By Denisa Strango, London Community Outreach Worker, New Europeans UK
“My upbringing as a first-generation migrant allowed me to gain a deeper understanding of the needs within vulnerable communities, and also began my interest in addressing the disparities in migrant communities, and creating safe spaces for these individuals.”
After finishing my law degree, I took a gap year to consider my pathways moving forward, and I secured a position in organising voter registration drives and gaining community engagement experience – which opened the door to political advocacy, community engagement and legal advice. As this post drew to a close, I was searching for opportunities that would have all my interests intersect – community, advocacy and law – and the London Community Outreach Worker position presented itself.
My upbringing as a first-generation migrant allowed me to gain a deeper understanding of the needs within vulnerable communities, and also began my interest in addressing the disparities in migrant communities, and creating safe spaces for these individuals. During my undergraduate degree, studying Immigration and Asylum Law created the base of my knowledge in everything to do with Migration, and thus began my journey.
At NEUK, I’m able to apply all my previous experiences into meaningful community work, and create a tangible difference in the lives of individuals. I manage partnerships with community organisations to maximise the support available to marginalised EU citizens by organising EUSS information sessions, attending 1-1’s, and overall creating opportunities for capacity building and local networking with other community groups. Creating these opportunities is paramount in developing sustainable support within communities, and this post allows me to directly advocate and empower communities to gain the knowledge and the networks to better understand their rights and amplify their voices.
With the uncertainty regarding the EU Settlement Scheme, our free EUSS service provision allows for the vulnerable to be supported and heard – one of the many aims at NEUK. We aid individuals in making applications, managing and understanding their legal status, understanding the evidence required of them and helping them access other support. Through this, we aim to demystify the EU Settlement Scheme and overall share our support with the wider community. It is truly amazing to see the profound effects generated of offering help to vulnerable communities.
My overall objective for this initiative is to continue to foster empowerment within communities by facilitating a nuanced understanding of their rights as EU citizens, directly to the individuals themselves but also through community spaces and groups that are crucial in disseminating resources, empowering individuals and encouraging engagement. I’m looking forward to organising more outreach sessions, networking and participating in a broader array of events, and extending my support even further.