Florica and Sebastian
Florica and her husband Sebastian have lived in Scotland since 2018. They settled in Govanhill, working and raising their three children.

Brexit and COVID-19 were devastating for many people in the Roma community in Govanhill. Florica and Sebastian’s parttime work as a cleaner and production line operative wasn’t enough to live on, and they could not afford to pay rent.
The New Migrants Action Project had previously helped Florica to make a Universal Credit application, which was approved. However, they did not know how to make ends meet and how long Lockdown would last, so they decided to return to Romania to escape the uncertainty. Leaving in a hurry to avoid being trapped by travel restrictions and with a baby on the way, they left their tenancy and a lot of paperwork behind. They also left before sending ID cards to complete their EU Settlement Scheme applications.
When they moved back, their tenancy was gone. Finding a new place to live was a struggle, and they had no Leave to Remain in the UK.
They returned to the New Migrants Action Project to get the help they needed to rebuild their lives in the UK. They were living in temporary homeless accommodation but felt insecure as they lacked Leave to Remain and National Insurance numbers. As well as supporting them in making new applications for pre-Settled Status and uploading evidence, we helped them successfully apply for National Insurance numbers.
Everything for benefits and status is online now, and we can’t deal with it without your help. With National Insurance numbers, we’re more confident looking for work. Some of us have Leave to Remain now, but not all the kids. But, bit by bit, we’re getting there.