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“Alone we can do so little;
together we can do so much.”
In March 2022 we came together to run Support48, a 48 hour challenge to create legal tech solutions to improve both the lives of those fleeing the war in Ukraine and the capabilities of organisations and individuals assisting.
Solutions
The Solutions
The Teams
Team Weightmans
Stuart Whittle, Catriona Wolfenden, Bea Beale, Beth Wells, Bethan Davies, Chris Chan, Dev Devadason, Ed Barry, Emily England, Emmett Boyce, Iuliana Ghemis, Jane Price, John Schorah, Lia Tong, Louise Neave, Lydia Hazlehurst, Mandy Higgins, Pauline Rozario, Rebecca Benson, Wendy Perry
The Challenge
Ensuring lawyers have the tools to succeed
Let’s give immigration lawyers the tools they need to increase their capacity and help people more effectively and correctly. Issues immigration lawyers can face include repetitive filing, managing multiple requests, connecting to foreign lawyers and having the most up to date information.
The Solution
Instruction+
A multi-language app that can be used by immigrants to enter all of the information, and upload documents, required by their immigration lawyer to speed up the advice and application processes.
Next Steps and Support Required
To make this work, Weightmans are looking for jurisdiction-specific input from local immigration lawyers.
Team 2
Iria Pernas, Samaira Khawaja, Mark Knight, Stewart Dickens, Ajibike Babalola, Nimrat Dhillon
The Challenge
Ensuring speedier integration into society
Adapting to the society of your new home can sometimes be just as difficult as crossing the border. How can legal processes be innovated to allow speedier integration? This can include gaining healthcare, work permits, securing a bank accounts, finding language classes or finding housing for example.
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The Solution
UKraine2UK
"We envisage UKraine2UK being an app that incorporates pre-existing language tools to help signpost useful resources and organisations that can help. This is a cheaper and easier solution that will still facilitate the integration of Ukrainian refugees coming to the UK."
Team 3
Yusuf Ogretici, Hariette Hall, Adeola Omisore
The Challenge
Ensuring access to justice when immigrating
Leaving your home and crossing the border became a reality to 3 million people. Legal Issues people crossing the border can face include a lack of information around their rights in the country they arrive in (e.g the Temporary Protection Directive (TPD) (2001/55/EC)), information about asylum and other options.
The Solution
Streamline the UK Visa application service by building a new application portal that removes current limitations.
Next Steps and Support Required
To make this work, Team 3 are looking for external support from people who can influence the UKVCAS to explore new solutions - including this one.
Team 4
Isabel Rudd de Oliveira, Liam Cork, Callum Brignall, Tom Whitworth
The Challenge
Ensuring access to justice when immigrating
"How can we improve the success rate of Ukraine Family Scheme applications, by streamlining the acquisition and compilation of relevant documentation and evidence?"
The Solution
A multi-language app where asylum seekers and sponsors can create a profile; upload documents; and prepare for a VAC appointment.
Team 5
Manale Mourdi, Hattie Rawlings, Christiaan Leibbrandt
The Challenge
Ensuring access to justice when immigrating
"The Guardian reported that Ukrainians attempting to flee to safety in the UK have described their “intense frustration and anger at the bureaucratic hurdles and technical difficulties” in trying to get a visa under the new [Ukraine Family] scheme. Applicants told the paper they have been left in unfamiliar countries “wrestling with the complex application process” and hindered further by “difficulties uploading crucial documents or the application website was crashing”. Others have complained that there are “no appointment slots available to finalise their applications” or found themselves being asked to “post supporting documents to an office in Wandsworth”."
The Solution
"It was our goal to create a user-friendly technological platform that could delegate the complex application process to willing legal volunteers who are well-versed in the UK immigration system and the often byzantine application process. We wanted a platform that was centralised, easy to understand, and easy to access. Our proposed solution is to use the BRYTER platform as a central hub where individuals can follow a simple series of questions and upload all documents relevant to their specific visa application route. This would then allow volunteers to access them and complete the visa process on their behalf, helping to reduce the anxiety of fleeing your home and competing with bureaucratic processes."
Team 6
Wing Sum Chung, Adeoluwa Ogunleye, Johney Johnson, Maria Manford
The Challenge
Ensuring lawyers have the tools to succeed
Let’s give immigration lawyers the tools they need to increase their capacity and help people more effectively and correctly. Issues immigration lawyers can face include repetitive filing, managing multiple requests, connecting to foreign lawyers and having the most up to date information.
The Solution
URVAT Ukraine Refugee Visa Application Tool
A portal for submitting immigration applications. By using a questionnaire and document automation, the URVAT Ukraine Refugee Visa Application Tool will streamline the current visa application process in multiple jurisdictions.
Next Steps and Support Required
To make this work, Team 6 is looking for technical assistance and translators.
Team 7
Cristian-Dumitru Ungureanu, George Gent, Nicoleta Uzorka Ion, Sarah Howlett
The Challenge
Ensuring coordination of support
Connecting people to ways they can provide support to Ukranian migrants and the organisations helping them.
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The Solution
"A database with an intuitive interface which can be accessed by all the relevant stakeholders involved: refugees themselves, border control, immigration lawyers, medical services providers, schools. It can be accessed through an app, or otherwise through the internet. Service/accommodation providers can log on and see notifications about who needs what. As soon as they provide any help, they earn points which add up and which will eventually earn them status as a helper in the form of a token. This token should come with some rewards for the top providers (something akin to Which awards, but for aid/charity), anything from discounts to sponsoring companies to the possibility of turning it into an NFT which can be traded."
Team Weightmans
Team 2
Team 3
Team 4
Team 5
Team 6
Team 7
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