Help for migrantsOrganisations helping migrants in Europe and the Americas: finding free help, country by country
Residence permit, asylum, homelessness, health care, rights: the five kinds of free help for migrants, the role of UNHCR, IOM and InfoMigrants, the traps of paid intermediaries, then a detailed guide for each country in Europe and the Americas.
Founder · Compatri, the social network for diasporas
Information checked on 2 November 2026.
In an emergency, first call the country's emergency number: 112 works free of charge everywhere in the European Union. Then, for a residence permit, an asylum claim, a night on the street, health care or a right that is refused, every country in Europe and the Americas has organisations helping migrants that see people free of charge. They belong to five broad families: organisations defending migrants' rights, large humanitarian NGOs, churches and faith-based organisations, public reception services, and university legal clinics. This guide explains how to recognise them, how to avoid those who charge for what is free, then points you to our detailed guide for each country.
Compatri takes no steps on your behalf and has no link with any of these organisations: it points you towards them, and towards fellow nationals who are already settled.
The five families of free help for migrants
| Family | What it does | Verified examples | How to find it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Organisations defending migrants' rights | Legal advice sessions on residence, asylum, work; appeals; advocacy | CAREF in Argentina, Missão Paz in Brazil | The country guide below |
| Large humanitarian NGOs | Emergencies, health care, shelter, distributions | Red Cross, medical NGOs: see each country guide | The NGO's local branch |
| Churches and faith-based organisations | Reception regardless of religion, social help, often legal help | Caritas network (162 organisations), Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) | Caritas directory by country, parishes, dioceses |
| Public reception services | Official information, classes, guidance; some provide a free lawyer | IRCC-funded services in Canada, São Paulo's CRAI, public defenders | The country's official immigration website |
| Legal clinics | Free advice from law students supervised by lawyers | Clinic run by CAREF, CELS and the University of Buenos Aires | The law faculty in your city |
Organisations defending migrants' rights
They know residence law best. They run legal advice sessions: they explain your situation, check a file, help write an appeal. Many see people by appointment only, and almost all state clearly that their services are free. They never decide in place of the authorities: they help you submit a complete file on time.
Large humanitarian NGOs
Red Cross and Red Crescent, medical NGOs, food banks: they meet immediate needs (care, meals, clothes, sometimes shelter) without asking for papers. Their presence varies a lot from one country to another: each country guide gives the verified links.
Churches and faith-based organisations
They receive everyone, whatever their religion. Caritas brings together 162 autonomous organisations in more than 200 countries and territories, with a directory by country on its website. The Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) accompanies refugees and displaced people through regional offices, including Europe, North America and Latin America. Scalabrinian sisters and fathers run some of the best-known migrant houses in the Americas, such as Missão Paz in São Paulo and IMDH in Brasília.
Public reception services
They are not associations, but they are free and often under-used. In Canada, IRCC's official tool finds the free settlement services it funds near you (outside Quebec, which has its own programmes). In the European Union, the Commission's EU Immigration Portal sets out, country by country, the rules for coming to work, study or join family. In several countries, a public defender provides a free lawyer to those who cannot pay: the Defensoria Pública da União in Brazil, and the Defensoría General de la Nación in Argentina for refugee claimants. Remember the difference: the authorities decide, the organisation supports.
Legal clinics
In many law faculties, final-year students supervised by lawyers give free advice. In Buenos Aires, CAREF's legal clinic, run with CELS and the University of Buenos Aires, gives migrants free guidance on their papers. Ask the law faculty in your city whether it has a "law clinic".
International organisations and reliable information
UNHCR (the UN Refugee Agency) protects refugees and asylum seekers. In many countries it publishes an online help site, UNHCR's "Help" (help.unhcr.org), which explains the country's asylum procedure and lists its partners. UNHCR does not process your claim: the state decides.
IOM (the International Organization for Migration) has country offices, listed on its "Where we work" page: in Argentina, for example, it runs projects on jobs for migrants and workshops on access to rights. It issues neither visas nor residence permits.
InfoMigrants is not an association: it is a news outlet, run by France Médias Monde (France 24, RFI, MCD), Deutsche Welle and the Italian news agency ANSA, co-funded by the European Union. It publishes verified information for migrants in six languages (French, Arabic, English, Pashto, Dari, Bengali). It informs; it does not handle cases.
Preparing a first contact
Beware of paid intermediaries
A serious organisation never promises a residence permit. Only the authorities decide. Be wary of anyone who sells an appointment that is free, guarantees an outcome, announces a regularisation that the official website does not mention, or cannot prove they are registered with the bar. In the United States, the immigration authority (USCIS) points out that a "notario público" is not authorised to give legal advice on immigration: only an attorney or an accredited representative of an organisation recognised by the Department of Justice can. It also points out that it never asks you to transfer money to an individual.
These rules apply everywhere: check the official website's address, never hand over your passport, never pay cash without a receipt. Our guide to avoiding immigration scams in the United States details the most common traps.
The guide for each country
Each guide presents the country's leading organisations: what each does, for whom, where, and the link to reach it, with public bodies listed separately.
Arriving in Europe on a long-stay visa? Start with the arrival steps and their deadlines, country by country. In France, a family joining a relative will read family reunification, the steps after arrival; a housing refusal linked to origin falls under housing discrimination.
Compatri: fellow nationals where you arrive
An organisation handles a file; a community surrounds you. On Compatri, a community brings together a country of origin and a city: "Cameroonians in Brussels", "Senegalese in São Paulo". Those who arrived before you know which advice session answers, which appointment comes quickly, which neighbourhood is welcoming. Browse all communities or the diaspora pages, such as Congolese in Belgium and Senegalese in France. Read how mutual aid between compatriots works, and why joining your community before you leave changes the first weeks. The directory of diaspora associations mostly lists associations in Belgium for now: hometown, student and cultural associations that complement the support organisations in this guide.
Sources
- European Commission: 112, the European emergency number
- European Commission: EU Immigration Portal
- IRCC: find free newcomer services
- USCIS: common scams
- IOM: where we work
- IOM Argentina
- InfoMigrants: about us
- Caritas Internationalis: where we are
- Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS)
- CAREF: legal clinic
- CONARE (Argentina): frequently asked questions
- Defensoria Pública da União (Brazil): how we can help you
- Missão Paz (São Paulo)
- IMDH (Brasília)
- City of São Paulo: CRAI
Frequently asked questions
How do I find an organisation helping migrants near me?
Open your country's guide in this article's table: it lists the leading organisations, their cities and the link to their contact page. For a network present almost everywhere, check Caritas's directory by country. In Canada outside Quebec, IRCC's official tool finds the nearest free services.
Are organisations helping migrants free of charge?
The leading organisations presented in our guides are, and most say so on their website. Government fees (stamps, residence card) remain yours to pay. If an "adviser" asks for money for an appointment or a promised outcome, it is not a support organisation.
Can an organisation get me a residence permit?
No. Only the country's authorities decide. An organisation explains your situation, checks your file, helps you submit it on time and lodge an appeal. Anyone who promises a residence permit, for money or not, is not telling the truth.
What is the difference between UNHCR and IOM?
UNHCR protects refugees and asylum seekers, and in many countries publishes a help site explaining the asylum procedure. IOM is the UN migration organisation, with country offices and integration projects. Neither issues visas or residence permits: the state decides.
Is InfoMigrants an association?
No, it is a news outlet for migrants, run by France Médias Monde, Deutsche Welle and the ANSA agency, co-funded by the European Union, in six languages. It publishes verified information but does not handle cases: for support, turn to an organisation in your country.