On Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants
Provider description
JCWI was formed in the 1960s at a time of new Commonwealth immigration to assist families coming to a new country. JCWI provided free advice and assistance for new immigrants and for the settled community wishing to be reunited with their families.
As a result of expertise gained in this way, JCWI began to publish and campaign for changes in increasingly unfair legislation.
Since then JCWI has helped many thousands of families and individuals in desperate need, free of charge. JCWI works to influence all the major debates on immigration and asylum in the UK and increasingly the European Union where the agenda for UK's immigration policy is more frequently being set.
JCWI continues to be an important resource for others who work in this sphere. It has established itself as the leading training provider in immigration, nationality and refugee law. Over the years, thousands of people have benefited from its highly acclaimed training courses.
JCWI produces written materials such as factsheets, briefings, policy pamphlets, a quarterly bulletin and "The Immigration, Nationality and Refugee Law Handbook", which is an essential reference resource for all legal practitioners, students and advisors.
JCWI is unique in that it is the only national organisation in the field that has never sought nor accepted central government funds, and can truly claim to be independent and free from any government influence.
JCWI is needed now more than ever, operating in an environment of highly charged immigration and race debate.
