority Peace Builders in Northern Ireland – This project engages diverse communities in the NI peace process and seeks to build a more dynamic vision of a peaceful future for all, which includes and values those outside of the traditional ‘two communities’ divide. The project is funded by the Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust and structured through a programme of seminars, workshops, trips, and other events for participants with lived experience from migrant and/or ethnic minority communities.
Our other and past projects include:
– BAME COVID-19 Recovery Fund – MCNI has been an intermediary body for funds supported by Comic Relief and National Emergencies Trust.
– Lead AchieVe Aspire (LAVA) project – supports leaders with lived experience thanks to National Lottery funding to influence wider societal change and build a network to share good practice and support emerging leaders to influence change. Migrant Centre NI is working in partnership with Trade Unions, local business community, health sector, local councils, and education sector to identify and recruit potential new and emerging leaders from BAME backgrounds.
– The Belonging Project, a multimedia photography project promoting good relations coupled with OCN accredited workshops that facilitate discussions about identity, migrant experiences and community in a non threatening and safe environment. Through this project we also provide OCN accredited training for facilitators.
– Good Relation Work in Enniskillen, Fermanagh working with APEX to deliver grassroots community development activities.
– Welfare Advice – currently with limited capacity in Lurgan area only.
– Promoting Financial Health and Wellbeing for BME community, which aims to address issues around debt, poverty, financial health and money management (including benefits) by providing a culturally sensitive service in a variety of languages to ensure migrants and their families do not face financial instability which can lead to mental health issues and increased risk of substance abuse.
– Voices for Change, which aims to address racial inequality in NI through active citizenship and political participation of the BME communities. Access to public services is still a big issue for the new migrant community which has experienced racism as service users, employees and pupils. The project focuses on collaboration and mentoring of smaller groups to build their capacity and provide required training and good governance support. We also commission research, which in previous years focused on the needs and issues of the Traveller Community and the health needs and issues of the BME community. Currently we have commissioned a research into the ways of influencing local government structures with the lack of Stormont.
– The Good Practice Plus Project Reloaded – An EU funded project, the G3P aims, in the framework of the EU Charter, Council FD 2008/913/JHA and Directive 2012/29/EU (Victims Directive), are:
1. Improve through mutual learning methodologies, the understanding of hate crimes among police official and prosecutors;
2. Establish permanent cooperation mechanisms, building trust among authorities, communities, CSOs and victims;
3. Build a supportive environment for victims. The partnership of this project is the City of Turin (Lead Partner), Altera, local NGO that based in Turin, Migrant Centre Northern Ireland Ltd and the Ministry of the Interior of Finland.
– Travellers and the Troubles – this project which began in August 2018 and activities are ongoing until March 2019. It involves the establishment of 6 Traveller focus groups as well as a research report including comparative chapters on different experiences based on location, age, gender and other identity issues. The second element of the project is continual capacity building of the focus groups. It will also include personal development training in topics such as presentation skills, public speaking, essential skills etc. (activities on-going). The third strand of the project is to promote reconciliation and good relations between the Traveller community and the two traditional communities, as well as other BME groups. The main purpose of the project will be to gain a deeper understanding of all these issues within the Traveller community and between Travellers and the two main settled communities.
