Paulina is a lead organiser at Citizens UK, she heads the Migrant & Refugee Organising Team that develops migrant & refugee leadership, and campaigns to make the UK a welcoming and fair place for all.

Paulina grew up in Mexico amidst stark inequalities and exclusive political spaces which laid the foundation for her commitment to service and radically inclusive politics. Paulina migrated to the UK almost a decade ago and has since organised and won dozens of local, regional and national campaigns for fair wages, new NHS services, affordable housing, gender violence, and more welcoming migration policies and practices. Before her current role, Paulina was based in South London, organising and supervising multiple local alliances and strategic partnerships. Her work included Citizen's multidisciplinary programmes with staff, students and parents at King's College London, organising parent groups across the UK with Ark Academies, and training hundreds of leaders and dozens of organisers for the mental health partnership with the NHS South London Listens.

Paulina holds an MA in Social Innovation and an MSc in Gender, Sexuality and Society and is on the board of Creating Ground, a CIC working with refugee and migrant women through arts and organising. When not organising, Paulina is likely to be lost behind a book on her 7th or 8th cup of coffee.

James is Assistant Director at Citizens UK and leads the South London Citizens team and co-leads our Migrant and Refugee Organising team.

James is a dual British and Iranian national and grew up in Thornton Heath, Croydon. James is chair of governors at a primary school in Brixton.

Jess is a Senior Organiser with the MaRO team. She has also built a new Citizens alliance in Reading and led on strategic partnerships with organisations including the University of Reading and NASUWT. Organising justice for migrant communities has been at the heart of much of Jess' work, including campaigning to ensure newly arrived communities have fair access to jobs and for free bus travel for people seeking asylum, and accrediting Refugee Welcome Schools. Previously, she was Citizens UK’s fundraising manager raising millions of pounds for community organising, and has 10 years' experience of working in the migration sector. Jess also has a degree in Middle Eastern Studies.

Froi is a Lead Organiser at Citizens UK leading an organising team in North London and co-leads our Migrant and Refugee Organising team for Pathways to Citizenship. He has organised and trained campaign teams that have successfully negotiated with Amazon, BT Sport, Hackney Council and NHS commissioners/providers for access to laptops during Covid-19, paid work programmes for young people & migrants, and improved mental health services respectively. Froi has led on partnerships with Nesta and University of the Arts London. Also, he holds dual British-Filipino nationality.

Mary is an Associate Organiser at Citizens UK, working in Redbridge on mental health, youth safety and hate crime, as well as the Pathway to Citizenship campaign.

With 17 years of lived expertise of UK immigration system, Mary has worked to achieve a fairer and just society for migrants. She has worked to develop leaders with first-hand experience of having No Recourse to Public funds (NRPF) and developing campaigns to oppose the policy. Her experience also includes volunteering as a campaigner with We Belong on fairer affordable routes to settlement, and the Media Movers project to create more humane representation of migrants in the media.

Zain Hafeez is a Community Organiser at Citizens UK and is currently working on the Pathway to Citizenship campaign. Zain is an Expert by Experience with more than 10 years of first-hand experience through his migration and asylum journey. Zain has substantial experience working with asylum seekers and refugees through roles with the British Red Cross, Voices Network, and Coventry Refugee and Migrant Centre. Zain is also a Trustee at Asylum Support and Appeals Project and has spoken at UK Parliament, on BBC Radio, universities and at several panel events.

Minna is an associate organiser with MaRO based in Wolverhampton working with leaders from across the West Midlands region. Minna is passionate about migration organing as she was an asylum seeker for 8 years before she got her leave to remain. But her journey in the immigration system is not yet over. She still has to pay thousands of pounds every three years to extend her leave and wait 10 years before applying for citizenship.

Minna worked with Arabic-speaking refugees to win changes in the resettlement scheme. She developed their leadership skills by teaching the community organising curriculum in Arabic for the first time in Citizens UK. Through this work, she also managed to form strong relationships with key civil servants in the Resettlement team at the Home Office. Minna is a Politics and Theology graduate from the University of Winchester.

Elsie is an Associate Organiser, working on the Pathway to Citizenship campaign and an immigration outreach project with South London Refugee Association (SLRA).

Elsie was a community leader at Parent Action, fighting for migrant justice and campaigning on issues affecting people within the community. Elsie has been involved in many different campaigns such as youth safety in London, abolishing NHS Fees for migrant women, a parent commissioner at the Greater London Authority, and mental health (South London Listens).

Sage Abdi is an impassioned advocate for migrant and refugee rights, drawing on a rich background in both grassroots and international development work. Based in Nottingham, Sage has worked on the frontlines of policy change and community empowerment, bringing a unique blend of local and global experience to the role. Sage’s international work includes serving as a consultant for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), where she led anti-'tahrib' (dangerous secondary migration) campaigns, engaging young people in refugee camps across sub-Saharan Africa. Her efforts focused on addressing the risks and realities of unsafe migration while fostering hope and alternative pathways for displaced youth.

In addition to her work with UNHCR, Sage also fought against early child marriage as a Girls' Rights advocate with Save the Children’s African Union Liaison office. There, she championed the rights of girls and young women, pushing for stronger legal frameworks and community-driven solutions to end child marriage and promote gender equality. Back in the UK, Sage applies her global insights to her role as Migrant and Refugees Organiser, navigating the complexities of the immigration system and helping marginalised groups find their voice. Sage’s strategic vision and commitment to collaboration have been instrumental in shaping initiatives that promote social inclusion and justice.

Man Chun is an Associate Organiser with Migrant & Refugee Organising team, where he leads the Pathways to Citizenship campaign in West Yorkshire. His passion for multiculturalism and diversity has led him to volunteer internationally in India and Thailand, as well as with asylum seekers in Hong Kong. With over a decade of experience as a social worker in children and youth services, he brings deep insight into the challenges facing marginalised groups.

Originally from Hong Kong, Man Chun has first-hand experience with the complexities of migration. His personal journey has strengthened his resolve to work for social justice and human rights, and he is dedicated to contributing to a more inclusive community.

Alba has over 10 years of experience in the charity sector, with a specific focus on supporting people who experience racism and advocating for migrant justice. She spent four years in Paris as an ESOL teacher, actively participating in various social justice campaigns and projects. Throughout her professional career and personal life, Alba has consistently campaigned for a fairer, safer society and hopes to empower the voices of marginalised groups.