# When work and assistance depend on one intermediary This article considers a migrant accessing language support, accommodation and work through acquaintances. It distinguishes ordinary mutual help, a defined service and pressure, alongside gratitude, consent and responsibility. It may help adults facing such dependency and relatives seeking to support their participation in decisions about their own lives. Inside: - Does shared language establish authority to decide for someone? - Which service does a payment demand actually concern? - Why does help establish no consent to every later task? - How do wage questions differ from permission to remain? - What changes when a person or their relatives are threatened? British examples determine neither a particular demand's legality, individual service access nor safe departure in another situation. ---