Beginnings: Picking Up the Pieces Post-Brexit

Citizens Rights Project (CRP) began with a mission to inform and support EU nationals in Scotland after the Brexit referendum. Our first funder was the European Commission in Scotland, which allowed us to organise information sessions across the country, initially in English. However, we quickly realised that many migrants faced language barriers and that support was needed beyond the largest cities.
To ensure accessibility, we expanded our sessions to be multilingual and brought them to smaller towns and rural areas where EU nationals also lived and worked. These sessions were delivered pro bono by expert immigration lawyers, including legal professionals from Drummond Miller LLP and JustRight Scotland, ensuring that attendees received accurate and high-quality advice on their rights and residency options.

“Calling All EU Nationals!”: Promoting the EU Settlement Scheme

As the EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS) moved from its testing phase (August–November 2018) toward its full launch in March 2019, CRP became one of the key organisations involved in the Scottish Government’s Stay in Scotland campaign.
We were funded to ensure that as many EU nationals as possible applied for settled status, securing their rights in the UK. This was also when the Scottish Government became our first funder, marking the beginning of a long-term partnership that continues to this day. With their support, we expanded our multilingual outreach efforts, bringing essential information sessions to both major cities and smaller, rural communities across Scotland.

Partnership with Feniks: Supporting Vulnerable EU Nationals

In June 2019, we partnered with Feniks, which was one of the Home Office Grant Funded organisations providing support to vulnerable EU nationals applying to the EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS). Together, we delivered immigration support and information services across Edinburgh and the Lothians, ensuring that those most at risk could secure their rights to remain in the UK.
This partnership continued until 2022, when Feniks closed its immigration service and transferred its clients to CRP to ensure continuity of support. Despite this transition, we remain close collaborators, continuing to work together on initiatives that support EU and migrant communities in Scotland.

Strengthening Our Immigration Services: IAA Registration & Settled Angels Programme

To enhance our ability to support EU nationals navigating the EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS), CRP officially registered with the Immigration Advice Authority (IAA) as a Level 1 organisation (Limited to EUSS). This accreditation allowed us to provide direct, regulated immigration advice, strengthening our role as a trusted support provider for migrants in Scotland.
At the same time, we launched the Settled Angels programme in Scotland, in partnership with our sister organisation, Settled. This initiative trained dozens of multilingual volunteers, who were then registered as IAA-accredited immigration advisers to provide direct, localised support across Scotland—including in rural and hard-to-reach communities.
Our partnership with Settled remains strong, continuing to evolve to support migrants in new ways.

Adapting to COVID-19: Remote Support for Migrants

As the COVID-19 pandemic took hold, CRP faced the challenge of continuing to support EU nationals despite lockdowns and restrictions. Initially, we had planned to integrate EUSS support into our regular information clinics across Scotland. However, when in-person services became impossible, we quickly adapted, shifting to remote assistance, virtual consultations, and digital outreach to continue reaching those in need.
Despite the challenges of the pandemic, we remained committed to ensuring that as many people as possible could secure their legal status before the EUSS deadline.

Beyond Immigration: Piloting the Rights Centre

CRP launched its first multilingual Rights Centre, offering welfare support for Spanish and Polish nationals in Edinburgh. This pilot project emerged as a response to the growing number of clients approaching us with questions beyond immigration, including housing, healthcare, employment rights, benefits, and more. They trusted us not only for our expertise but also because of our culturally aware and multilingual approach—a service built on the principle of migrants helping migrants.
Recognising this demand, we decided to pilot the Rights Centre to assess whether this type of support could be developed Scotland-wide, similar to our EUSS services. Many of the welfare issues raised were directly linked to changes in immigration status post-Brexit, reinforcing the need for integrated support that addressed both legal residency and access to essential services.
This initiative laid the foundation for expanding our community-focused services, strengthening our commitment to supporting migrants beyond immigration matters.

Expanding Our Reach: Windrush Scheme

CRP applied for funding from the Home Office to conduct outreach and support on this topic after being made aware that some EU communities, particularly Polish and Italian nationals, could benefit from the Windrush Compensation Scheme. We used this opportunity to spread awareness among all migrant communities in Scotland.
The project lasted for only six months, after which we applied for further Home Office funding to continue the work. However, in the end, no additional funding was awarded to any organisation, meaning we could not continue developing the trust we had started building with migrant communities we had not previously engaged with.
Despite this, the experience provided valuable insights and connections, which we have been able to utilise in our more recent work.

The Rebirth of the Rights Centre

At the end of 2023, CRP officially integrated welfare support into its core services, expanding our assistance for migrants with pre or settled status across Scotland. We introduced a Link Worker role to help clients connect with essential services, while also developing multilingual materials and workshops to provide clear guidance on welfare rights.
In 2024, we further strengthened our support by adding two part-time Rights Advisers, one Polish-speaking and one Romanian-speaking. Alongside our Link Worker, they form our European Citizens Rights Service, offering tailored, multilingual assistance on healthcare, benefits, housing, employment, and other key welfare issues.
In addition to one-on-one support, we continue to run multilingual workshops and outreach sessions, ensuring EU nationals have the knowledge and resources to navigate Scotland’s social systems with confidence.

Navigating the Digital Future: eVisa Transition Support

Building on our EUSS experience, CRP now helps non-EU nationals transition from physical residence permits to eVisas, expanding our work beyond our traditional target audience.