STEP Dungannon offering Immigration Advice

Dungannon based organisation, S.T.E.P. (South Tyrone Empowerment Programme) who run a Migrant Worker Support Project, has recently employed an Immigration Advisor, the first appointment of its kind outside Belfast and Derry.

The organisation has recently achieved Level 3 status from the O.I.S.C. (Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner), for the provision of this Immigration Advice, extending their existing provision of service to Migrant Workers in training, advocacy, employment rights clinics, community development and so on. Achieving this level status through O.I.S.C. is a quality benchmark of service provision, but also fulfils legal requirements as it is also unlawful for anybody not O.I.S.C. registered to give advice. S.T.E.P. is one of only three voluntary organisations in NI legally competent and authorised to do this work apart from some law firms.

Bernadette McAliskey, Programme Co-ordinator at S.T.E.P. states “We are once more indebted to the Big Lottery for financial support in meeting an urgent need in our increasingly diverse society. Through our Migrant Worker Support Network we will be sharing this new resource and expertise with other rural support groups. We are particularly delighted to have secured the expertise and commitment of Abed Natur to lead the work.'

Abed Natur, was employed by S.T.E.P. at the beginning of 2006 and has brought the organisation successfully through the process of attaining this O.I.S.C. quality bench mark. Abed, has a long and experienced background in law, practicing in Israel before going to London where he practiced in a voluntary capacity before becoming an Immigration caseworker at a solicitors’ firm. In London, Abed established an Advocacy department. Over the next few years Abed worked in a number of law firms, conducting Immigration case work in the High Court and Court of Appeals. In 2005, he joined South West London Law Centre, where he headed and established the Immigration Department at Kingston Law Centre before moving to Northern Ireland and taking up the position of Immigration Advisor at S.T.E.P.

Abed Natur has a background in law.

He has worked in Israel and London, and now works for STEP in Dungannon.

Abed asserts “There is clearly a need for many more professional immigration practitioners across Northern Ireland. Especially in the Mid Ulster area, where there is a high population of non-nationals. The Service is based on an awareness that a number of clients may have escaped torture and inhuman and degrading treatment. They come and seek refuge from the most heinous of human rights abuses to a safe haven in Northern Ireland. As advocates of equality, integration and humanity, STEP would achieve its goal by providing seamless accessible high quality advice service”

The main reasons and objectives of providing this Immigration Advice Service at S.T.E.P. are:

• to provide seamless, accessible, high quality advice to all walks of life, regardless of their race, ethnicity, colour, religion, creed, political opinion, nationality, gender, disability and/or sexual orientation.
• to provide professional high quality immigration advice assists in reducing the uncertainty amongst the most vulnerable of the community. It works to limit the exploitation and undue pressure on non-nationals. By having accesses to professional advice, non-nationals have greater understanding of their rights and obligations.
• to provide a professional Immigration advice service which would also assist the integration of those communities who are contributing substantially financially and culturally to the community in Northern Ireland. This in turn would enrich the community with diversity and multi cultures.

Abed continues: “Our long term aim is to provide seamless, accessible, high quality immigration advice to all walks of life, and close the door on those unscrupulous advisers, who would prey on the most vulnerable.”

For further information, contact S.T.E.P. on 028 877 29002 or visit www.stepni.org . Appointments are necessary and Interpretation can be provided.