Asylum Matters  are looking for people who have accessed Migrant Help line services to share their perspectives and experiences.  They are preparing an advocacy report on the Advice, Issue, Reporting, Eligibility (AIRE) and AASC contracts to ensure adequate services are being provided to people.

In a recent letter to update refugee sector and its partners  on the performance of its AIRE service, Migrant Help stated that call answer times into the First Response Centre  have been at an average of under one minute since 9 January. It also noted that “call volumes still far outstrip volumes prior to the introduction of the AIRE contract.” The AIRE contract, has significantly broadened the remit of the Migrant Help service, becoming a ‘single point of contact,’ including enquiries about accommodation maintenance issues – unlike in previous contracts where this was managed directly by accommodation providers.

The letter also noted that call times on transfer to the Eligibility, Advice and Guidance Line (EAGL) are still long, as these represent more complex casework and require advisers to spend more time with each client. It notes that around a third of weekday calls that come into the FRC are subsequently transferred to EAGL.

To share your experiences of accessing the Migrant Help phoneline services,  get in touch with [email protected] and [email protected].