Help and support for asylum seekers and refugees

If you're a refugee or an asylum seeker living in the borough of Rochdale, there is a wide range of help available.

Find a place to live

You can contact the following organisations if you're homeless or need a place to live:

• Apply for social housing - if you're a refugee.
• Rochdale Housing Solutions - get in touch to find out about drop-in services.
• The Bond Board Rochdale - help for people on low incomes to find a home.
• Petrus - provides support to people without a home or who are struggling with housing.

In an emergency: if you are homeless and need urgent help, phone 0300 303 8548.

Money and financial support

View benefits available for asylum seekers or refugees:

• Asylum seeker support on GOV.UK - learn how to get money and housing support.
• Benefits for British citizens - only available to refugees.

Get help with food

These organisations may be able to give you food and other help:

• Warm Welcome Spaces - enjoy a free drink, activities and access to other services.
• Sanctuary Trust Reaching Out Centre - offers food, practical help and a safe community space.
• Brentwood Middleton Day Centre - offers food, activities and wellbeing support.

Learn English

Get help with learning or improving your English:

• Rochdale Refugee Welcome Programme - offers support for finding work, learning English and more.
• Talk English - offers English classes for refugees in Rochdale borough.

Find work, training and volunteering

These organisations can help you find work, training or volunteer roles:

• Job support and training - for help with finding work, training or volunteering opportunities.
• Find educational events - get help finding work or learn a new skill.
• Rochdale Refugee Welcome Programme - offers support for finding work, learning English and more.
• Caring and Sharing- supports asylum seekers in Rochdale borough by finding education, training and services for community integration.
• Manchester Refugee Support Network - work with refugees and asylum seekers in Greater Manchester to help find education and training opportunities, help you build a community and find friends.
• KYP (Kashmir Youth Project) - provides training, community services and support.

Support for women

These organisations offer support for women:

• Rochdale Women's Welfare Association - a community of women looking to help and support other women, including refugees and asylum seekers.
• Nestac - support women who have been hurt or controlled by others.

Domestic violence and abuse

We provide domestic violence and abuse support to anyone in the borough of Rochdale.

• Get help for domestic violence and abuse

Meet people and make friends

We host a number of events that are a great way of meeting new people:

• Find events for refugees and asylum seekers
• Find coffee mornings and social gathering events

Health and wellbeing

Find help for your mental and physical health:

• Living Well Rochdale - supports people with stopping smoking, losing weight, becoming more active and managing long‑term health conditions.
• Rochdale and District Mind - provides mental health support, including counselling and group activities. Language support is available in Mirpuri, Urdu, Punjabi and Bangla.
• Find a doctor (GP) - a General Practitioner (GP) can offer medical advice, provide a diagnosis and prescribe medicines.

Children and parents

If you have children, our family hubs offer a range of support and services.

• Find a family hub

Free internet access

You can get free wifi in our public buildings.

• Free public wifi in council buildings

Visa help

From 31 December 2024, paper immigration documents were replaced with an online record called an eVisa. Most people who are not British or Irish will need an eVisa to show their immigration status.

You may need to show your eVisa to your employer, your landlord or when you travel.

• How to create a UKVI (UK Visas and Immigration) account and get access to your eVisa
• Watch a video on how to create a UKVI account and access your eVisa

More support

These organisations provide support across the UK:

• British Red Cross - care and support for refugee and asylum seekers.
• Childline - support for children who are refugees and asylum seekers. They offer support and advice if you're being bullied, feel scared or feel like you don't belong.
• Refugee Action - gives help and advice for refugees and asylum seekers on issues, including the asylum process.
• Migrant Help - support if you're a survivor of human trafficking and modern slavery.
• City of Sanctuary - aims to provide a community for refugees and asylum seekers.

How you can help asylum seekers and refugees

If you'd like to help asylum seekers and refugees, there are many ways you can show your support.

• Be friendly and welcoming - just being friendly and welcoming can really help an asylum seeker or refugee to feel supported. You can help asylum seekers and refugees by talking to them and passing on your knowledge about the local area, places they can go and things they can do.
• Get funding to help asylum seekers and refugees - if you’re a community or charity group based in the borough of Rochdale, you may be able to apply to be a part of the Refugee Welcome Programme. More on the Refugee Welcome Programme
• Interpret for the British Red Cross - there are a number of opportunities across Greater Manchester and the whole of the UK. Search for current interpreter opportunities with British Red Cross
• Volunteer with a charity - many different organisations and charities are looking for volunteers to help with different tasks needed to help refugees and asylum seekers. Volunteering
• Foster a child - we're looking for people from across Rochdale borough who can foster children aged 10–18 and provide the safety, comfort and stability they need. Make a fostering enquiry or find out more about being a foster carer