Vision
We believe every EU citizen in the UK should be aware of their rights and be able to play a full and active part in their community.
Mission
To provide information, advice, training and education to individuals, organisation and communities.
Meet the team
Whether you are an EU citizen or represent an organisation working with EU citizens, don’t hesitate to contact us.
Roger Casale
Director
Lydia Martin
Deputy Head of Projects
Who has supported us
Our work has been made possible from grant funding from the organisations below.
Roger Casale
Director
Speaks English, German, Italian and French
Roger set up New Europeans and runs the initiative on a day-to-day basis.
He has experience in business, academia and politics, both in the UK, and internationally. He studied at Brasenose College Oxford and at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, and holds a Master of Arts in International Affairs.
In 2009, he received the award of Commendatore dell’Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana from the President of Italy, Giorgio Napolitano for services to British-Italian relations. He is a former Member of Parliament and Parliamentary Private Secretary in the Foreign Office.
Tamara Flanagan OBE
Head of Projects
Speaks English, French and Spanish
Tamara has 25 years of experience of the voluntary sector in the UK, with a distinct focus on European Funding and Advocacy.
She is an external expert for the European Commission (AMIF, REC and Erasmus+), lecturer in charity development and funding. She has worked on advocacy and government relations in the UK and Europe.
Tamara has also worked with the European Parliament, the European Economic and Social Committee, and the Council of Europe.
She was a board member of two EU-wide networks, SOLIDAR and European Civic Forum, and is the former Secretary General of Volonteurope, an EU-wide platform on active citizenship. She was chair of NCVO’s European Funding Network for four years.
Lydia Martin
Deputy Head of Projects
Speaks English and French
Lydia came to New Europeans UK with over 20 years’ experience of community engagement and development, working primarily with marginalised communities in the UK and abroad.
As Deputy Head of Projects Lydia manages some of our activities that focus on creating broader support and awareness on EU communities in London and the UK, through capacity building and developing partnerships with the voluntary and community sector, and she coordinates our Civil Society EUSS Alliance which strengthens the work of those in the sector focusing on the EU Settlement Scheme and EU citizens’ rights in the UK.
Denisa Strango
Community Outreach Worker
Speaks English, Romanian and Spanish
Denisa transitioned from her role as an Events Organiser at Migrant Democracy Project to become a Community Outreach Worker at New Europeans UK. At MDP, she organised numerous community events to engage migrant communities in voter registration drives amidst legislative changes.
In her current role, Denisa continues her advocacy by managing partnerships with community groups in London, delivering informative sessions on EUSS and providing support in managing our free EUSS advice line. She remains committed to empowering marginalised EU individuals and their families, bridging connections within our networks and providing EUSS advice.
Cecilia Mellana
Senior EUSS Officer
Speaks English, Italian, French and Spanish
Cecilia has rejoined New Europeans UK after working at the Embassy of Italy in London as the officer responsible for safeguarding the rights of Italian citizens living in the UK after Brexit.
Borimir Totev
EU Londoners Communications Officer
Speaks English and Bulgarian
Borimir joins New Europeans UK after working as a marketing strategist for a London-based social impact communications agency. He has in-depth communications and development experience in the charity and not-for-profit sectors.
At New Europeans UK, Borimir delivers on our communications for the Trust for London Pathways to Settlement project.
Denisa Gannon
EUSS Adviser
Speaks English, Czech, Slovak and Romanes
Denisa is a qualified solicitor, European Roma woman originally from the Czech Republic. She has experience working with homeless, children in care, elderly people, people with various mental and physical disabilities, Roma people, victims of domestic violence, and victims of human trafficking. She also has experience of giving legal advice to non-EU family members of EU nationals.
At New Europeans UK, Denisa works with complex EUSS cases helping vulnerable EU citizens to gain legal status in the UK.
Else Kvist
Head of Campaigns and Communications
Speaks English, Danish and German
Else had seven years of experience as a journalist on two local newspapers in East London before going freelance. Following a two-year training scheme on the Newham Recorder, she transferred as a senior reporter to the award-winning East London Advertiser. During her time covering some of London’s most culturally diverse and busy news patches, she reported on everything from local politics to crime. As a freelance journalist Else works across print, web and video, as well as a TV researcher.
Else advises New Europeans UK on external communications and handles press enquiries. She also supports the board and director with their communications, both internally and externally.
Marinela Bojaxhiu
Community Outreach Worker
Speaks English, Albanian, Greek, Italian and Spanish
Marinela is a qualified laboratory technician, Greek citizen with Albanian roots. She has experience in volunteering for the NHS conferences and seminars, local community activities and in care homes.
At New Europeans UK, Marinela provides information and education to individuals, organisations and communities in Leicester to better understand the EU Settlement Scheme and enabling networking opportunities with organisations and communities working with vulnerable EU citizens.
Martin Banks
News and Campaign Contributor
Speaks English and French
Martin Banks is an experienced British-born journalist who has been covering the EU beat (and much else besides) in Brussels since 2001.
Previously, he had worked for many years in regional journalism in the UK (most recently as chief reporter on a leading regional title) and freelanced for national titles.
He has a keen interest in foreign affairs and has closely followed the workings of the European Parliament and MEPs in particular for some years. He has a well developed network of contacts and is a board member of the Press Club Brussels Europe.
Ruvi Ziegler
Chair
Speaks English and Hebrew
Dr. Reuven (Ruvi) Ziegler is Associate Professor in International Refugee Law at the University of Reading, School of Law.
His areas of research interest include International Refugee Law, Citizenship and Electoral Rights, Comparative Constitutional Law, and International Humanitarian Law.
Michael Arapis
Honorary Treasurer
Speaks English and Greek
Michael is a lawyer and has worked for leading law firms in Cardiff. He is a frequent speaker on major Greek TV networks and radio stations and is also an experienced interpreter and public relations advisor.
“I am proud to be part of New Europeans UK. As a campaigner and EU Citizen it is very important for me to fight for the rights of EU Citizens in the UK and the UK Citizens in the EU.”
He is the Director of the Hellenic Institute of Cultural Diplomacy in Wales, the only Greek scientific NGO which represents cultural diplomacy.
Eileen Chan-Hu
Trustee
Speaks English and …
Eileen Chan-Hu is the co-founder of CRAICNI (Cultivate Respect, Appreciate Inclusion in Communities in Northern Ireland), a social enterprise that provides inclusion and diversity services through training and educational programmes.
“I am delighted to have the opportunity to support New Europeans in areas of social policy to benefit all.”
She is passionate about all things Northern Irish/Irish and how diversity of many cultures come about and through commonalities to enjoy the “Craic” as a way of life.
Eileen is an Equality Commissioner for the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland, which is an independent public body which oversees equality and discrimination law in Northern Ireland.
Luisa Maccalli
Trustee
Speaks English, Italian and French
Maria Luisa Maccalli is a graduate of Bocconi University with 25 years experience in organisation development and human resources.
“I joined New Europeans because I feel a very strong responsibility to give children, who have been brought up as Europeans, the right to have their own identity and freedom of choice.”
She is an expert in the challenges facing those who build a life for themselves and their families abroad, and is particularly aware of the role of women in settling their families following relocation.
Michał Siewniak
Trustee
Speaks English, Polish, Croatian and Italian
Michał works in the community voluntary sector. He supports the needs of different community groups with advice and advocacy and helps build the organisational capacity of these groups.
“New Europeans is doing a fantastic job giving a platform to all who cherish their citizenship rights and the values that underpin them. I am proud to be able to be part of the team.”
He has many years experience in motivating people and helping them to fulfil their potential and is passionate about diversity issues and in his commitment to equal opportunities.
Roxana Barbulescu
Trustee
Speaks English, Romanian, Italian, French, Spanish and German
Dr Roxana Barbulescu is University Academic Fellow in new Migrations in UK and Europe at the University of Leeds, UK.
“I am committed to strengthening New Europeans’ links between academia, statutory agencies and wider civil society as well as with the Romanian community in the UK.”
She is the founder of Commission on Diversity in the North, Co-director of Migration News and sits on the editorial board of Investment Migration Working Papers where she is Deputy-Editor.
Trust for London is an independent charitable foundation. The Trust aims to tackle poverty and inequality in London, and it does so by funding voluntary and charity groups.
New Europeans UK has been funded by Trust for London since 2016 to help strengthen the capacity of civil society in London to meet the needs of EU citizens post-Brexit.
The National Lottery Community Fund distributes over £600m a year to communities across the UK, raised by players of The National Lottery.
New Europeans UK has received support in the period 2022.
The Barrow Cadbury Trust is an independent, charitable foundation, committed to bringing about socially just change.
New Europeans UK has recieved support in the period 2020-21.
The Greater London Authority includes the London Assembly and the Office of the Mayor for London, Sadiq Khan.
New Europeans UK had a member of staff on secondment to the Mayor of London’s Social Integration team until 2022.
City Bridge Trust is the funding arm of Bridge House Estates and it is run by the Corporation of London, which is its sole Trustee.
New Europeans UK received a grant in the period 2020-21 to create a standalone website for our UK grant-based programmes and related work, and to provide clear, accessible information to EU citizens in London during and after the Coronavirus pandemic.
The Home Office funds a number of outreach projects around the UK to promote applications to the EU Settlement Scheme.
In its first funding round New Europeans UK was awarded funds to work in partnership with The AIRE Centre. In the second funding round, New Europeans UK secured further funding to work in partnership with Southwark Law Centre.
Paul Hamlyn Foundation is one of the largest independent grant-makers in the UK.
Justice Together is a unique collaboration launched in 2020 with a decade-long vision to ensure that people who use the UK immigration system can access justice fairly and equally.
The Rights, Equality and Citizenship Programme contributes to the further development of an area where equality and the rights of persons, as enshrined in the Treaty, the Charter and international human rights conventions, are promoted, protected and effectively implemented.
New Europeans received a grant together with our partners Law Centres UK, to run a series of workshops and public meetings entitled ‘Living Rights’.
The National Lottery Community Fund gives grants to organisations in the UK to help improve their communities.
New Europeans received a grant in 2016 to devise a booklet to help EU citizens navigate their lives in the UK. The booklet was called ‘The Big EU Citizens’ Survival Guide to Britain’.
LUSH funds small grassroots organisations for projects in environment, animal protection and human rights.
MORE TEXT FROM TAMARA
Europe for Citizens is the EU’s programme for funding projects that help the public understand the EU’s history, values and diversity, and encourage citizens to participate and engage in democracy at the EU level.
In 2014, 2015 and 2016, New Europeans ran three projects funded by this programme, including our ‘Connecting Citizens’, ‘Talk Europe’ and ‘Together in Europe’, projects.
‘Talk Europe’ was a video project, in the course of which we interviewed three EU citizens living in the UK and three Britons living in Europe about their experiences.
‘Connecting Citizens’ was a series of public meetings organised in collaboration with the University of Sussex European Institute about EU citizenship rights.
‘Together in Europe’ was a European project with partners in Warsaw and Berlin to promote the understanding of EU citizenship rights at the community level in our three different cities.
The Open Society Foundations work to build vibrant and inclusive democracies, whose governments are accountable to their citizens.
New Europeans received a grant in 2014 to promote voter registration of EU citizens in the 2014 European Parliament election campaign in the UK.
Financial Times Future of Britain Award 2017
In 2016, the Financial Times set up a prize for innovative ideas that could help steer the UK through Brexit.
New Europeans on the prize in the migration category for our Green Card for Europe proposal to ring-fence the rights and status of EU citizens n the UK and Britons in Europe post Brexit.
Our winning entry, submitted by New Europeans CEO, Roger Casale, was published in the Financial Times on 31 January 2017.
Sheila McKechnie Foundation People’s Choice Award 2017
The SMK National Campaigner Award brings the campaign community together to champion and celebrate campaigning, demonstrate its value and acknowledge success.
One award each year, The People’s Choice Award, is made on the basis of a public vote.
New Europeans won the award for our #RightToStay campaign calling for immediate, comprehensive and unilateral guarantees of the five million EU citizens in the UK and Britons in Europe directly affected by Brexit.
Schwarzkopf Foundation Europe Award
The Schwarzkopf Europe Award is awarded to institutions or public figures who have distinguished themselves in an outstanding way by a committed and dedicated service to either European understanding or the growing together of Europe.
In 2019, the prize was awarded for the first time following a public vote amongst young Europeans (aged 18-35) across Europe.
New Europeans won the award for our Green Card for Europe proposal.
CiDAN/ESDA Award for Citizenship and Human Rights
The CiDAN European Award for Citizenship, Security and Defence rewards outstanding efforts towards promoting European citizenship, and European security and defence awareness.
The prize is organised annually by the association “Civisme Défense Armées Nation” (CiDAN), together with the European Interparliamentary Security and Defence Association under the High Patronage of the President of the European Council.
At the award ceremony in Berlin, Roger Casale, founder and CEO of New Europeans, was also presented with the Medal of the President of the French Republic.
Our vision is of a society enriched and empowered through the full participation of its citizens and permanent residents. We believe each individual should be valued for what they can become, so that communities can grow together in solidarity and peace.
Our mission is to inform EU citizens in the UK and Britons in Europe about their rights, help them to find their voice, and encourage them to play a full part in the local and democratic life of their communities.
We achieve this through our:
Programmes
Grant-funded projects which support EU citizens in the UK and Britons in Europe, for example, to acquire settled status or to register to vote.
Campaings
Membership-led campaigns to make practical improvements to the lives of EU citizens in the UK and Britons in Europe, funded by donations.
Research
Pro-bono, expert-led initiatives, aimed at informing and focussing the public debate about the situation of EU citizens in the UK and Britons in Europe.