All residents in the UK, including migrants regardless of immigration status, can contact their elected representatives if they have an issue that couldn’t be resolved through other channels. Writing to elected representatives is an important way for migrants to raise concerns, contribute to decision making, and access support.

Who are elected representatives?

Elected representatives are people chosen by the public to make decisions and speak on behalf of local communities. In the UK, these include:

Members of Parliament (MPs)

• Represent areas (called constituencies) in the UK Parliament in Westminster.
• Make national decisions on issues such as immigration, healthcare, education, and employment.

Local Councillors

• Represent local wards in councils (e.g. Birmingham City Council).
• Handle services like housing, bins, roads, schools, and parks.

Members of Devolved Parliaments

• For people in Scotland, Wales, or Northern Ireland: MSPs (Scottish Parliament), MSs (Senedd – Wales), MLAs (Northern Ireland Assembly)

Mayors

• Cities like London and Manchester have elected mayors who manage services and local budgets. Regional mayors oversee combined authorities or groups of local councils working together across a wider area, like the West Midlands Combined Authority.

Why should migrants contact them?

Migrants can contact their elected representatives for many reasons:

• To resolve a personal issue (e.g. visa application delays, housing problems, benefit concerns)
• To raise a concern about something affecting their community
• To support a campaign or community initiative
• To influence local or national policy
• To attend a local “surgery” (a meeting with the representative)

Who can write to elected representatives?

All migrants can contact their elected representatives, including:

• Asylum seekers
• Refugees
• People with visas (e.g. students, skilled workers, family)
• People with limited leave to remain or no recourse to public funds (NRPF)
• Undocumented migrants (with appropriate support)

Undocumented migrants are legally able to contact elected representatives, but whether it is safe or advisable depends on the context, the representative involved, and the migrant’s individual situation.

Even if the issue is not related to immigration, one can still raise concerns such as:

• Problems accessing services (e.g. schools, GPs)
• Unsafe housing or neighbourhoods
• Discrimination or hate crime
• Community safety
• Local projects or campaigns

Key Message: You do not need to be a British citizen or have voting rights to contact your MP or councillor. They are there to represent everyone living in their area.

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