About AFRIL

AFRIL was founded in 2006 to support asylum seekers, vulnerable migrants and refugees in south east London to lift themselves out of poverty and rebuild their lives in the heart of our community. ​​Our support is holistic: both crisis support to meet immediate need, and longer-term, flexible programmes that tackle the underlying problems that lead to crisis, supporting people to integrate, contribute and thrive. We work in the community across south-east London, including in local asylum hotels.

We are a small charity, with mostly part time staff, but we make a significant difference. Our client group is predominantly people in or with experience of the asylum system. We also support newly granted refugees, and migrants with no recourse to public funds who have complex and unmet protection needs.

We work with other local and national organisations to ensure that we maximise resources and support for our client group. We use our frontline expertise, together with our clients’ lived experience, to advocate for positive policy change. Our work is grounded in the values of professionalism, empowerment and inclusivity. We co-produce services and engage with our clients through project specific steering groups and our monthly Member’s Forum.

Our services comprise: Casework and Advocacy; Rainbow Club Supplementary School; Food Bank; Allotment of Refuge; and our Immigration Project in partnership with Southwark Law Centre. You can find out more about our services here and our impact here.

We are a registered charity and company limited by guarantee.