Building on the first step: my growing understanding of the immigration sector

February 11, 2025

In her second blog post, Senior Influencing and Grants Manager Dami Makinde reflects on how we can support grant partners to engage with the government and JTI’s own role in influencing migration policy.

When I wrote my first blog, I reflected on my transition into my new role as Senior Influencing and Grants Manger at Justice Together Initiative (JTI), my early questions and the balance between being a funder with an influencing remit versus empowering grantees to lead the work. Now, a few months in, I find myself more immersed in the complexities of the immigration system, and while some things are becoming clearer, new challenges and questions continue to emerge.

One of the biggest shifts has been my deepening understanding of the wider immigration system. My knowledge has expanded significantly, especially around legal aid, No Recourse to Public Funds (NRPF) and the funding landscape for immigration advice. I now have greater appreciation for the systemic barriers that make access to justice so difficult for migrants, and I see more clearly how JTI’s role as a funder can support those working on the frontlines to challenge these obstacles.

Yet, there are still areas I have yet to explore in depth, including detention, the increasing role of automated decision-making, asylum accommodation, Labour’s Ending Violence Against Women and Girls strategy (which includes migrant women), local/metro mayor opportunities and many more emerging challenges within the immigration system that require further examination. For example, the government’s plan to expand the detention estate is something I need to delve into further. What will this mean for people already facing a hostile immigration environment? How can we, as funders, better support those challenging the injustice of detention? Similarly, the rise of automated decision-making in asylum and immigration processes raises important questions about fairness, accuracy and accountability. As I continue in my role, these are the areas I intend to explore more deeply.

JTI’s role: influencing vs. empowering grantees

A central challenge I have been reflecting on since my first blog is how JTI can effectively balance its dual role of influencing policy as a funder while ensuring that grantees retain the ability to drive change themselves.

The landscape of political engagement remains challenging, and many organisations are struggling to secure meaningful conversations with decision-makers. The insights from the themes emerging from a recent JTI survey reinforces this; for example, grant partners have reported that the sector is facing significant challenges in connecting with policymakers, particularly with newly elected MPs or those with little background in immigration. Additionally, leadership in local authorities remains difficult to engage, and the Labour government is proving to be more resistant than some had hoped.

JTI can play a key role in bridging these gaps – helping to facilitate connections, support grantees in navigating new political relationships and create opportunities for strategic engagement. While there is still no easy answer to the question of balancing influencing and funding, I am beginning to see how relationship-building with government should be a key part of our strategy.

Labour’s disappointing approach to immigration 

A recent sector meeting I attended discussed and highlighted that the government’s priorities remain centred on restoring “order and control” in the system; speeding up asylum decision-making, deporting more people and cracking down on smuggling gangs. This raises fundamental questions for the sector:

• How can we push for longer-term engagement with Labour ministers and MPs, ensuring that migration justice remains a priority rather than an afterthought?
• How do we build meaningful collaboration with a government that is hesitant to engage on progressive migration policies?
• Is the new government’s cautious approach simply a result of being new in power, or is there a deeper unwillingness to act on key issue?
• How do we support coalitions pursuing both inside and outside strategies in their advocacy?
•  How do we acknowledge and invest in the need for long-term movement building, even in a challenging political climate?

Many in the sector had hoped that the new Labour government would bring a shift towards a more just and compassionate immigration system. Whilst there have been some positive changes implemented such as the extension to the refugee move on period, an increase in legal aid fees and the scrapping of the Rwanda plan.  So far, their general approach has been cautious, disappointing and driven by fear of political backlash. The 2024 summer riots and pressure from the far right seem to have pushed Labour to take a hesitant stance on immigration, with a continued focus on enforcement rather than meaningful reform.

These are not easy questions, but they are ones that we, as funders, must grapple with. JTI and other funders have a role to play in helping organisations adapt to this political reality, develop strategies for engagement and continue pushing for systemic change.

The role of my maternity cover and long-term engagement 

A key focus in the next year will be how my maternity cover Sabrina Huck, who will be joining through a secondment from RAMP, can complement and enhance the work already taking place across the sector. This role presents an opportunity to deepen collaboration across different advocacy spaces, ensuring that our grant partners can engage more effectively with policymakers.

By working with the wider sector and government, long-term engagement with key officials could be facilitated, contributing to the sector’s collective ability to influence policy and practice and ensuring that organisations working on the ground have sustained access to decision-makers.

To make this work as impactful as possible, there are key considerations to reflect on:

• Leveraging this opportunity to ensure our partners’ voices are heard at the highest levels
• Strategies that can be put in place to solidify these relationships beyond just the next year
• Using moments to create sustainable policy influence rather than short-term access.

Despite the challenges posed by political hesitation, capacity constraints and external pressures, I remain hopeful that JTI can play a meaningful role in supporting organisations to navigate these complexities and push for systemic change. There is much to be done and the road ahead is uncertain. However, what is clear is that we must continue to challenge, advocate and work collectively to ensure access to justice for all.

Dami Makinde  

Senior Influencing and Grants Manager