About

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Coventry Refugee and Migrant Centre is a charity relieving hardship and distress for local refugees and asylum seekers run by around 40 full time employees and over 100 volunteers.

Our income is dedicated to directly support our client groups. We help clients to access health care, housing, education, training and employment as well as providing befriending and other social activities. We also help the destitute and homeless who have no one else to turn to.

Our Mission

Coventry Refugee Centre provides impartial and confidential advice as well as giving practical help and support to asylum seekers and refugees living in Coventry, Warwickshire and surrounding areas.

Our aims are to:

  • Relieve hardship and distress amongst refugee, migrant and asylum seeker communities in and around Coventry.
  • Raise awareness of refugee, asylum, and migrant issues in the wider community.
  • Provide holistic client services to our vulnerable client group.

The CRMC traces its roots to the first acts of kindness shown to refugees and asylum seekers by community-minded volunteers in Hillfields. Providing help and advice to newcomers in the community led to the establishment of CRMC in 2000. The refugee communities of Coventry still predominantly live in the Foleshill and Hillfields areas. Our work now extends to the destitute, those with a pending asylum claim, those refused asylum and those granted Leave to Remain.

Our Reach

We managed 6,868 visits from 1,859 clients in 2009. 1,309 clients visited us between 1st July - 10th September 2010, of whom 213 (16.2%) were identified as destitute. 1,845 clients visited us in the previous quarter (1st April - 30th June) of whom 245 (13.2%) were identified as destitute.

In 2010 the main country of origin of clients are: Iraq, Iran, Zimbabwe, Eritrea, Afghanistan, Nigeria, Congo and Somalia - some of the most troubled parts of our world.