Migrant Experiences: Privacy notice

In line with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), there are certain things that we need to let you know about how your information will be processed. In this privacy notice, we explain the legal basis for data processing, who will have access to your personal data, how your data will be used, stored and deleted, and who you can contact with a query or a complaint.

Who is collecting my data?

The National Centre for Social Research (NatCen) is carrying out this research on behalf of the Home Office to better understand how recent changes to immigration policy have affected people’s experience of coming to the UK and the immigration process.

The National Centre for Social Research (NatCen) is Britain’s largest independent social research agency. For over 50 years, we have been working with charities, universities and government to find out what people really think about the big issues. NatCen is independent of all government departments and political parties.

What is the legal basis for processing data?

For the purpose of data protection legislation, the Home Office are the data controllers and NatCen are the data processers. This means the Home Office is responsible for deciding the purpose and legal basis for processing data from this study. For this study, the legal basis for processing data is ‘Public Task’.

For special category personal data, including on gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation and health, the legal basis for processing this data is ‘Reasons of substantial public interest (with a basis in law)’.

Why have I been selected?

For this project we are speaking to people in the asylum system, those who have been identified as potential victims of trafficking and referred to the National Referral Mechanism and foreign nationals who have received a custodial sentence and may be eligible for removal. We are inviting people to take part in the project in different ways.

• You may have seen a poster or leaflet about the project at the accommodation you are living in, at a reporting centre or at an event run by a voluntary sector organisation you engage with. In this case, you may have contacted NatCen directly about the research using the contact information on the poster or leaflet. We will collect contact details from you, save these securely and delete them at the end of the project.
• You may have received an email directly from NatCen about the study. The Home Office provided NatCen with a list of asylum applicants and their contact details who had agreed to be contacted about research. These details were transferred securely and will be deleted at the end of the project.
• You may have been told about this research by a voluntary sector organisation and invited to take part. A NatCen researcher may also have invited you directly during an event run by a support organisation you engage with. If you agree to take part, your contact details will be securely transferred to NatCen. They will be deleted at the end of the project. 

What data is being collected?

Personal data collected as part of this research will include contact details, age, ethnicity or nationality, gender, sexual orientation, religion and health information. Your personal details will not be held for any longer than is necessary and will be securely deleted once the research has been completed and the findings report produced.

With your permission, interviews will be audio recorded and transcribed.

Who will have access to my personal data?

Your data will be held securely and in strict confidence by NatCen in line with the GDPR. Only the NatCen research team, the transcription partner that we work with, and interpreters, will have access to personal data that you provide during the interview. McGowan Transcriptions is the transcription service that NatCen use. ClearVoice is the interpretation service that we use. If you choose to take part in a language other than English, an interpreter will join the interview. Both McGowan Transcriptions and ClearVoice are on NatCen’s approved supplier list and are compliant with all of NatCen’s information security policies.

What will you do with the information I give?

The data collected will be used for research purposes only.

NatCen will write a report covering the main themes and issues that have been discussed in the interviews. NatCen will not include any names, case numbers or specific details in the report and it will not be possible to identify you from your interview data. The report may include quotes of what you have said. The quotes will be labelled anonymously and any other identifiable information will be removed.

The anonymised report will be used internally by the Home Office to support the evaluation of the New Plan for Immigration and will inform the implementation of future Home Office policies and operations, including service design and delivery. Where appropriate the Home Office may seek to publish outputs from this evaluation, however, any outputs will not include personal nor identifying information.

All personal information, and any other data held on the project, will be securely deleted once the research has been completed and the findings report produced.

You can withdraw from the study up to 6 weeks after you interview. If you wish to do so, please contact the NatCen research team on the study email address or freephone number provided below.

Will my contact information be shared with anyone else?

We will never share your contact details with third parties, including government, charities or commercial companies for marketing purposes.

Will I have access to my information?

Yes, but please note that once your data is combined with others’, anonymised or research findings have been published, we would not be able to change the findings by removing individual information. However, you can always request that your personal data be deleted or updated and we will let you know immediately if this is possible or not.

What are my rights?

You have rights with regards to your personal data. These include:

• The right to request copies of your personal data.
• The right to ask us to correct any personal data that we hold about you that’s inaccurate or incomplete.
• The right to ask us to delete personal data that we hold about you.
• The right to object or restrict how we’re processing your personal data.

Who to contact if you have a query or complaint?

To contact the research team at NatCen, please use migrantexp@natcen.ac.uk or call 0808 1682791 free of charge.

If you have any questions about how your data will be used, you can contact NatCen’s Data Protection Officer at dpo@natcen.ac.uk 

If you would like to contact the Home Office with any queries about your rights in relation to your personal data, how your data will be used for this research, or how to complain, please use DPO@homeoffice.gov.uk copying maria.calem1@homeoffice.gov.uk 

If you are unhappy with the way your personal data is being processed, you can report it to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) at https://ico.org.uk/ or by calling the ICO helpline on 0303 123 1113.