The UNITED SIKHS U.K Helpdesk and Immigration Surgery has been established since 2008 at the Singh Sabha Gurdwara, Park Avenue, Southall and is presently manned by Ms. Narpinder Mann BEM and Mr. Lakhwinder Pannu.
The agenda of the Helpdesk and Immigration Surgery has been to assist the members of the local community and the wider community in general with any issues to alleviate their problems and concerns. The vast majority require advocacy, social and welfare assistance as well as help with immigration-related matters. To achieve our goals, we work in close cooperation with the local charities, councils as well as the Home Office and the Indian Embassy.
The pandemic has brought new and difficult hurdles requiring novel and imaginative logistics to overcome them and maintain service to our clients, albeit remotely via the phone and the internet as well as physical presence.
We have worked in conjunction with the Singh Sabha Gurdwara, Derby and Singh Sabha Park Avenue Southall to establish foodbanks to facilitate the supply and distribution of dry foods to the needy. Likewise, Immigration Surgery has also maintained its work virtually and in some cases physically to achieve successful repatriation to India, dealing with about 55 cases. As part of the Home Office initiative plan, the Reintegration Program, about 25 cases have been given financial, educational, work skill sets and physical help to settle and prosper in India. We are working strenuously to assist the remaining cases.
In addition, we have been actively involved with complex cases, which require a lot more cooperation with other Government and Charitable organizations, such as St Mungo’s, Hope for Southall Street Homeless, the Health Authority, Social Services as well as the Home Office and Indian Embassy, as was required with the case of Mr. K Singh.
Mr. Singh was an illegal entrant in the UK for many years but was desperate to return to India. Unfortunately, he was alcohol dependant and had no fixed abode and it was difficult to document him due to ID verification difficulties. By joint working with the above-mentioned organizations, Mr. Singh was successfully returned to India with financial assistance, but not without further help by communicating with the Indian Airport Authorities to enable safe and smooth passage through the immigration process.