Get Help — Urgent Assistance & Emergency Support
If you or your family face an emergency — deportation, violence, or immediate risk — Migrants SA is ready to respond. Use the hotline, WhatsApp or the form below so our call centre and crisis team can act quickly.
Immediate Emergency? Get help now
For life-threatening or time-critical situations use our direct contact options below. Tell us the location and type of emergency first.
Note: Priority emergency assistance is reserved for paid membership (Gold) for expedited crisis response. Iron members receive immediate guidance via the information desk and call centre triage.
How Migrants SA responds
Our emergency response is coordinated by the remote call centre and Crisis Response team. We combine 24/7 legal advice, rapid on-the-ground response (where possible), and referrals to trusted partners.
- 24/7 Telephonic Legal Advice: Immediate legal guidance for civil, labour, criminal and immigration emergencies.
- Rapid Triage: The call centre assesses urgency, safety and legal needs — cases are routed for immediate action or scheduled assistance.
- Referral Network: We connect you to vetted attorneys, NGOs, and community shelters for urgent help and representation.
- Crisis Response Team: For high-risk situations (e.g., violent attacks, raid interventions), we coordinate with partners and deploy rapid support where feasible.
- Emergency Relief: Distribution of essentials and temporary relocation assistance when needed.
Who can access emergency services?
Migrants SA provides a tiered access approach so everyone receives help appropriate to their membership level.
Iron (Free)
- Access to the information & query desk
- Call centre triage and initial guidance
- Referral to community services and town halls
Bronze
- All Iron services
- Access to legal aid & immigration representation
Silver
- All Bronze services
- Healthcare and family support referrals
Gold
- Priority Crisis Response & expedited representation
- Temporary relocation & emergency relief prioritised
Emergency response — step by step
- Contact us: Call the hotline or WhatsApp with your location and a brief description.
- Triage: Our remote call centre asks key questions to assess immediate danger, legal urgency, and support needed.
- Escalate: High-risk cases (violence, raids, immediate deportation risk) are escalated to the Crisis Response team and partner organisations.
- Refer & represent: For paid-members, Legal matters are referred to vetted attorneys; paid-member cases receive priority assignment and case management.
- Follow-up: Case outcomes are tracked and you will receive follow-up calls or messages about next steps and available support.
- Rewards (where relevant): Members who refer paid sign-ups may receive rewards as per the Rewards program — details are emailed after signup.
Submit an urgent case
Fill the form below with as much detail as you can. Our call centre will respond promptly.
(Add Shortcode widget here → paste your Contact Form 7 form shortcode for Urgent Help)
If you prefer immediate chat, use our WhatsApp link above or call the hotline.
Privacy & Data Handling (POPIA)
Migrants SA collects personal information to provide urgent assistance, referrals and case management. We handle your data in compliance with POPIA and our Privacy Policy. Information is shared only with service partners when necessary to protect your safety and access legal representation. By contacting us you consent to this data sharing for the purpose of providing assistance.
See our full privacy policy and data retention details at Privacy Policy.
Quick resources
Download commonly-used legal templates and guidance from our Resources section. Paid members also receive access to additional legal document templates and priority referral contacts.
Need urgent help now?
Contact the hotline or submit the urgent case form. Migrants SA is here to stand with you.
WhatsApp Emergency Join For Priority Response