We are United Impact.

We believe that charging migrants to use the NHS, and for the Immigration Health Surcharge, is unjust and should be scrapped.

Until such time as that can be achieved:

• We believe that no one who is working should be subject to the Immigration Health Surcharge.
• We believe that the Immigration Health Surcharge should not be charged after the first application, and that the 10 year route to settlement should be changed to 5 years.

We are a group of 60 migrants, who have all experienced the 'No Recourse to Public Funds' (NRPF) immigration condition in the UK. This has caused our families to live in extreme poverty. We have been homeless, and unable to buy food, clothes and other essentials for our children.

Most of our members are on the 10 year route to settlement. This means that every two and half years we need to renew our visas.  For one adult this costs £1321 per visa, every 30 months.

Every year we also have to pay the Immigration Health Surcharge in order to access the NHS. This costs £1035 per adult, and £776 per child under 18. Over the course of 10 years the costs are extremely high. 

These costs have made life unbearable for us in the UK.  For those of us with NRPF, we do not have access to welfare benefits or social housing. For those of us with recourse to public funds, we have access to Universal Credit, but this is not enough money to live on. For those of us who can work, we are working around the clock in order to pay for the cost of living, and at the same time save the money to pay the immigration fees. For those of us who cannot work at all for health issues etc, or can only work limited hours as our children are too young, we cannot save up the fees for the immigration costs.  

We believe that charging migrants for NHS care is unjust, puts people at risk, and NHS charging for all migrants should be removed.

Not everyone is eligible for a fee waiver. For those of us who work and earn just above the income threshold which makes us ineligible for a fee waiver, this means we have to pay for our immigration applications, for the IHS, and in some cases for lawyers. This amounts to thousands of pounds that we have to save on top of the cost of living. 

The consequences are as would be expected. Our families have to sacrifice paying for food, gas, electricity and other essential needs. Our mental and physical health is suffering greatly due to the immense pressure of the immigration fees.  Those of us who are working barely see our children, as we are forced to work double shifts, often night shifts.

Health issues are on rise with increased blood pressure, depression, stress and we are visiting GPs and A&E more frequently due to the impact of the immigration policies imposed upon us.

Our campaign video is here.

Our full statement to the government is here.

Our photo exhibition showing the impact of NRPF on families is here.

Our campaign webpage is here.

You can write to your MP, using our pre-filled letter template here.

Many migrants, including our members, have avoided seeking medical care due to fear of costs.  An example of this is many of us have received extortionate invoices over £15,000 for giving birth. Healthcare charging disproportionately affects black and racialised women. Other migrants have been charged huge amounts for life saving medical treatment.

Has the government considered what NHS charging is doing to families?

Parents are being forced into exploitation in order to raise money, families are being forced to remain in domestic violence situations due to immigration charging.  We have heard reports of people feeling suicidal due to the untenable situation.

This is all amongst a huge rising cost of living, with no rise in income, but instead, an increase in charges we are subjected to.  This policy is not humanely justifiable and leaves migrants in unsafe positions.

We believe the narrative supported by some politicians and the media of using migrants as scapegoats for economic problems is false, racist and wholly unsupported by facts and statistics. 

The NHS was set up to be free for all ‘from cradle to grave’. Since then, hostile immigration policies have introduced charges for migrants.  

We ask the government to equalise access to the NHS, and to treat everyone in the UK with dignity.  We ask the government to not discriminate as to who has the right to be healthy and safe, due to their background.  It is time that outdated post-colonial ideologies are exposed, and reformed.

Please support us in signing our petition, thank you.

Please feel free to give us a follow on social media!

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